Blade Chimera Is Pure Demon-Slaying Fun On Nintendo Switch
Face your demons.
A name like Blade Chimera might not make a game sound particularly groundbreaking or original. And it turns out it’s not. But with a game that feels as good to play as Blade Chimera, you don’t need anything mind-blowing to have a good time.
Released on Nintendo Switch and PC on January 16, Blade Chimera is the latest adventure from Team Ladybug, developer of the also excellent Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. Like Deedlit, Blade Chimera is a combat-focused Metroidvania that leans heavily on the inspiration of Symphony of the Night. Despite a glossed-over story and the sense that nothing here is truly something you haven’t seen before, Blade Chimera is one of the best Metroidvania games in recent memory and one of the first must-play indies of 2025.
Blade Chimera doesn’t reinvent the wheel, relying on its solid combat.
In Blade Chimera, you play as Shin, a sort of corporate demon hunter in a post-apocalyptic version of Osaka teeming with demons. There is some fun to be had with seeing subway stations overrun with demons and warrior monks staffing the office of Shin’s employer, but the story is mostly focused on the amnesiac Shin himself and his new best friend, a demon in the shape of a sword.
Early in Blade Chimera, you come across a talking sword called Lux. Lux turns out to be a shape-shifting demon, who offers Shin help in surviving an attack by a massive dragon. From then on, Lux helps Shin uncover his shadowy past and Shin works to keep her a secret from the demon-hunting organization he works for, who presumably would not be chill about him buddying up with the enemy.
More than just a plot device, Lux is a constant companion in battle. On his own, Shin can equip two weapons, each activated with a different button on the controller. Lux adds a third option in the form of a sword slash, and can also be used to create a barrier that stops most projectiles, summon spectral versions of objects in the environment to use as platforms or for cover, and to climb walls. Blade Chimera’s exploration is straightforward but fun enough, but it’s in combat where it really shines.
Boss battles are a particular highlight of Blade Chimera’s combat.
Using one of your regular weapons restores MP, which Lux’s attack consumes while replenishing your health. That alone creates a satisfying rhythm, demanding that you switch between multiple types of attacks to stay at full power. Shin can equip both melee weapons and guns, adding even more versatility in how you take on enemies.
From there, Blade Chimera expands out, building on its great combat fundamentals to make something exceptional. Creating a barrier or platform with Lux will leave the sword stuck in the ground or the wall where you left it until you recall it. You can leave Lux planted for as long as you feel comfortable doing without her attacks, and delaying the retrieval actually opens up some incredible opportunities. As Lux returns to your hand, she damages any enemies along the way in spectacular fashion, which further incentivizes mixing up your tactics and using every tool at your disposal. The later addition of a demonic jetpack makes Shin even more maneuverable, opening up more possibilities for how to approach combat.
At an even simpler level, though, Blade Chimera succeeds because its combat just feels good. There’s a satisfying weight to Shin’s attacks and movements, which might first appear a bit stiff but soon starts to feel powerful and deliberate. Weapons feel just different enough from each other to be more than just carbon copies with varied stats, and it’s worth playing around with not just which is most effective, but which feels the best.
Shin’s versatile demonic pal Lux helps to spice up combat.
On top of all that, Blade Chimera is gorgeous. Its extremely detailed pixel art shines in backgrounds and character sprites alike, which plenty of fancy lighting effects to spice things up. Most of Blade Chimera takes place in cramped, chaotic hallways, only occasionally moving to more spacious or relaxed spaces, but even with those familiar environments, there’s so much care put into their appearance that they never get old.
There’s no denying that Blade Chimera has tons of competition from other indie Metroidvanias, but it immediately became one of my recent favorites of the genre. It might not do much to truly shock you, but Blade Chimera does prove that you don’t need to do anything too surprising if you can throw a simple fast ball well.
