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Blades of Fire takes place in an age of petrified steel. An all-powerful witch queen's spell turns all the world's steel into stone, apart from that wielded by an army of brainwashed minions who once served her father. This one small technological twist changes everything for this unique fantasy world. Granted a legendary hammer, Aran de Lira is the only one who can forge new weapons and fight back, becoming an unwilling hero on an unlikely quest. MercurySteam's much-anticipated follow-up to Metroid Dread, Blades of Fire is a brand-new IP that aims to reforge the action adventure genre with strategic combat, the debut of a rich sword-and-sorcery fantasy world, and a deep weapon forging system that hopes to deliver unlimited customization. Each weapon you forge is one-of-a-kind, ready to carve out its own destiny. You don't build a character—you build an arsenal. We recently played the opening stages of Blades of Fire and spoke to the team about how they're reforging the action adventure and making players think about weapons from a fresh perspective.
Closing the circle
It was a long path to get here for Enric Alvarez, MercurySteam Co-Founder, CEO, and Game Director. Just as the age of iron and steel was preceded by 2,000 long years of the Bronze Age, Blades of Fire is the culmination of a 24-year journey, a period the Madrid-based studio spent sharpening their skills and burnishing a prestigious reputation. In 2001, the founding members of MercurySteam worked at Rebel Act. The studio only released one game: Blade of Darkness, a PC cult classic sometimes regarded as a precursor to the Souls games for its minimalist storytelling, challenging stamina-driven combat, and a dark fantasy world beyond redemption. The influence of Conan and The Lord of the Rings (pre-Peter Jackson adaptations, as The Fellowship of the Ring came out that December) was strong, pairing exhilarating sword-and-board action with epic grandeur. Perhaps too ahead of its time, Rebel Act closed its doors after Blade of Darkness failed to find a sufficient audience.
Blades of Fire is going physical! Coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the physical edition of #BladesofFire will launch on May 22nd, 2025, the same day as our digital release:
Two decades since, it's safe to say MercurySteam landed on its feet. The fledgling studio gained early acclaim co-developing horror FPS Clive Barker's Jericho, before convincing Konami they were a safe pair of hands to reinvent Castlevania with the Lords of Shadow trilogy. They rewarded Konami's faith with the best-selling titles ever released in the franchise's storied history. One classic series down, MercurySteam next turned to Metroid. The team first impressed Nintendo with the remake Metroid: Samus Returns on the 3DS. Next, given leeway for an all-new title, they blew Nintendo and audiences away with the even better Metroid Dread, which released in 2021 and made a strong case for Game of the Year with its irresistible pacing, polished gameplay, and excellent boss fights.
With MercurySteam's stock as high as it's ever been, the time was finally right to return to their passion project—a spiritual successor to Blade of Darkness, returning to a genre close to Alvarez's heart in order to, as he puts it, "pay tribute to the game and the developer upon whose ashes MercurySteam was born." Growing up in the '80s, Alvarez says he was obsessed with classic fantasy movies of the time like Excalibur, The Princess Bride, Ladyhawke, and The Dark Crystal, as well as mind-expanding sci-fi novels like Solaris and Limbo, the gothic fantasy Carmilla, and ambitious graphic comics like Watchmen and Akira.
"Whatever little money I had in my pocket always ended up at the bookstore, the comic shop, the movie theater, or the arcade in my town," says Alvarez. "I thought it would be amazing to do something that combined it all. I still don't know how, but that's exactly what happened...For us, it's like closing a circle," he adds, his enthusiasm clear to see. "We started with a sword and sorcery game—very dark, very gritty, challenging combat. All these years, we've been craving to go back to that setting. Finally, we had the opportunity."
A sword and sorcery revival
Aran de Lira is an unlikely tragic hero. He's lived his life secluded, a once-comfortable existence among royalty cut short by ruinous events. He now resides in an isolated cabin, scarred mentally by regret and physically by a deep facial wound. Aran's a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair—just like his creator, who chose to write a character he could empathize with. Someone with history, with regrets, but who expected to be a hero all the same. "It's not a redemption story. He has nothing to redeem," says Alvarez. "It's a reunion story."
