Blades of Fire: A Promising Medieval RPG, But Can It Survive Its Storytelling Flaws?

Blades of Fire stands out from other Medieval action RPGs because of how it approaches battle and making weapons. With directional combat and one of the most complex crafting systems in the genre, this game tries to give you a new, realistic experience that tests your skill and strategy. Bugs in the story and voice acting, on the other hand, could turn off some players.

You start the game right away as a blacksmith named Aren Delira who lives in the forest. The story starts with no fancy cutscenes or long expositions. Aren hears a cry for help and saves a young apprentice. Then the journey begins. People who were hoping for an exciting storyline might not be impressed by this simple beginning, especially after playing similar games that put a lot of effort into tutorials and big, dramatic stories.

Blades of Fire's combat is different from what you'd expect. There are no light and heavy attack buttons like in most games. Instead, the combat is directional, like in For Honor. There are heavy variations that add more depth. You can attack from the left, the right, or above. 

At first, the system can feel shaky because enemies don't block in any particular direction. This makes attacks seem more visual than strategic. As you play, though, the battles become more strategic, with timing, enemy weaknesses, and weapon types becoming important.

One thing that makes armor stand out is how it changes the battle. Most weapons can be used to kill unarmored enemies, but you have to be more careful when dealing with armored enemies. Slashing and piercing weapons have a hard time cutting through plate armor, while blunt weapons like maces are needed to break through. 

When fighting big monsters like trolls and ogres, you need weapons that can pierce and blunt damage that hits hard. This focus on realism in medieval warfare adds a level of realism that isn't often found in fantasy games.

But Blades of Fire's real heart is in its system for making weapons, which is based around your Divine Forge. In this case, crafting is not as easy as choosing it from a menu. You draw a very detailed picture of the weapon, picking out spearheads, sword guards, and even mixing your alloys. Each choice affects how well the weapon works, so the process is more than just for looks.

Forging is a mini-game that lets you practice blacksmithing skills. You can change the shape of the metal and strike it carefully to make the blade. Even though it's hard to understand at first and wasn't explained well, mastering this system is very satisfying. You can even save your designs as templates, which will make things faster in the future.

The game also changes the way loot works: you don't get weapons from dead enemies; instead, you get blueprints and materials. By defeating enemies, you can make weapons that look like theirs, which encourages you to try new things. There are weapon altars all over the world that let you get new parts when you use them with matching weapons. This encourages you to make a variety of builds.

Death does, however, have weight. When you die, you drop the weapon you're carrying, and if you can't get it back, you could lose it forever. This makes battles really tense. The Divine Forge is a hub, a checkpoint, and a place to craft. It creates a risk-reward loop that makes me think of Dark Souls.

It's too bad that not everything shines. The voice acting is clearly rough, with flat deliveries and changing sound quality. The apprentice character, in particular, has an annoying performance. The story seems to be the weakest part of the game, with rushed writing and little progress in the plot.

Should you spend your time on Blades of Fire? This demo gives you a great look at something new and exciting if you like deep melee combat, realistic armor interactions, and crafting with lots of details. But if you care about how well the story is told and how the voices are done, you might want to wait for the full release and more reviews.

Blades of Fire is an experiment that breaks the rules, but it is flawed. That might be the new fantasy experience you've been waiting for if you're sick of the same old fantasy formula.