Review of “Blades of Fire” on PlayStation 5

Whoa, so let’s dive headlong into this chaos, shall we? We’ve got a game here: “Blades of Fire” by 505 Games and MercurySteam. I think the name fits, don’t you? Sounds like it should be shouted from a mountain with a sword raised high. There’s magic, mythical lands, and not to oversell it, but it’s pretty epic. Anyway — wait, let’s backtrack. I remember loving MercurySteam’s past work, you know, like that “Metroid Dread” on Switch. Classic stuff.

This world was once ruled by these gigantic beings, The Forgers. Epic, right? They knew their end was nigh, so they handed things over to humans, along with the secrets of steel (sounds mystical, but who knows?). Anyway, fast forward a gazillion years, give or take, and we’ve got Queen Nerea going all stone-age on steel. Poof! All steel is stone. That wasn’t nice of her. Now, Aran de Lira, our protagonist — no pressure, buddy — is tossed into this mess. Heroes always get the raw end, don’t they?

And you’re not alone. There’s Adso de Zelk, a student with brains to analyze enemies. Sounds like he could read your mind, though I wonder if he enjoys it. He helps decode ancient texts — who knew adventuring was so academic?

Now, crafting — you can whip up weapons from steel. It’s like cooking with a dangerous twist! You find Forge Scrolls to up your weapon game. There are seven weapon families, which sounds like a medieval soap opera, right? Mix and match, find the balance, or just kind of wing it.

Then there’s difficulty settings: Bronze, Iron, Steel — make your choice like picking ice cream flavors. Want easy breezy? Go Bronze. For those of you who dare to really sweat, Steel is your jam. And, uh, maybe throw the controller a few times.

The controls? A bit like learning an arcane instrument. Attack, parry, heal. Who knew you’d be multitasking this much in a game? My fingers are cramping just thinking about it.

Combat styles and stances are key, and you’ll need a strategy to match. Oh, and check out the weapon durability on the screen — weapons wear out like old sneakers. Seriously, conserve those beefed-up weapons for the bosses unless you like scrambling with a stick.

Oh yeah, enemies! Over 50 types, each with their unique moves. Watch those colors on enemies too, signals like traffic lights. Green? Go crazy! Red? Don’t even bother, you’ll just embarrass yourself.

And trophies — if you’re a collector, this game packages up a good assortment. Forge lots of weapons, take out trolls, parry like a ninja. That Platinum Trophy awaits if you’re patient. Not me though — patience is so not my virtue.

One more thing, the game streets May 22 on PS5. A little pre-order tip: there’s a discount before then. Could save you some cash, though who knows, you might want extra pizza instead. Choices, choices.

Final tidbit — this blur of thoughts? Based on a PS5 copy from 505 Games. There you have it, raw and unscripted!