Review for Bladed Fury. Game for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam, the video game was released on 18/12/2018
About half a century before the coming of Christ, China was experiencing an era of tension and conflict. In this historical moment, different populations fought for the supremacy of the Chinese empire, a territory that has always been coveted and a fulcrum of tensions due to the profound spirituality of which it has always been pregnant, combined with the desire for conquest and domination of its proud people.
The story of Bladed Fury, an indie title by Next Studios - which blends Hack and Slash elements with Platform sessions, released in 2018 on PC (via the Steam platform), Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and which today also lands on the Nintendo Switch laptop.
Our protagonist, Ji, finds herself enmeshed in a horrible crime against her will. Accused of the cold-blooded murder of her father, she escapes without being able to explain that the horrendous crime was committed under the influence of an evil entity.
She will therefore have to ask for help from otherworldly spirits who will give her, willy-nilly, their powers. In a splendid and artistic glimpse of China over two millennia ago our adventure begins, the main flaw of which is only one: to last too short.
Let's start by saying that the style of all Bladed Fury exudes passion and expertise. The game backdrops, rendered in a fake 3D, are all the result of artwork with attention to the smallest details. The schemes are sufficiently varied and the animations fluid and refined, with precise effects of light and shadow. Our heroine moves through the levels like a gentle gust of wind on a blanket of dry autumn leaves, playing with shadows and giving movement to everything that appears on the screen.
Even the enemies - all well characterized and designed according to what the Chinese tradition handed down to us - are well made and in the clashes they offer a variety of moves and animations that let the passion with which they were made breathe. It is just a pity that they could - and in our opinion had to - be more numerous and varied.
The cutscenes - static even if well painted - appear instead made in a hurry, and certainly on this front we could have done better. The final bosses, on the other hand, are a sight to behold: all with different attack patterns and with a variety of attacks that change according to the energy lost, giving an acceptable but still high level of challenge.
In terms of gameplay, our heroine can immediately count on two attacks - one fast and one heavy - thanks to the double blades and the broadsword. The attacks vary according to the movement of the analog allowing Ji to strike up or down, swooping down on enemies or finishing them when they are on the ground. A double dash and a double jump complete the offensive equipment, being possible to chain them with attack combos.
The peculiarity of Bladed Fury is shown, however, only after facing some boss fights. Once the enemy is defeated, in fact, you find yourself in possession of its main attack and it will therefore be possible to equip it and then use it in battle. It goes without saying that this is a dynamic that has already been seen, but no less appreciated for this.
The RPG component (if you can call it that) is almost absent. There will be no weapons to vary or accessories or armor to wear. It will not even be possible to unlock new metroidvania-style skills, but it will only be possible to increase the effectiveness of those already in possession. Right here we begin to notice the real Achilles heel that will penalize a title that would have had the credentials to stand out among many.
Bladed Fury gives the impression of being quickly made, not finished or in any case not fully developed for the potential it expresses. In addition to all the obvious improvements that could be made in terms of customization and evolution of the attack, it would have been possible to sip the skills by making them acquire with the continuation of the story, perhaps giving the possibility to unlock certain inaccessible game areas before having acquired the right power up.
A more pronounced metroidvania component could have been envisaged that would allow the player - combined with a larger game map - to be busy much longer than the three hours it takes to see the credits. Even the number of enemies is really too limited: for each picture faced you find yourself fighting five or six enemies and not all together but in groups of two or three, and once you have learned the attack patterns, taking them out becomes really too easy. Plus, having all the skills right away makes life even easier, and as spectacular as it is to see the heroine twirl and fight, the fun ends far too soon.
Moreover, once the title is finished it will not make much sense to face a second run, given the almost total lack of secrets to discover or additional levels. A challenge peeps out that sees us compete at our top with all the bosses in sequence to see how long we can take them all out: fun but not enough.
As always, the porting of a title like Bladed Fury on the Nintendo laptop shines with its own light. Nintendo Switch had, among all its merits, that of being able to enhance indie titles like no other console had done before and Bladed Fury is no exception. The commands are precise, customizable and perfectly suited to porting. If you put in the effort you will be able to finish the title before hitting zero with the drums, even if this is not really a strong point to be honest.
Bladed Fury also lands on Nintendo Switch after landing on Playstation 4, Xbox One and Steam in 2018. The excellent porting makes Bladed Fury a pleasant experience, revealing a deep care for animations and backdrops that envelops and conquers. Unfortunately, the brevity of the game and the carelessness in deepening some elements penalize the experience offered, without actually ruining the title but still leaving a bad taste in the mouth.
► Bladed Fury is an RPG-Sliding-Adventure-Indie-Hack and Slash-type game developed by Next Studios and published by Next Studios PM Studios for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam, the video game is out the 18/12/2018
