I wish I loved anything as much as Blades of Fire loved blacksmithing. Forge a weapon in MercurySteam's new soulslike and you'll be treated to several indulgent cutscenes of hot metal being beaten into shape. There's complex stat screens with all sorts of damage tradeoffs depending on what materials you use that'll have a Monster Hunter fan drooling. Then even an odd little minigame where you have to bash your new weapon into the correct shape. And you get to name your new murder toy! I wonder if this studio would have been happier making Blacksmith Simulator 2025...
Ah, but MercurySteam are too fond of brutal combat for that. Bashing together a new polearm is enjoyable, but not nearly as satisfying as bashing it against an enemy skull in Blades of Fire. Fighting is just more fun when you get to name the weapon you engage in it with, and every successful blow has a great sense of impact. This is all about dodging, blocking, parrying, and waiting for a crucial opening. And if you survive all that and rest at a safe point, you'll resurrect all the standard enemies. Sound familiar?
