Mercenaries Blaze
- June 10, 2021
- RideonJapan
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamMercenaries Blaze is a strategy RPG that follows a group of mercenaries for hire. Battle enemies in tactical, turn-based combat across varied landscapes, using character-specific abilities and environmental interactions to gain an edge. Customize your team's skills, equipment, and formation to overcome mission challenges and upgrade your squad's base. Cooperative multiplayer mode allows for combined efforts in tackling difficult missions.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features a robust class system with distinct classes and skills, allowing for character customization.
- The charming sprites and character design evoke nostalgia for classic J-RPGs, enhancing the visual appeal.
- The branching storyline offers replayability, with different paths and character interactions based on player choices.
- The story is criticized for being clichéd and overly simplistic, often leaning heavily on political themes that may not resonate with all players.
- Gameplay can feel grindy, with repetitive missions and a lack of depth in combat mechanics, leading to a less engaging experience.
- The user interface and controls are clunky, with issues such as poor button mapping and a lack of clarity in skill descriptions.
- story376 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it clichéd, simplistic, and lacking depth, often comparing it to a juvenile narrative. While some appreciate the branching paths that offer replayability, others criticize the heavy-handed political themes and character development, deeming the overall storytelling forgettable and uninspired. Despite these criticisms, the gameplay is often praised, suggesting that players may enjoy the game more for its mechanics than its narrative.
“Mercenaries Blaze has a branching storyline with two main paths, offering the chance to shape the narrative at some point.”
“The storyline was a little plain; however, it touched on things that most games never would (immigrants), although it did have a sort of Symphonia-type of story to it.”
“There's actually story branching where the choice affects the characters you get - I'm surprised that its reviews are not better than it is now.”
“It would be higher if the story didn't seem like it was written by a middle schooler.”
“As others have pointed out though, the worst part is the story; if you thought everything else was generic...welcome to awkward, forgettable, and just plain silly.”
“The story is very plain, predictable, and the feeling/mood is not building up properly.”
- gameplay108 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally regarded as fun and engaging, particularly for fans of tactical RPGs, featuring interesting mechanics like aggro and MP regeneration. However, many players criticize the game for its grindy nature, lack of depth, and simplistic mechanics that can lead to a repetitive experience. While the art and some gameplay elements are praised, the overall execution leaves players wanting more, especially in terms of story and balance.
“The gameplay is the only salvageable part of the game.”
“The mechanics were fun and not clunky; the battle flow was challenging yet doable.”
“This game has a solid base of gameplay for a Final Fantasy Tactics-style game; it is somewhat basic on classes, but still fun for people who love tactics games.”
“Unnecessary, time-consuming achievements meant to boost gameplay times.”
“However, lack of diversity in the free battle department combined with simple mechanics make the game feel longer than it should.”
“The arbitrary difficulty spikes in this game at a few points are a joke - stop wasting player's time, devs, with such lowbrow mechanics.”
- music42 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising it as enjoyable and fitting for the genre, while others find it bland, repetitive, and grating. Many reviewers note that it lacks the memorable quality of soundtracks from classic JRPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea, leading to a less immersive experience. Overall, while some appreciate the soundtrack, a significant number feel it fails to elevate the game's atmosphere.
“The music is solid.”
“The music was great, my blood pressure was low, and I really liked the plot.”
“Pretty fun and great soundtrack!”
“Mercenaries Blaze's soundtrack fails to leave a lasting impression.”
“The music is serviceable but lacks the memorable tunes that often elevate the atmosphere in its illustrious inspirations.”
“The music really grating to the point where I turned it off and the sound controls themselves lack granularity to the point where even set to 1 (out of 10) the SFX are too loud.”
- grinding42 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's grinding aspect is a mixed bag; while some players find it manageable and a staple of the genre, others describe it as tedious and overly time-consuming, particularly in terms of leveling up and completing side missions. The combat system includes an auto-battle feature to ease the grind, but many feel that the repetitive nature of enemy encounters and lack of engaging map design detracts from the overall experience. Ultimately, while grinding is present, it varies in intensity and enjoyment depending on player preferences.
“The game is grindy, which may be a turn-off for some players, but it's a staple of the genre.”
“By the end of the game, my characters were around level 40; that’s a lot of grinding to get to 99!”
“Too slow-paced, clunky controls, and the 'auto combat' isn't even fast enough to get over the tedious grind.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style reminiscent of classic SNES and PS1 titles, particularly appealing to fans of Final Fantasy Tactics. While many users praise the character art and overall visual design, there are suggestions for improvement, particularly in streamlining and enhancing the graphics to reach a level comparable to modern RPGs like Pillars of Eternity or Divinity. Overall, the artwork is well-received, though some players note performance issues and a desire for more graphical options.
“Character art design is beautifully done and I have no complaints on the graphical side of things.”
“Graphics and artwork are excellent.”
“It's a pretty well done JRPG with nice graphics and animation, and the sound and music is decent too - albeit somewhat repetitive.”
“What could be improved (more for developer) - I know you probably went for the SNES or PS1 graphics here, but if you can streamline things a bit and improve graphics, you could be close to Pillars of Eternity or Divinity: Original Sin but with your own style.”
“I can't change the graphics settings that I'm aware of, so I can't get the game to run smoothly.”
“It's pretty straightforward, battles are pretty simple, and the map/unit art styles are very reminiscent of FFT, which is what drew me into the game.”
- replayability18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through features like a branching storyline, multiple routes, and a new game plus mode, allowing players to explore different outcomes and strategies. Users appreciate the ability to unlock alternate jobs and customize their gameplay, contributing to a high replay value. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging content that encourages multiple playthroughs.
“What a fantastic game with great replay value!”
“The inclusion of a new game plus enhances replayability.”
“There's plenty of replayability here through unlocking alternate jobs and fine-tuning your arsenal.”
“This one has a story route split for a bit of replay value.”
- character development10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized for being minimal, with reviewers noting a very basic story that lacks depth and charm. While the character design is praised for its nostalgic appeal and distinct visual styles reminiscent of classic JRPGs, it does not compensate for the lack of meaningful character growth or narrative engagement. Overall, while the aesthetics are appealing, the character development leaves much to be desired.
“The character design is spot on, and reminiscent of classic JRPGs. Each class is visually distinct and has its own old school sprites, which is a plus.”
“I'm really impressed with the character design, although I do wish they had more of these assets to go around.”
“The story was very, very basic with little to no character development or charm.”
“The character designs are okay, though nothing really stands out.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some players find it runs smoothly and is enjoyable, others report limitations in graphics settings and performance issues at resolutions higher than 1080p.
“Short and simple, but still enjoyable and runs smoothly.”
“The game just isn't optimized for anything higher than 1080p.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with efforts made to recreate the ambiance of its predecessors, though it falls short in terms of memorable music. While some aspects, like class selection, raise questions about their effectiveness, the overall attempt to capture a compelling atmosphere is acknowledged as a solid effort.
