Indie developer Workforce Ladybug has carved out a distinct segment by making the sorts of side-scrolling motion video games that Konami used to create. Finest recognized for Metroidvanias Touhou Luna Nights and File of Lodoss Struggle: Deedlit in Surprise Labyrinth (and the Gradius homage Drainus), Workforce Ladybug is trying a brand new spin on the beloved action-exploration components with Blade Chimera, which locations an enormous emphasis on its titular weapon: a multifunctional sword that additionally occurs to be a pleasant demon girl.
Blade Chimera is stuffed with attention-grabbing concepts (and fewer attention-grabbing execution of these concepts), with intelligent, compounding fight and exploration mechanics that unlock as you journey by a demon-infested Osaka, Japan. As Shin, a demon hunter who works for a extremely questionable navy group, your job is to slay the monsters which have occupied town. Utilizing quite a lot of weapons, swords, throwing stars, and (after all) a whip, Shin explores the mazelike metropolis and the tunnels beneath on a mission to eliminate large titan demons.
Early on in Blade Chimera, out now on Nintendo Swap and Home windows PC, Shin encounters Lux, a shape-shifting spirit-sword and confidant who has broad-ranging powers. Along with serving as a large, demon-slaying sword, Lux can act as a defend; restore Shin’s well being; rematerialize lacking objects; flip right into a rope for Shin to swing from; and function an advert hoc platform to leap off of. She will even develop into a jetpack.
Lux serves as a Swiss Military knife for the sport’s traversal and exploration mechanics. However development and map entry elsewhere in Blade Chimera can typically really feel like an afterthought. A lot of Shin’s gated progress is solely unlocked by upgrading a safety badge, and Shin wants solely to search out the best laptop terminal to have an assistant improve his entry stage.
As Shin explores Osaka on his mission, he’ll encounter all kinds of demons which can be largely rooted in Japanese folklore, a few of that are very visually hanging. Shin has an equally various set of fight instruments to dispatch them, together with long-range rifles and close-quarters melee weapons. Early on, Blade Chimera encourages the participant to experiment with quite a lot of loadouts, however some weapons simply outshine others, limiting experimentation within the later hours. Most of the sport’s long-range weapons additionally trivialize enemy encounters; it’s too straightforward to easily spam a bunch of bullets or shuriken at monsters on the fringe of the display.
Development all through Blade Chimera is surprisingly linear for a sport so clearly impressed by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night time. Whereas there’s some backtracking early on, Shin in the end good points the power to teleport across the map, and the sport typically leaves a transparent breadcrumb path for the participant to make them their subsequent goal.
Regardless of some small nits I had with Blade Chimera, I nonetheless had a good time with it, largely due to the sport’s well-designed boss battles and the intelligent use of Lux as an all-in-one device. Graphically, the sport might be fairly hanging; its pixel artwork is lovingly detailed and designed with a muted, distinct coloration palette. However it’s the exact, typically difficult fight and intelligent platforming that assist Blade Chimera stand out in a really crowded market of indie action-exploration video games.
Workforce Ladybug hasn’t reinvented the Metroidvania with Blade Chimera, however because of its core concept — tying its mystical sword into practically each facet of gameplay — it affords one thing that manages to really feel recent and lovingly designed. Anybody with a passion for Konami’s catalog of side-scrolling motion video games ought to, on the very least, give its demo a attempt.
Blade Chimera was launched on Jan. 16 on Nintendo Swap and Home windows PC. The sport was reviewed on Nintendo Swap utilizing a pre-release obtain code supplied by writer Playism. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These don’t affect editorial content material, although Vox Media might earn commissions for merchandise bought by way of affiliate hyperlinks. You could find further details about epicgamejourney’s ethics coverage right here.
