
Update []: The demo for Blades of Fire is available to download and play now on the PS Store, with progress carrying across to the full game.
"The Blades of Fire demo features the beginning of the game allowing you to forge your first weapons, experience the unique combat system, fight a big troll, and learn more about Aran's journey," the blurb reads.
You can download the demo through here.
Original Story: You have heard about DOOM: The Dark Ages and Elden Ring Nightreign as the biggest hitters for May 2025 in terms of new releases, but PS5 action game Blades of Fire belongs alongside them. From Metroid Dread studio MercurySteam, we've played the game in a pre-release demo and found it to be seriously impressive.
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Now, you'll get to try it for yourself ahead of the PS5 release date on 22nd May 2025. The developer has announced it is putting a demo on the PS Store before launch.
The Castlevania: Lords of Shadow studio puts the game's combat system at the forefront, as you create your own weapons from seven different types and over 30 Forge Scrolls. "A unique and challenging combat system which allows you to attack specific body parts of the enemy. Slash, stab or bludgeon enemies depending on the situation and what the enemy is equipped with. Only the right weapon will allow you to overcome the enemy’s armour."
If you like what you play of the demo, Blades of Fire costs £49.99 / $49.99 on the PS Store, but PS Plus subscribers can save 10 per cent between now and release on 22nd May. Are you interested in Blades of Fire? Let us know in the comments below.
[source x.com]





Comments 38
Nice, Mercury stream are a decent studio so this is a demo I’ll definitely check out!
Good, i was curious about this one.
At least they seem to be actually promoting there game and allowing us to play it. Meanwhile mindeye which comes out in under one month is radio silent 😬.
Studios should release demos more often, plus it shows they have faith in their game.
The bits ive seen giving me Risen/Gothic vibe old school kinda combat/movement, with too much shaky camera..
Yes, I will be supporting MercurySteam dropping an original. They're saying it's 60-80 hours tho, and I wonder how they keep things interesting for that long.
Well... I liked lords of shadow and the metroids, so I will try the demo. But, it's unlikely I will get it.
Mercury Steam hadn't made a single game that I liked and at this point I doubt they ever will. I'll try the demo, but won't hold my breath.
I like the look of this so I'll try the demo and see if it's worth buying
Honestly I think this is necessary, it doesn't seem to have caught gamers attention much, or at least I don't see much press or anyone talking about it (though I hope I am wrong). I'd hate to see Mercurysteam struggle like so many other studios, talented bunch who just need a bit of direction.
I watched nate from playstation access play this on a live stream ,he was blacksmithing a hammer , he didn't have a clue what he was doing , took him ages , it was proper doing my head in , the combat looks very dark souls , because of course it does, I like the look of it though , as long as it's more god of war like than souls like, ill give it a bash.
I'm guessing it's not on Steam
I like action games but I don't like getting distracted by making weapon every time the weapon broke 😕
Oh well I'll try the demo since I like metroid dread, kind of wish they make another 2.5D metroidvania for all console (and pc) though 😃
I've read somewhere that Mercury Steam is a renamed Rebel Act, who were the authors of my favorite game from 2000's Severance: Blade of Darkness.
is that true?
upd: OMG! it's them!!!
I guess I owe it to myself to at least play the demo!
Didn't really enjoy the demo. I was interested in this and tbh I'm kinda glad I didn't like it as it's one less game to spend money on.
Big fan of the Lords of Shadow games (yes I even quite liked the sequel), so I’m keeping an eye on this.
Great demo, I enjoyed it, I'm ready for the full game
@CutchuSlow no, it's available on PS5 as well.
@Blacksmith1985 That's very interesting, lol. People were saying this is very Souls like recently, and I was saying "this has to be Blade of Darkness and/or Enclave inspired...right?" Yay! I love it when I'm correct at things!!!
@LiamCroft When I click on the demo link in the update to the article I get a black screen in the PSP app that says " hmmm... somethings missing". I was able to find the demo in the app myself, maybe it's a regional link? I'm in the US using the US store. Thanks for including it tho. 👍
@Tatarimokke I just have a PS4 and PC. No PS5.
