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Blue Fire

Blue Fire is a fantastic mix of 3D platforming, intense combat, and addictive free-form exploration. A somber story perked up by colorful characters makes this an experience you can’t miss.
75%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, stability
81% User Score Based on 3,770 reviews
Critic Score 69%Based on 28 reviews

Platforms

NSNintendo SwitchPCPCP4Playstation 4SDSteam DeckWinWindowsXOXbox OneXSXXbox Series X|SPlaPlayStationXboxXbox
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About

"Blue Fire" is a 3D platformer adventure game set in a decaying kingdom. As the hero, players explore, solve puzzles, and engage in challenging combat against shadowy creatures to rekindle the dying embers of the world. With precise movement controls and various abilities to unlock, players must navigate treacherous environments and confront the darkness within.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
Blue Fire screenshot
+14

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,798 reviews
story232 positive mentions
grinding74 negative mentions
  • The platforming mechanics are incredibly satisfying and rewarding, allowing for creative movement and exploration.
  • The art style and atmosphere are charming, reminiscent of classic Zelda games with a unique twist.
  • The game offers a good balance of challenge, especially in the optional 'Void' levels, which test the player's skills.
  • The combat feels simplistic and lacks depth, making encounters with enemies less engaging.
  • There is no map system, which can lead to confusion and aimless wandering in the interconnected world.
  • Some platforming challenges can be frustrating due to camera issues and unclear depth perception.
  • story
    1,007 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Blue Fire" is generally perceived as simplistic and somewhat generic, often compared to classic titles like "Zelda" and "Hollow Knight." While some players appreciate the charming NPCs and side quests that add depth, many find the main narrative lacking in engagement and coherence, with a tendency to shift focus abruptly. Overall, the storytelling serves more as a backdrop to the gameplay, which is the primary draw of the game, leaving those seeking a rich narrative experience somewhat disappointed.

    • “Even minor things, like the weaver telling a story about 5 gods, and the water god telling a conflicting story about 6 gods builds the world by a factor of many, in my eyes.”
    • “The stylized graphics are nice to look at, the music is pleasant and helps build a nice atmosphere, and while the story is simple, the NPCs are very charming and fun to interact with.”
    • “The game offers a rewarding mix of combat, exploration, and storytelling, even if some fights and levels tested my patience.”
    • “A lot of the game's systems feel thrown in at random or hacked together, and the story/quest chains feel pretty messy.”
    • “The story just kind of ends, the characters are dull and (in some cases) broken, and those great maneuvering mechanics stand in stark contrast to the terrible battling mechanics.”
    • “The story attempts to be cryptic, but executes as vacant.”
  • gameplay
    898 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Blue Fire" is primarily focused on platforming and exploration, featuring a mix of mechanics inspired by titles like "Hollow Knight" and "The Legend of Zelda." While the movement mechanics are generally praised for their fluidity and fun, many players find the combat clunky and repetitive, with bosses lacking depth. Overall, the game offers engaging challenges and a charming aesthetic, but it suffers from some design inconsistencies and a lack of polish that can detract from the experience.

    • “Gameplay-wise, the platforming is fairly straightforward, ramping up in difficulty as you play, and, near the end of the game, you can make it incredibly fun and easy.”
    • “The gameplay feels so smooth and natural, and the upgrades make movement such a fun time.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly good, the movements are perfectly smooth and the platforming is just great.”
    • “The gameplay and level design feel like a mashup between souls, zelda and mario games without much cohesive synergy that makes it stale and somewhat boring to play after a while.”
    • “Unfortunately the gameplay constantly feels like it's in an unfinished alpha stage, as if they planned out the game but didn't really finish it or polish it up.”
    • “I wanted to like this game, but I can't recommend it since I found the gameplay is really frustrating.”
  • graphics
    535 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising its charming, stylized art style reminiscent of titles like "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker" and "Hollow Knight." While some players appreciate the vibrant aesthetics and cohesive visual design, others criticize the graphics for feeling unfinished or lacking detail, particularly in certain areas. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, though opinions vary on their execution and polish.

    • “The visuals of this game are absolutely amazing for what it is; in my mind, this is more of a single-player indie game with more to it.”
    • “The graphics are impressive and fit perfectly with the game's style.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, the controls are incredibly responsive, and the platforming challenges are insanely fun.”
    • “But to be honest, the game feels very unfinished; textures are low even on high settings, which makes the graphics go from straight paper to 'we put a Paint.NET effect over it.'”
    • “And the graphics just look like something out of a PS2.”
    • “The music is forgettable, and the graphics look very outdated, like it was made in 2003.”
  • music
    407 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many players praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, often describing it as beautiful and immersive. However, some found it forgettable or lacking in memorability, with a few players opting to mute it in favor of other music. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-regarded for its charm and fitting ambiance, opinions vary on its impact and memorability.

