Team Ladybug’s Blade Chimera is a futuristic metroidvania with a cyberpunk aesthetic that drops players into the role of Shin, a demon hunter with no memory of his past. The Metroidvania genre is becoming increasingly crowded lately, making it harder for titles to stand out no matter what they bring to the table. Team Ladybug’s answer to this dilemma is how it blends a stylish, pixelated art style with a robust combat system and rewarding exploration. Blade Chimera could prove to be a hit with Metroidvania fans, and its positive reception since its release speaks to the successful execution of the formula.
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Blade Chimera’s Narrative Features Complex Characters
Very early into Blade Chimera‘s story, Shin stumbles across a glowing green sword that turns out to be a shape-shifting demon named Lux. Given that Shin himself is a demon hunter, this immediately puts him at odds with Lux. It opens up an interesting story dynamic where it isn’t exactly clear who the ‘good’ guys are in this scenario. Team Ladybug explained that this was a deliberate decision, and players will be able to discover more about both protagonists as they progress through the narrative. They explained:
”In this game, when you unlock new skills, you also unlock memories about Shin and Lux’s past. These side stories add depth to the main story and help the player understand the game’s world and events better. Also, this isn’t a “good beats evil” kind of story. Every person has their own sense of justice depending on their circumstances, and I made a point not to depict anything that would suggest a certain brand of justice as absolute. The player will be asked what is “right” and “wrong” as they progress through the story.”
Players Can Decide Blade Chimera’s Level of Challenge
The blurred line between good and evil is a storytelling device used to great effect in the past, with popular video games such as The Last of Us featuring morally ambiguous characters that made them more relatable and human while adding some unpredictability to the narrative. Not content with merely providing a morally complex narrative, Blade Chimera aims to allow players to tackle exploration and progression however they wish. Team Ladybug continued:
”Players who aren’t as good at action games can clear more missions at the beginning to raise their level earlier and unlock more skills if they want to have an easier time. On the other hand, more skilled players can rush ahead and try to beat the game with a limited number of skills. If you start a second playthrough, changing up which skills you unlock first could be a fun experience too. The game is designed in a way that it can be beaten no matter what skills you unlock. There are also various items and equipment that can raise your defense, improve your healing abilities, reduce certain types of damage, and more.”
The decision to give so much freedom to the player in terms of progression is a solid move that enables fans to tailor their experience, and a lack of freedom in this area is a common pain point in the genre. With challenge runs and speedrunning growing in popularity in gaming, the option to customize the game’s level of challenge will be appreciated by the most competitive and the most casual of Blade Chimera players.
Blade Chimera is available now on Nintendo Switch and Steam.