Blade Chimera

Blade Chimera is an ode to a very specific kind of Metroidvania - the sort that eschews cryptic puzzles and an open-ended structure and revels in the simple joys of ultra-fluid movement and blasting through enemies with an ever-growing arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment. It may not particularly impress with its explorative or narrative aspects, but its striking, stylish identity and endlessly entertaining shoot-and-slash combat loop elevate this to the heights of the classics it's so clearly inspired by.

Blade Chimera is short, sweet, and simple. It’s also visually enthralling and just… really dang cool. It’s the perfect kind of game to run into in January 2025, especially after so much of my time up until now has been eaten by multiple dozen-hour RPGs.

Blade Chimera is a solid title if you want a short game that goes down easy. The exploration is incredibly smooth, the visuals are fantastic, and the plot is surprisingly gripping. If you are a fan of Metroidvanias or just want to try a game that does most things right, give Blade Chimera a shot.

In the end, BLADECHIMERA stands as a testament to Team Ladybug’s evolution—a departure from their traditional Metroidvania roots that is satisfyingly unique. Sure, the early ease and lighter platforming might not fully satisfy hardcore genre purists, but it builds into an excellent experience with razor-sharp combat, pixel-perfect visuals, and a narrative that sneaks up on you with surprising depth. The neon-lit streets of its cyberpunk Osaka, drenched in Japanese occult lore, brings the experience to life, accompanied by an energetic soundtrack that encapsulates it further. Lux and Shin’s bond delightfully brings together your playthrough with rewarding gameplay and narrative beats. It’s a game that is great for a quick playthrough but further rewards you if you choose to dive deeper into its side content, leaving a lasting impression either way. For fans of the studio or anyone seeking a finely crafted action platformer, BLADECHIMERA wholeheartedly proves to be a worthy investment.

Overall, Blade Chimera is another win for Team Ladybug. Its slower, more methodical take on the Metroidvania formula feels refreshing, especially once you master Shin and Lux’s moveset. It really feels like a perfect blend of Metroid and Castlevania - particularly Symphony of the Night. The ruined streets of Osaka are brimming with secrets and enemies to tackle, making this a solid pick for both longtime fans of the genre and newcomers looking for a challenge. It’s not perfect — the level design can frustrate, the story doesn’t fully capitalize on its world, and some enemy placement and difficulty can be a real challenge — but it’s a damn good time nonetheless. I’d say it’s a must-play for anyone craving a neon-soaked demon hunt.

A solid cyberpunk Metroidvania on Switch

Blade Chimera is far from a bad game, but it’s one that doesn’t fully play to the metroidvania genre’s strengths. Exploration is mostly linear, and the game’s unique gimmicks are underutilised in some unfortunate ways.

Blade Chimera is a very beautiful and colorful metroidvania with colorful bosses that suffers from serious control and balance issues.

Having played other titles from Team Ladybug, I had a feeling that Blade Chimera was going to be good, but I wasn’t expecting it to forcibly inject its way into being one of my favorite Metroidvania titles of all time. A good (albeit rather clichéd) story perfectly carried by a bloody trio of fantastic combat, smooth and responsive controls, and some of the smoothest sprite work I’ve ever seen in my life creates an almost perfect storm for fans of the genre and those tempted to dip their toes in.

Blade Chimera is a very interesting game both from a visual and gameplay perspective, performing well in movement and shooting, and with Lux's abilities giving an extra touch.