Blade Chimera Review

Similar to soulslikes and roguelites, Metroidvanias are everywhere now. I will be the first to say, keep ‘em coming, as it is one of my favorite genres. Hell, the longer Silksong is delayed, the more articles are written, titled “Metroidvanias to play while you wait for Silksong.” The puzzles and exploration are great but how many capture the ‘vania’ part? You know, the methodical, determined pace of entering each area with enemies coming from above and below. There is also that iconic whip and the obnoxious knockback that knocks you back off-screen into a different section which, in turn, causes everything to respawn. If you want more of that, I have the game for you.

Developed by Team Ladybug (Touhou Luna Nights), Blade Chimera is a cyberpunk Metroidvania with a touch of the occult. You are Shin, a demon hunter of the Holy Union. Your function is to stop demonic invasions all over Osaka but one routine patrol leads you to something unexplainable…dun Dun DUN!!!

Shin is already ranking Vicar when you take control so he is no stranger to combat. He can run, jump, and roll with the best of them. That roll includes some i-frame invincibility so get used to using it A LOT. Shin starts the game with a Plasma Blaster but has access to a secondary weapon slot. That slot is shortly filled with a melee weapon but you are free to swap in a second gun or even get a little crazy and equip two melee weapons. After playing through the game, having both a gun and a melee weapon is probably the best strategy though. For starters, swords and whips do not require ammo so therefore, no reloading is required. Secondly, pound for pound or rather swing vs. shot, they hit harder. One swing does the job a lot quicker than having to unload a whole clip. As you scour Osaka for demons and answers, you will find plenty of weapons to arm yourself. Melee weapons include sabers, greatswords, and whips (see, Castlevania). Firearms range from handguns to assault rifles to even grenade launchers. My personal preference was the whip and a fast-firing gun. Even though the whip is a melee weapon, it has the longest range of one so still gives you the ability to keep your distance. It also can reach flying enemies and enemies across platforms without needing to jump or possibly fall. Combat varies room to room so you have to be prepared for anything, at least until you progress further in the game and become more mobile. Like the original Castlevania, enemies can come from all sides, above and below, and even through some surfaces, so your head needs to be on a swivel. You may even enter rooms on top of enemies and need to act immediately which helps when you have both types of weapons. Pro tip: engage enemies away from entranceways. If you played some of the old Castlevania games on the NES, you will know that many attacks can knock you back. You also know that entering and exiting a section respawns enemies. The same goes for Blade Chimera. If you get punted out, you may just have to deal with another whole pack of enemies you just defeated. The worst is when you get an enemy low on health and get knocked back to the previous area as this resets that enemy’s health.

Shin also has an ace up his sleeve. To be accurate, a demon up his sleeve. Well, technically, the demon, Lux, possessed a sword that Shin now carries but basically, the guy sworn to protect Osaka and destroy demons is teaming up with a demon. Anywho, Lux adds quite a bit to Shin’s combat abilities. In addition to using Lux as an actual sword, Shin can throw the hold. If you hold down the throw button, Lux will spin infinitely, damaging anything it comes into contact with while in this state. The longer you hold the button, the more damage it will do on its return trip to Shin. Sword usage drains your MP (think mana) meter but the damage it inflicts is returned as health. To restore MP, you can use a consumable OR doing damage with your other weapons will fill that meter back up. This sets up a nice balance in combat of alternating between the different types of attacks.

Lux also provides additional benefits to Shin. When thrown, it can destroy enemy projectiles that it intercepts but it can also acts as a shield if Shin sticks it into a surface like the ground. Throwing Lux into a wall will create a temporary platform that Shin can climb and use to reach higher ledges. The biggest thing Lux does though is allow Shin to see things that are not there. Well, they were there in the past but now are no longer. For example, you may encounter a large gap that you need to cross. Lux can “summon” the previous platform that bridged that gap but was destroyed when the city went to hell. Shin will encounter grappling points on the ceiling and stairs that have since crumbled. You can even clear walls that have since replaced pathways. It is a neat little feature although I wish the button prompt was not so obvious. Maybe make the object shimmer ever so slightly so there remained some mystery rather than having a flashing prompt as you approached the area. There are secrets everywhere if you are willing to look (you do know this is a Metroidvania, right?). Interestingly, Lux can also die which leads to a Game Over screen. The thing is, the only thing that kills Lux is UV light (it is special anti-demon UV light, just go with it). Generally speaking, Shin will have to figure out how to plant Lux and get through the light before retrieving the sword. It helps that Lux can travel through walls and when not on Shin’s back, a tether line will appear. This little feature adds to the puzzles and secrets and it is not just about finding where they are but how to reach them.

As you progress through the game, exploring everywhere, and killing every demon you encounter, Shin will level up (he gains experience for each kill). Leveling up rewards one talent point which can be used to upgrade either Shin or Lux. Lux’s upgrades enable the sword to do additional things like a double jump when equipped (meaning it is not spinning in an enemy’s face or stuck in a surface) or remove MP consumption for restoring objects. There are also combat-related upgrades but

Shin’s upgrades are not quite as exciting but definitely very useful specifically the ability to warp. Shin can teleport to any area of the map that has been discovered (there are exceptions but you can warp within reach). Be warned though, Shin will warp directly to the tile he chooses but that very tile could contain 3 enemies, be underwater (you can breathe for a brief period), or be right in the middle of a UV light section. I made the mistake once of teleporting and looking down at my phone only to look up just as UV killed Lux. Dying, by the way, sucks in Blade Chimera. Dying puts you back to the last save station. While there are quite a few around the map, once you gain the ability to warp, you are less likely to pass through as many as if you were moving from room to room. Besides earning experience as you explore, Shin can find several helpful items to aid in his quest. The only real “collectible” are puzzle pieces. These open up locked doors that you can find all over and have a number that indicates how many puzzle pieces need to have been collected before accessing the door. Shin will also find items that increase either his HP or MP permanently and petty cash (cash is needed at the vendors and the vending machines for consumables and weapons).

If you are looking for a more combat-focused Metroidvania with an old-school Castlevania feel to it, look no further than Blade Chimera. This is not an overly long game (I clocked in at 11 hours with about 80% total completion) but there is never a dull moment. There is a decent story that drives this vehicle but the combat is the star of the show. It is not just about picking the highest damage weapons as all enemies may only take damage from Lux while others can block your gun but the melee weapon tears them a new one. There are even side quests that open up as you play to give you more to do although they are completely optional. If you are strapped for cash though, these are easy ways to fatten that wallet. A lot of effort went into the enemy design as there are A LOT and they all behave differently which keeps you on your toes. When you do finish up, if you need more, a new game can be started with modifiers such as 1 HP or locked at Level 1 or even no HP/MP recovery. Blade Chimera is available now on PC and Switch and is a must-buy.