Perhaps not a happy one, as Alvarez explains the inexorable emotional influence of Alexandre Dumas' famous revenge novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Like the Count—who was wrongfully imprisoned for treason for 14 long years of suffering—Aran paid a painful (and entirely undeserved) price. The adult who went through much sorrow in his past life now seeks to recoup what destiny stole from him and potentially rekindle a long-lost romance. Aran isn't entirely without help. Your companion Adso is Aran's complete opposite—a prolific notetaker, more talkative and intellectual than our taciturn, muscular protagonist. Don't expect even the modest combat assistance Atreus provides Kratos in God of War (let alone its sequel), but Adso's fragility is compensated by his knowledge and spell-crafting.
Adso and the other companions you encounter are often your way into this world. My favorite so far is an adorable skeleton-child always eager for a piggyback—you can't say no to him after learning his story. When duty calls, Aran reluctantly sets forth from his cabin with a clear and simple mission: kill the queen. Not that events are ever that simple in this vivid fantasy world, which is full of inventive peculiarities like shelled frogs that leap harmlessly around caves and insects with glowing embers embedded in their carapaces. The relative familiarity of the early hamlet and swamp areas soon gives way to more ambitious designs—such as the Crimson Fort, a colossal mountaintop castle made entirely from wood and an early highlight in Blades of Fire.
As a developer, Alvarez says he seeks out ideas that scare him. The process may be intimidating, but the results speak for themselves. "We freaked out at the beginning. It's never gonna work! You need stones to make a proper castle," says Alvarez. But he insisted, and MercurySteam's art team proved the doubters wrong. The same chain of emotions played out later with a necropolis level, which eschewed conventional Christian gravesite influences for older and stranger roots—a burial place for humanity's unknowable ancestors of murky legend.
Art director Arturo Serrano intends Blades of Fire to invoke the rawness of classic fantasy, citing Conan artist Frank Frazetta and French illustrator Gustave Doré, known for his deeply twisted depictions of Dante's The Divine Comedy. "We aimed to bring their influence to a level of detail and dynamism that only modern video games can achieve," Serrano says. "This means vivid colors, dramatic compositions, and charismatic characters. Unlike modern fantasy, which tends to be more realistic and overly subtle in its designs, we sought a more expressive and creative approach."
The rest of their conversation can be found here—covering the game's weapon systems.
Forging your legend
As an independent developer, MercurySteam is best known for outstanding work-for-hire projects with other companies' IPs. They're comfortable with the model and the creative freedom and success they've found within it. "You are not free, but you have your own wings," as Alvarez describes it. But new IP is a powerful asset to secure any studio's future.
Now, armed with Blades of Fire, they're set to blaze ahead, no matter what. "Blades of Fire is an attempt by us to be owners of our own destiny." Blades of Fire releases on the Epic Games Store on May 22.
View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source
Closing the circle
It was a long path to get here for Enric Alvarez, MercurySteam Co-Founder, CEO, and Game Director. Just as the age of iron and steel was preceded by 2,000 long years of the Bronze Age, Blades of Fire is the culmination of a 24-year journey, a period the Madrid-based studio spent sharpening their skills and burnishing a prestigious reputation. In 2001, the founding members of MercurySteam worked at Rebel Act. The studio only released one game: Blade of Darkness, a PC cult classic sometimes regarded as a precursor to the Souls games for its minimalist storytelling, challenging stamina-driven combat, and a dark fantasy world beyond redemption. The influence of Conan and The Lord of the Rings (pre-Peter Jackson adaptations, as The Fellowship of the Ring came out that December) was strong, pairing exhilarating sword-and-board action with epic grandeur. Perhaps too ahead of its time, Rebel Act closed its doors after Blade of Darkness failed to find a sufficient audience.
Blades of Fire is going physical! Coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the physical edition of #BladesofFire will launch on May 22nd, 2025, the same day as our digital release:
Two decades since, it's safe to say MercurySteam landed on its feet. The fledgling studio gained early acclaim co-developing horror FPS Clive Barker's Jericho, before convincing Konami they were a safe pair of hands to reinvent Castlevania with the Lords of Shadow trilogy. They rewarded Konami's faith with the best-selling titles ever released in the franchise's storied history. One classic series down, MercurySteam next turned to Metroid. The team first impressed Nintendo with the remake Metroid: Samus Returns on the 3DS. Next, given leeway for an all-new title, they blew Nintendo and audiences away with the even better Metroid Dread, which released in 2021 and made a strong case for Game of the Year with its irresistible pacing, polished gameplay, and excellent boss fights.
