MercurySteam's Blades of Fire Underperforms, Dev Admits

Blades of Fire, the latest title from MercurySteam (creators of Lords of Shadow and Metroid Dread), has reportedly "fallen short of expectations."

Developer parent company Digital Bros, which owns publisher 505 Games, attributed this performance to "intense market competition fueled by excessive new game releases and more discerning players."

"In line with broader industry trends, we're observing significant difficulties in drawing players to new intellectual properties lacking the built-in audience of established franchises," the company noted in its financial disclosure, forecasting reduced annual earnings.

The potential implications for MercurySteam's future projects remain uncertain. With 23 years in operation, the studio boasts an impressive resume including Metroid: Samus Returns, Metroid Dread, and multiple Castlevania titles like Lords of Shadow, Mirror of Fate, and Lords of Shadow 2.

Discussions on gaming community platform ResetEra suggest the Epic Games Store exclusivity deal may have constrained its potential reach. One user commented, "The EGS demo showed promise, but exclusivity made me hesitate - I'd have purchased immediately on Steam."

Our IGN review scored Blades of Fire 5/10, noting: "While its weapon-crafting system shines, repetitive combat and forgettable storytelling prevent its innovative customization features from reaching their full potential."