Blades of Fire’s Combat Combines God of War and Dark Souls

Blades of Fire takes its inspiration from both God of War and Dark Souls to create its brutal and strategic combat. Fans of both titles will feel right at home controlling Aran de Lira and his many weapons, but they should be prepared for a unique challenge. Though MercurySteam has used ideas from both titles, it also mixes in new elements to make Blades of Fire stand on its own. That said, the inspirations are clear to see for those who have experience with these genres. These elements certainly contribute to how satisfying Blades of Fire’s combat is and there are plenty to discover.

Dark Souls is without a doubt one of the biggest influences on combat in Blades of Fire. FromSoftware’s Soulslike genre and its punishing difficulty helped shape the strategic elements of MercurySteam’s action RPG. Defeating foes requires learning attack patterns and knowing when to strike. Players must also know when to dodge and when to parry, intertwining these defensive options into their offense.

Mastering Blades of Fire requires patience and precision. Assessing an encounter and determining the most effective weapon will always prevail over blindly attacking. Those who take their time and wait for an opening will find themselves dying and respawning far less.

Learning through failure is key to Blades of Fire. Thankfully, the punishment for death is minor. Aran will drop whatever weapon is equipped and players can return to the spot of their demise to collect it. Dying again does not cause the weapon to disappear, giving players plenty of time to retrieve it.

Blades of Fire also utilizes a flask healing system similar to Dark Souls. It even has resting points, taking the form of anvils, that fully heal Aran, restore his flasks, and respawn all enemies. Blades of Fire wears its FromSoftware inspiration on its sleeve, but it is all the better for it.

MercurySteam has combined these Soulslike elements with many features from God of War. Combat is incredibly weighty and brutal. Aran is capable of dismembering enemies and delivering gory finishers just like Kratos. But this isn’t the only aspect borrowed from God of War. Players can weave light and heavy attacks with any weapon, and combining these is a must for survival.

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Blades of Fire utilizes an upgrade system similar to God of War. Like Kratos, Aran’s health and stamina can be upgraded by collecting gems. These are found in chests, and players must gather several of them before Aran’s stats are increased. Codexes can also be unlocked to increase the potency of Aran’s flasks and his skills at forging.

While Adso does not directly contribute to combat, the comparison to Atreus is there. Adso is smaller, more aware of the world, and provides both help with puzzles and details about the enemies Aran faces. Thankfully, he isn’t as chatty as Atreus, but can be sent back to camp if players find him annoying.

While MercurySteam has taken these elements from Dark Souls and God of War, there are many unique mechanics created by the developer. The most important is the four-way attack targeting system. Players can target different parts of an enemy, taking advantage of gaps in their defense or certain weaknesses. Positioning is also important when attacking as Aran’s weapons can be deflected by the terrain, such as swinging from the left and striking a wall on that side instead of the foe.

MercurySteam has also placed importance on weapons not seen in many action RPGs. Players forge and tend to their weapons throughout the game. Each weapon has different stats that directly affect how it performs in combat. Keeping these sharp and durable is a balancing act, but one players must do if they wish to defeat the Queen’s army. Some weapons will also be ineffective against certain enemies and players must swap to another.

Blades of Fire’s inspirations culminate in a combat system that is unique, cinematic, and responsive. It balances aggressive momentum, tactical positioning, and weapon knowledge to create an engaging challenge. Combat is high-stakes and offers minimal hand-holding. Players must learn how to properly wield Aran’s weapons and experiment in this hybrid system to truly master it.