In thisBlades of Firevideo, we’re going behind the scenes with the creative director andCEO of MercurySteam, Enric Álvarez. We’re going to be talking about howBlades of Firecame to be, what its inspiration was, and what some of the design choices in the game were inspired by.
Blades of Fire — CEO of MercurySteam Interview
I really enjoyed Enric’s thoughtful and intelligent answers during this interview. I only gave him the interview questions about an hour before we did this, so a lot of these things he didn’t have time to prepare for. It was refreshing to see someone with so much knowledge and game development history speak so candidly.
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What Was Your inspiration or Inspirations forBlades of Fire?
Yeah, it’s certainly different. If you remember, a long time ago before we establishedMercurySteam, there was a small developer in Spain calledRebel Act Studios.
They developed a game that came out in 2001 calledBlade of Darknessin Europe andSeverance: Blade of Darknessin the States.
That game was our baptism of fire, if I can say that, for the founders of the studio. It presented a sword-and-sorcery dark game with punishing sword-fighting combat, minimal storytelling, and a very dark world. It was our first game as a team. Unfortunately, the studio closed after that — but partially thanks to that, we establishedMercurySteamfrom its ashes.
That game left an imprint on our souls because it was the first. It was sad that it didn’t work out, though it later gained recognition as a cult game — some even cite it as a predecessor to theSouls genre.
We knew that one day we wanted to return, and that day came four years ago when we presentedBlades of Fireto 505. They liked it — and here we are. In our hearts, this is an emotional sequel. It’s not a proper sequel — both games have nothing to do with each other technically — but emotionally, it definitely is.
How Would You DescribeBlades of FireIn Your Own Words to Someone Who Hasn’t Heard of It?
In Spanish, there’s a saying:“The sharpest teeth are the hidden ones.”Blades of Fireis like that. On the surface, it may look like anotherSouls-like or God of War-like game, but as soon as you play it, you’ll realize it’s its own thing. We didn’t try to make the next “X” game. We truly tried to make our own thing.
The game’s core mechanics — combat, forging, exploration, and story — immediately show its identity. It’s a dark fantasy world where steel has turned into stone, and you are the only one who can reverse it by killing the Queen responsible for the spell. It’s a long journey through a varied world filled with enemies, characters, and mysteries.
But more than anything, it’s about forging your own weapons and creating an emotional bond with them.
Unlike other games where you craft with a menu and a button, inBlades of Fireyou forge your weapons with effort — even naming them yourself — creating a connection between you and your blades. You can try the demo, it’s free and everywhere. The game offers something you haven’t seen yet.
Durability is Often Disliked by RPG fans. How Did You Make It Fun Here?
First: don’t make the player do it every five minutes.That’s rule number one.
Second: the repair and rebuild system is naturally part of the game loop.Weapons are born, live, and die in your hands.
We designed it so you’ll understand quickly: don’t strike an armored enemy unless you want to damage your valuable blade. If you do it anyway, your weapon might break. Breakage is part of the fantasy of forging — it wouldn’t make sense to have a forge system so physical, so grounded, without real consequences like durability.
You’re handling materials, edge hardness, weapon length, balance — not abstract stats. So, of course, durability is part of that. But again, balance is key. It won’t feel like a chore. And without spoiling too much, even broken weapons have use in this game.
Why Did Crafting Become Such a Key Part of The Game?
We didn’t want to do the same thing we did 24 years ago.Games have evolved.
We wanted to offer something fresh. The idea that steel turns into stone is a simple yet powerful one — it drives both gameplay and story. Personally, I love when a game’s core concept influences everything: story, systems, and even worldbuilding.
So if you’re in a world where steel turns to stone, and you’re the only one who can forge real blades — well, that’s the heart of the game.
Combat inBlades of FireFeels Tactical. How Difficult Was It To Design?
The hardest part was linking the forge with the combat. That’s why we created a directional combat system. If we let you build a weapon in such detail — choosing steel type, tip, balance, even parry timing in milliseconds — then it doesn’t make sense for combat to be just button-mashing.
Enemies wear different armor and outfits.
You must choose the right weapon for the right enemy — and even the right part of their body to strike. Directional combat became a natural consequence of the forge and the concept of steel turning to stone. That core idea shaped everything.
Aran and Adso Have a Humorous, Grounded Dynamic. Why That Choice?
I wanted regular people as protagonists — common people in a fantasy world. Their relationship had to be believable, like real life: drama and comedy coexisting.In our lives, we laugh, we cry, we argue. It’s the same with them.
We didn’t want an epic, emotionless story about a hero on a quest. We wanted every step forward to feel meaningful. Good characters make a good story, and to make characters feel real, they need to be complex. Aaron hides things from Adso. Adso sees things in black and white, like we all do when we’re young. Aaron has lived. He has experience. He takes Adso with him not because he’s useful, but because he wants to protect him. That’s the kind of dynamic we built — sometimes mysterious, sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic. Just like life.
The game World is Colorful Despite The Dark Story. Why Go With That Contrast?
We didn’t want another gritty, gray, bleak game. Instead, we wanted to tell a sinister story in a lush, colorful world with vibrant characters. I believe contrast heightens emotional impact — like umami in storytelling. It makes the flavor of every moment stronger.
You Use Your Own In-House Engine. How Has That Helped Development?
It’s been crucial. We’ve used our own engine since we founded the studio 23 years ago. It’s like a tailor-made suit: you build only what you need.
The engine serves the game, not the other way around.
Blades of Fire Beginner Guide: Best Tips for New Players
Beginner tips for Blades of Fire: combat, crafting, enemies, and more—key info you must to know to avoid early frustration.
And since we reinvent ourselves with each project — just look at how different our games are — we need flexibility. Our tech lets us adapt. It gives us full control and fast problem-solving.
Our programmers are honestly geniuses. People often forget that programming is also an art. And we’re here to enjoy what we do.
What’s Next for MercurySteam andBlades of Fire? DLC? Expansion?
That depends on the players. IfBlades of Fireresonates with people — not just based on reviews, but based on players truly enjoying it — then we’ll sit down and talk about what’s next. It’s that simple. We released a demo because we believe people will understand and enjoy what we created. If they want more, we’ll be ready to continue.
Final Thoughts
So that wraps up our interview with the CEO and Creative Director ofBlades of Fire, Enric Álvarez. I hope you enjoyed it. We’ll probably be doing more interviews like this on the channel, so stay tuned. And if you want to support the channel and check out the game, use the link below.
