You might say Blades of Fire is in conversation with the genre classics it follows on from. How often do you find some incredible weapon in Dark Souls – literally made out of the backside of a cursed God – and then guiltily toss it into the depths of your inventory, never to be seen again? Did you really go through the pain in Elden Ring of removing all your upgrades from your favorite sword, putting them back on another weapon, only to find out it wasn't for you? Sorry, soulslikes, but It's just too big an ask for me to throw away my star murder toy and start over whenever I find another.
Blades of Fire finally solves these problems by being the type of brutal parent that'd literally snap my toys in two – perhaps less 'in conversation' than a stern talking to. Every weapon you forge here will break sooner or later, and I can see this being the most controversial it's been in a game since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But this tough love was exactly what I needed. Breaking my weapons broke me out of my combat comfort zone. I couldn't even tell you what it feels like to swing a claymore in Dark Souls, whereas in Blades of Fire I've had to learn to fight with claymores, sabers, polearms, axes, daggers, spears, oh my!
