Review of Blades of Fire on PlayStation 5

Blades of Fire is here, and I don’t even know where to start. This thing is a whirlwind from start to finish. I remember getting into MercurySteam’s stuff back with Metroid Dread, and then there was the whole Castlevania thing on PS3—nostalgia, anyone?—but Blades of Fire is next-level chaos. Anyway, these giants, The Forgers, had it all together before things went sideways. They decided, “Hey, let’s make humans!” as if that would solve anything. Now here we are, centuries later, and I’m sucked into it because, well, video games, right?

You’re Aran de Lira. Sounds fancy, huh? And Queen Nerea? She’s turned steel into stone, because why not? Her weird army now has the upper hand. You can’t just hack and slash your way out of this one unless you enjoy a fast demise. No idea how I missed this detail at first, but there’s this kid, Adso. He’s young and he knows stuff. Kind of Harry Potter-ish but without the glasses. He’ll help with puzzles or just giving random advice you may or may not listen to.

Now, weapons crafting is in the spotlight. Forge Scrolls—those are your friends. Really. They make weapons super personal, like “choose-your-own-adventure” but with more stabbing. Seven weapon families to mess with, over 30 Forge Scrolls running amok, and statistics that matter—or don’t if you prefer chaos. Let’s face it, finding the right weapon is pretty much like finding the right pair of socks. Crucial.

There are difficulty settings too. Bronze, Iron, Steel. Sounds like a “choose your torture” menu, but it matters. You can tweak it whenever, which makes you wonder who’s really in control. If you like rewards—and who doesn’t—Steel is your jam, but expect a few tantrums along the way.

As you’re fumbling with controls—those buttons do more than you think—your weapons degrade. Yeah, hit stuff, and boom, down goes your weapon’s health bar. Ever feel like you’re juggling apples and chainsaws? Same energy here. Ah, and 50 enemies, more or less, with behaviors you should totally remember but probably won’t. Skeletons need hammers, not spears, by the way. Just pro tips from hours of failure.

Onward to trophies if you’re into that. A list that would make Santa’s look short. Forge weapons, beat monsters, collect shiny things. No small feat but oddly satisfying.

And the grand release is May 22 for PS5. Get a discount if you’re feeling thrifty and want it before everyone else. It’s a mad world in Blades of Fire. Not sure why we’re drawn to these things, but who cares? Just dive in and embrace the chaos.