With MercurySteam's stock as high as it's ever been, the time was finally right to return to their passion project—a spiritual successor to Blade of Darkness, returning to a genre close to Alvarez's heart in order to, as he puts it, "pay tribute to the game and the developer upon whose ashes MercurySteam was born." Growing up in the '80s, Alvarez says he was obsessed with classic fantasy movies of the time like Excalibur, The Princess Bride, Ladyhawke, and The Dark Crystal, as well as mind-expanding sci-fi novels like Solaris and Limbo, the gothic fantasy Carmilla, and ambitious graphic comics like Watchmen and Akira.
"Whatever little money I had in my pocket always ended up at the bookstore, the comic shop, the movie theater, or the arcade in my town," says Alvarez. "I thought it would be amazing to do something that combined it all. I still don't know how, but that's exactly what happened...For us, it's like closing a circle," he adds, his enthusiasm clear to see. "We started with a sword and sorcery game—very dark, very gritty, challenging combat. All these years, we've been craving to go back to that setting. Finally, we had the opportunity."
A sword and sorcery revival
Aran de Lira is an unlikely tragic hero. He's lived his life secluded, a once-comfortable existence among royalty cut short by ruinous events. He now resides in an isolated cabin, scarred mentally by regret and physically by a deep facial wound. Aran's a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair—just like his creator, who chose to write a character he could empathize with. Someone with history, with regrets, but who expected to be a hero all the same. "It's not a redemption story. He has nothing to redeem," says Alvarez. "It's a reunion story."
Perhaps not a happy one, as Alvarez explains the inexorable emotional influence of Alexandre Dumas' famous revenge novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Like the Count—who was wrongfully imprisoned for treason for 14 long years of suffering—Aran paid a painful (and entirely undeserved) price. The adult who went through much sorrow in his past life now seeks to recoup what destiny stole from him and potentially rekindle a long-lost romance. Aran isn't entirely without help. Your companion Adso is Aran's complete opposite—a prolific notetaker, more talkative and intellectual than our taciturn, muscular protagonist. Don't expect even the modest combat assistance Atreus provides Kratos in God of War (let alone its sequel), but Adso's fragility is compensated by his knowledge and spell-crafting.
Adso and the other companions you encounter are often your way into this world. My favorite so far is an adorable skeleton-child always eager for a piggyback—you can't say no to him after learning his story. When duty calls, Aran reluctantly sets forth from his cabin with a clear and simple mission: kill the queen. Not that events are ever that simple in this vivid fantasy world, which is full of inventive peculiarities like shelled frogs that leap harmlessly around caves and insects with glowing embers embedded in their carapaces. The relative familiarity of the early hamlet and swamp areas soon gives way to more ambitious designs—such as the Crimson Fort, a colossal mountaintop castle made entirely from wood and an early highlight in Blades of Fire.
As a developer, Alvarez says he seeks out ideas that scare him. The process may be intimidating, but the results speak for themselves. "We freaked out at the beginning. It's never gonna work! You need stones to make a proper castle," says Alvarez. But he insisted, and MercurySteam's art team proved the doubters wrong. The same chain of emotions played out later with a necropolis level, which eschewed conventional Christian gravesite influences for older and stranger roots—a burial place for humanity's unknowable ancestors of murky legend.
Art director Arturo Serrano intends Blades of Fire to invoke the rawness of classic fantasy, citing Conan artist Frank Frazetta and French illustrator Gustave Doré, known for his deeply twisted depictions of Dante's The Divine Comedy. "We aimed to bring their influence to a level of detail and dynamism that only modern video games can achieve," Serrano says. "This means vivid colors, dramatic compositions, and charismatic characters. Unlike modern fantasy, which tends to be more realistic and overly subtle in its designs, we sought a more expressive and creative approach."
The rest of their conversation can be found here—covering the game's weapon systems.
Forging your legend
As an independent developer, MercurySteam is best known for outstanding work-for-hire projects with other companies' IPs. They're comfortable with the model and the creative freedom and success they've found within it. "You are not free, but you have your own wings," as Alvarez describes it. But new IP is a powerful asset to secure any studio's future.
Now, armed with Blades of Fire, they're set to blaze ahead, no matter what. "Blades of Fire is an attempt by us to be owners of our own destiny." Blades of Fire releases on the Epic Games Store on May 22.
View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source