Blade Chimera from PLAYISM, Team Ladybug, and WSS Playground brings us an outstanding Metroidvania you have to play on Nintendo Switch. Find out why in our Blade Chimera review!
Blade Chimera from PLAYISM, Team Ladybug, and WSS Playground brings us an outstanding Metroidvania you have to play on Nintendo Switch. You’ll be taking on the role of demon hunter Shin, who has no memory of his past. You end up working together with Lux, a demon who can shapeshift into a sword, which is odd considering you’re – as I just mentioned – a demon hunter. Lux is a very versatile companion, since she can attack enemies as well as shield you from incoming damage. She can even act as a platform for you to get to areas that would otherwise be out of reach! She’ll be very useful as you explore the cyberpunk Osaka before you.
Once you boot up the game and jump into action, you’ll control Shin with the left analog stick or the D-Pad as you jump with the A button and attack by pressing the B button. The Y button will be for your secondary attack, which will change depending on which item you equip. Press the L button to try and dodge incoming attacks. Use your equipped skill by pressing the R button. This will, as expected, consume some of your MP.
Lux will be mapped to the X button. You can use her to attack, to create a barrier, to transform into a large object to protect you – that is, as long as there’s a time distortion for an object from the past for her to transform into – or to throw her onto a wall so that you can use Lux as a platform. Oh, and Lux can also be used to attach to grapple points for some platforming action! Defeating enemies with Lux will also help you recover a bit of HP, which can definitely make a difference in the long run.
As you defeat all the demons and mighty bosses that dare stand in your path, you’ll be rewarded with experience points. Once you’ve obtained enough, you’ll get to level up. This will boost your stats so that you can deal more base damage with your attacks, as well as boost your defense in order for your enemies’ attacks not to punish you as much. You should also search every room in the game so that you can find special items that will increase your max HP and MP.
You’ll get to collect money as you defeat enemies. You can use this money to purchase some useful items to aid you on your journey. These include things such as a Life Elixir that will restore 20 HP, an Energy Drink to restore 20 MP, a handy Miracle Mix that will help cure status ailments, a Turbo Regenerator that you can use to recover 50 HP or a Magic Quencher that will help to restore 50 MP, to name some examples. You can also purchase new weapons for your arsenal or equipment that will boost your stats. There’s also the option of selling stuff for some extra money. And if you need some additional money on top of all that, you can always check back with operators at HQ for any side missions you can take on.
Leveling up will also provide you with valuable Skill Points. You can use these at any time by opening up the menu with the + button and checking the Unlock Skills section. This is where the Metroidvania part kicks in since you’ll have to unlock some specific skills to be able to progress further. Unlock the Air Dash not only to dodge while jumping but also to clear some longer gaps while jumping. Open the always useful double jump to reach higher platforms, or combine it with the Air Dash to travel further.
Blade Chimera brings us an outstanding Metroidvania you have to play on Nintendo Switch. You’ll be taking on the role of demon hunter Shin, who has no memory of his past. You end up working together with Lux, a demon who can shapeshift into a sword, which is odd considering you’re – as I just mentioned – a demon hunter. Lux is a very versatile companion, since she can attack enemies as well as shield you from incoming damage. She can even act as a platform for you to get to areas that would otherwise be out of reach! She’ll be very useful as you explore the cyberpunk Osaka before you.
You should always defeat every single enemy that you find in your path. Why? Because you’ll get experience points to level up and boost your stats, as well as money you can spend on useful items, weapons, and equipment. On top of that, you could get lucky and end up getting an enemy to drop an item. These could go from some Candy you can eat to heal your wounds to powerful weapons far beyond what you can access from the merchant. In my case, I got extra lucky and obtained a Chakram from an Amenbozu, which became my main weapon for a bit since it was 5x times more powerful than my guns! Blade Chimera is out on Nintendo Switch with a $19.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Blade Chimera review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by PLAYISM.