[Review] Blue Fire - Nintendo Switch

Developed By: ROBI Studios
Published By: Graffiti Games
Categories: Platformer, Adventure
Release Date: 02.04.21

3D Metroidvania seems like the best way to describe Blue Fire. Go on an adventure in a somewhat open path, going area to area. Getting upgrades to help you go to new areas and fight…Wait, is this describing a Legend of Zelda game? Not quite, as Blue Flame is more platformer than action game.

You’re going to feel useless starting out. You have wimpy blades, you can’t really block, you have no HP, and jumping and dashing are you only ways to maneuver. This will quickly change…if you search around that is. The game rewards exploration, especially when it comes to making tricky platforming.

Very quick into the game, you’re introduced to Voids. Voids are their own little levels in the game that give more tricky platforming challenges. And challenges would be the right word. They’re definitely worth the time and effort though, as successfully reaching the end of the one grants a nice reward, mostly a health upgrade. This is helpful, mostly because combat in the game is less than desirable. Your blades feel like they have too short of a range, which can lead to many should be avoidable hits because you were too close to an enemy. You do get a shield very soon into playing, but you can only use it for so long and you still get bounced around, which can lead to falling into a pit. Or worse yet, fall to a lower level of an area and suffer fall damage. Once you get more mobility options, it opens up, but still never quite feels up to par.

Collect Ore from just breaking stuff. Do it a lot. It’s how you get to save points, buy new emotions, which are used on certain platforms to find treasure, and it’s how you’re going to get Spirits and upgrades, including a bigger bag to hold more Ore. If there’s one thing I hate, is that you lose all of your Ore upon dying, which if it’s from falling, can be incredibly frustrating. Thankfully, you can always get it back if you find yourself again. The stress of losing everything never quite goes away though and at times actually made me nervous about going out of a safe area.

The game’s atmosphere and music was on point. There’s just a great look and feel to areas that aren’t voids. At least with how color is used with the areas. And while the atmosphere left an impression, the scarce story did not. Maybe it was me being busy doing all of the sidequests, but the story seemed to be just passing me by and I couldn’t remember anything reoccurring outside of the characters I met, like a elevator maniac.

Part of me almost wishes the game was full of the slick platformer, especially the kind you get in Voids, but perhaps it would make them feel less special. The action segments feel so amateurish, but I love the difficult platforming.