@CutchuSlow sorry It's my bad I just misunderstood what you're meaning...
@Tatarimokke I was assuming it's not available on Steam. Steam is a store front for PC, where you buy games. Similar to PS store, but for PC.
The demo is fun and charming but it is hard to imagine shelling out full price for a game like this when we are getting games like E33 and Mafia for 50 bucks. I do want to support these devs but the quality does not seem to match the asking price and I think it should have launched around 40 or 50 at most
@Logonogo but it is NOT a full price game .
I don’t like the character movement, but everything else speaks to me. Depending on reviews, I’ll probably pick this up. It should be a good palate cleanser from DOOM, and should last me until Death Stranding 2 releases.
@Blacksmith1985 well it is 60 which I still consider full price, if it was 70 that would be even more egregious. It is a fun demo though and I do want to play the whole thing at some point
I've just played the demo and it's rough.
The game doesn't look great, the movement is stiff and awkward, the combat is floaty and it lacks impact, the voice acting is wooden.
The only positive was the soundtrack.
I came out of the demo with a much worse impression than I had before playing.
Hopefully I'm entirely wrong and the full game is amazing, but it really felt like an average action game from the PS3 era.
Really enjoyed the demo, runs smoothly on base PS5, looks lovely. Plenty of colour, movement & surprising amounts of detail (rabbits other little creatures) running round. Leaves moving in wind, fireflies, birds, nice use of ambient sound. All good. Shortcuts open up, areas linked together nicely. Really wouldn't say it looked rough for me at all. Not stuttering bugs or crashes or clipping.
Forging weapons & working out the balance that suits how you play works. The combat for me feels quite different to soulslikes - weighty & once you get into dodging/partying I found myself really enjoying it. Loved the Troll fight - either lopping off arm or blinding it once it was stunned. It's also great how you have tommabage sharpness, stance (shabby or flashy). Spent about 3 1/² hours rinsing the demo & given everything I'd say I'll easily get £44 of play out of it. So yeh ordered. I'm a sucker for 3rf person action games.
Compared to Khazan the levels feel more dynamic & varied plus polished. I got maybe 60 hours out of that before I lost interest (dragon boss) to give you an idea.
Should have finished CE33 by then, had an hour on Doom & while I'd love to see Doom 2 running on ID tech 8 its not for me. Nice surprise
Played the demo and yeah, nothing special. Definitely not worth 50 bucks.
Played the demo, it's a very niche title that has a lot of rough edges. My main issue is I absolutely hate weapon breaking in video games and the weapons wear down and break way too quickly. On top of that, if you die you lose your weapon and have to go back and retrieve it, which would not be a big deal, except that if there are enemies nearby that are not affected by the weapon you are carrying (some enemies are immune to certain weapon types), then you can't hurt them. Then there is the controls. I like the combat quite a bit, as the buttons are mapped out to different spots on the enemies body. Triangle for head, circle for right side, etc. But then my muscle memory is fighting using R2 to block, and R1 to backstep or dodge. It took a while before it clicked. Story is very basic, and the sidekick is annoying. I also encountered several glitches. Still, it's a demo. I am intrigued enough to play more due to the combat, but I wouldn't go out of my way for this one.
@guacguacboo 60 on PSN, I agree with you though
it's definitely worth £45 for me. ( 45 with PSn, 48 on amazon and game collection) I recommend to go with physical, so if you don't like it, you can sell it or trade it.
I played the demo for a bit and I saw enough to know I'll enjoy it. I immediately deleted it. I'll buy the game when it gets a price cut or two.
The main menu and in game UI feels poorly implemented. The main character's huge arms/hands made me laugh. The combat is okay, the voice acting isn't great. I don't care for Souls games so this isn't for me.
The cutscenes felt off like I was missing scenes. Especially at the beginning with these two characters thrown in like they're supposed to mean something to us?
I've never played any of their games, but this seems like a solid AA fantasy title. No harm in checking out a demo.
what's with all these mid games coming out lol
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