    • “The music is fantastic and is always a bop to listen to.”
    • “The synergy between visuals and music contributed to the immersive atmosphere that enveloped me throughout my time in the game.”
    • “The music and sound design might be the best part of the game, augmenting the otherwise fairly standard environments into intriguing vistas with loads of personality.”
    • “The world feels really shallow and boring, the plot is worse than a Pokémon game, and the music is just kind of there.”
    • “I don't know, could be me, but I just found the music to be soulless.”
    • “A couple of hours in I muted the music, kept the sound effects, and played the game with Spotify playing in the background.”
  • atmosphere
    172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Blue Fire" is widely praised for its captivating blend of stylized graphics, immersive music, and charming NPCs, creating a unique experience reminiscent of games like "Hollow Knight" and "Dark Souls." Players appreciate the contrast between light-hearted visuals and darker themes, which contribute to a cozy yet mysterious ambiance that encourages exploration. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, enhancing the enjoyment of its platforming and exploration elements.

    • “The contrast between darkness and vibrant lighting effects created an atmosphere that was not only visually dynamic but also mysteriously alluring.”
    • “The synergy between visuals and music contributed to the immersive atmosphere that enveloped me throughout my time in Penumbra.”
    • “The atmosphere and music really make this game for me.”
    • “The atmosphere is just a little odd, as the majority of your surroundings are quite dark, and yet your character always glows like a neon light. It was a little disappointing that even with all the various outfits in the game, none of them were able to actually tone down that bright glow very much.”
    • “The level design reminds me of Wind Waker, but the atmosphere is lacking density and an overarching sense of plot.”
    • “As for atmosphere, it's much closer to Hollow Knight than Souls, in that while trying to be dark and atmospheric, it's in fact fairly light-hearted with colorful characters and a sprinkling of comedy here and there.”
  • grinding
    88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game. While some found it manageable and not overly grindy, others criticized it for being tedious, particularly in terms of collecting currency and upgrading resources. The lack of a map and slow progression in certain areas contributed to a sense of frustration, with many players feeling that the grinding detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “It was not grindy and I was able to beat everything within 9 hours, including purchasing everything from the shops.”
    • “The basic combat is okay, if not tedious, but the floaty controls make this game kind of a nightmare to play due to how much the devs loved adding terrain that hurts you.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “By the end of the game, getting ore is dull due to it only being available as items in chests which you can sell to merchants. Those, plus the ore I collected naturally throughout my playthrough, only allowed me to buy about 70% of the useful things that were for sale. Towards the ending, the quickest way to get money was constantly reloading the same area with a bunch of pickups, and it's kind of tedious.”
    • “In order to move out of the first major area, I had to collect 2400 of the currency in the game, which was very annoying because I was picking up currency every chance I saw, and I still had to go back through the level grinding for the last 600 or so.”
    • “The boss fights are very tedious, easy, and boring.”
  • humor
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying the charming characters, funny side quests, and unexpected comedic moments throughout the gameplay. Many highlight the delightful interactions with NPCs and the clever use of humor in the art style and flavor text, contributing to a cozy yet dark atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with engaging mechanics, making it a memorable experience for players.

    • “This game is also filled with extremely charming characters that have interesting, cool, and funny side quests for you that will reward you with cool swords and tunics!”
    • “The characters that you encounter throughout the game are often charming and funny, so I never felt like I was wasting my time by interacting with them.”
    • “Like ape_escape put it, "this game is like a twice baked potato, you don't know why they baked it twice, you only have to respect it." Funny but also fittingly true.”
  • stability
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has been a mixed bag, with many players reporting various glitches, crashes, and control issues that can disrupt gameplay. While some users experienced significant bugs that required rebooting or led to game-breaking situations, others noted that recent patches have improved performance, resulting in a more enjoyable experience. Overall, while the game is fun and engaging, it still suffers from a lack of polish and technical stability.

