Blades of Fire Weapon Durability

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow developer MercurySteam has released another Blades of Fire gameplay video, this time going a little more in-depth on the title's combat and weapon systems.

As noted in our last article, we've been getting God of War (2018) vibes from this one, but at least mechanically speaking, Blades of Fire sets itself apart.

Case in point, you can target four different parts of an enemy using the four face buttons, which should add some interesting depth to fights in general. Efficient stamina bar management seems to be key as well, as every action takes a specific chunk of energy to pull off.

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But the tastier topic of conversation here is the inclusion of weapon durability. For better or worse (we're praying it's the former), Blades of Fire puts an emphasis on keeping your armaments in good nick.

Durability levels weaken with use, and although you can use a sharpening stone to repair weapons out in the field, doing so will reduce their overall durability. The only way you can fully restore a weapon's lustre is to find an anvil and reforge the thing yourself — but you can only do this a limited number of times.

We've always been torn on durability systems. Sometimes they make sense — they can be important parts of a survival game's structure, for example — but other times, they just become an annoyance.

Here's hoping that Blades of Fire gets the balance right, because crafting your own instruments of destruction is quite clearly a core component of the game's blacksmithing identity.

What do you make of Blades of Fire so far? Remember to carry at least three spare weapons with you at all times in the comments section below.