Blue Fire is a platform game. The game is a roaring success, blending elements from several other games in a way that still manages to forge its own identity.
The platform game Blue Fire
Blue Fire is a platform game with extensive platforms. This is an old-school 3D action-adventure that's not afraid to confuse you, test your reflexes, and throw you to your death if you miss a jump onto a tiny platform that's... hanging in a void.
A refreshing game
It's really very refreshing and a somewhat obscure choice, but Blue Fire is mostly reminiscent of a more polished Jersey Devil, a PlayStation platformer that has the difficulty sensitivity of a classic NESgame had. That's not to say it's unfair, more than that it feels surprisingly challenging compared to its contemporaries like A Hat in Time.
Exploration
Also thrown into the mix is exploration, held off the most intense platforms in a fairly traditional but surprisingly seldom-seen fashion. As you journey through the game world, you'll encounter "Void" stages - essentially short platforming challenges that I believe most closely resemble Super Mario Sunshine's FLUDD-less stages in their abstract, space-floating style remembered. The exploration areas are more akin to something like the Darksiders series - platforms are still there, but there is fighting, fetching, and switch pressing.
The fight
Combat is probably Blue Fire's weak link, but that doesn't mean it's bad. The ZL trigger lets you dance around enemies with your useful dash move, activate block to parry attacks, and of course, slash insanely at your enemies. It feels a bit scattered, but the difficulty of these sections is pretty low so you won't get irritated when it's time to fist fight again. However, you must play carefully as many of these battles take place on unstable ground, meaning a hit-and-run strategy is optimal.
The control
In terms of controls, it's a little lighter, but in a way that feels more liberating than frustrating. You're moving in a fairly old clip, and the aforementioned air dash move covers a lot of ground. You can stop it briefly by releasing the ZR button while moving, but you'll have to learn to gauge that distance fairly quickly, as dz have to do this on remarkably precarious ground even in the second Void stage. The stunning feel of the combat controls suits the combat, which is more of a means to an end than a truly compelling part of the gameplay.
Skills
Customization plays a big part too - you can expand and upgrade with new abilities to help you traverse, with a double jump and a wall run to name a few. These powers can be upgraded with collectibles, and you'll always have something new to play with throughout the game. And that's a lot, with our playthrough easily breaking 20 hours without ever becoming repetitive or boring. You can also upgrade your weapons and change your outfit, the former going so far as to also change your animations - one of many indications that this was a game made with a lot of TLC.
The graphic
It's all very pretty, too, with an ethereal, offbeat aesthetic reminiscent of the darker, weirder scenes of the Studio Ghibli films. Character designs are appealing. Things are brought down to earth just a little by Blue Fire's performance. It doesn't stutter in a way that affects your gameplay, but it could definitely be better.
Conclusion on Blue Fire
A very pleasant and entertaining surprise. Blue Fire is a promising debut from ROBI Studios. Only the performance issues, the combat, and the high difficulty are points of contention, and the latter certainly depends on your point of view. Built with passion and skill, this is a world to lose yourself in and reward the more you play and the better you get. It is uncompromising in its difficulty, but does not resort to cheap tricks and "pitfalls". The graphics are appealing and, most importantly, clear as day. This is an overall fantastic experience, even if it's not made up of the most original pieces. In any case, the game says: grab it.
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Blue Fire Void Maker
The Blue Fire Void Maker is a level editor that can be used by the community to put together levels for Blue Fire. The finished levels can be shared with others in the community.