    • “No glitches or bugs in my run.”
    • “Either way, it's a great challenge that felt fun and it all worked; there were no glitches, and I never found myself asking, 'Wait, why can't I do this even though I should be able to?'”
    • “Edit: All the issues have been fixed, and the game is back to being just fun with no glitches or issues. :D”
    • “I was planning on giving this game a negative out of spite for being unpolished and bug-ridden.”
    • “Bugs, crashes, and freezing problems... it is really frustrating... but after doing some troubleshooting, at least I was able to finish it, 95% complete so far...”
    • “I really want to love this game, and that should say a lot because it is buggy as anything.”
  • optimization
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players praising its smooth performance and lack of bugs after recent patches. While some users experienced significant performance issues at launch, including crashes and low frame rates, these problems appear to have been largely resolved, leading to a generally positive reception regarding performance. However, a few players still report occasional glitches and challenges with controls, indicating that optimization may not be perfect for all configurations.

    • “Well optimized and worth every minute, some stages can get a bit annoying but it's sensational 💙💙”
    • “Performance was great, I played the game on Steam Deck.”
    • “Great technical performance and no bugs that I've found.”
    • “Seems like a cute game, but unplayably bad performance (3 fps!) on R7 5800X + RTX 3080 = ???.”
    • “My only gripe with this game is that when I played it I had a lot of performance issues including constant crashing and rooms not loading properly.”
    • “Only the performance issues, mildly sloppy combat, and high difficulty are points of contention, and the latter will certainly depend on your point of view.”
  • character development
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the unique and charming character designs, while others criticize the lack of depth and engaging storylines. Many players appreciate the visual appeal and fluid gameplay, but feel that the characters lack personality and meaningful development, leading to a disconnect with the narrative. Overall, while the character designs are often highlighted as a strong point, the storytelling and character growth leave much to be desired.

    • “The storyline is well written and the character designs are unique.”
    • “The character design is superb, the story is interesting, gameplay as fluid as it can be, amazing level design, and quite hard.”
    • “This game has a stellar soundtrack, charming character design, incredible puzzle/dungeon design, and surprisingly challenging but rewarding gameplay.”
    • “It's quite buggy, it has a bit of a personality problem (as in it doesn't really have much of one, it's basically 3D Hollow Knight with much less interesting lore and some Breath of the Wild sprinkled in) and the story is really boring and by the numbers, the combat is mediocre and also the character designs are kinda ehhh, but those are all tertiary aspects at best.”
    • “- the lore is half-assed (nothing is explained, a ton of words that have no meaning and there is no character development)”
    • “In the end, I do understand why a lot of people like it, but this is not working for me, the story is not really hooking me in, the character design looks weird.”
  • emotional
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its blend of tragic, wholesome, and humorous side quests, creating a generally uplifting experience over a 10-hour journey. The ambient and intense music enhances key moments, although some players felt disconnected from the story and characters, with only a few exceptions standing out. Overall, while the gameplay mechanics allow for a forgiving experience, the emotional engagement varies, leaving some players wanting more depth in the narrative.

    • “The ambient tunes and intense tracks complemented the gameplay, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments.”
    • “It's about a 10-hour journey and is all around wholesome.”
    • “Made me feel like I was playing Wind Waker again for the first time, 10/10.”
  • replayability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally rated low, around 4/10, with many players noting a lack of content and linear gameplay that diminishes the incentive to replay. While there is a boss rush mode available, it does not significantly enhance the overall replay value, leaving players feeling that the game lacks depth and variety for multiple playthroughs.

    • “I wouldn't be complaining about this if it was something you could've done the first time you entered any of these zones; in fact, that would've added some zest to the kind of bland straightforward sections and possibly even given the game a less linear nature, which could improve its overall flow and replayability.”
    • “Replayable boss rush mode”
    • “I wouldn't be complaining about this if it was something you could've done the first time you entered any of these zones; in fact, that would've added some zest to the kind of bland straightforward sections and possibly even give the game a less linear nature, which could improve its overall flow and replayability.”
    • “Do not think there is much replay value here.”
    • “Initially, I was reluctant to leave a positive review, as for the somewhat steep price, the game offered clean and fun gameplay, but not a lot of content and replay value.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers appreciate the game's lack of microtransactions, highlighting it as a respectful homage to more complete titles. While not groundbreaking, the developers' effort is acknowledged positively in the context of monetization practices.

    • “It isn't the most innovative game, but I respect the effort the developers put in and pay homage to games that are actually complete and don't have microtransactions.”
    • “It isn't the most innovative game, but I respect the effort the developers put in and it pays homage to games that are actually complete and don't have microtransactions.”

69%Critics’ scoreBased on 28 critic reviews

Buy Blue Fire

8h Median play time
8h Average play time
5-11h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 54 analyzed playthroughs

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