Bloody Hell, Gaming Still Has Magic: How Blades of Fire & Kojima Blew My Mind (and Why Yours Might Be Next)
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
In a world of predictable gaming loops, *Blades of Fire* and *Death Stranding* served up a much-needed dose of originality, proving that surprising players by daring to be different is absolutely essential for keeping the magic alive, as brilliantly observed by Tom Orry at Eurogamer.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're convinced you've seen it all? Like you've peered into every dimension, poked every pixel, and cast every spell in the gaming grimoire? Yeah, well, apparently the universe still has a few unexpected portals up its sleeve, because a couple of games from 2025 – *Blades of Fire* and a certain Kojima masterpiece – just served up a massive slice of humble pie, proving that originality isn't just nice to have, it's absolutely bloody essential.
Now, before we dive headfirst into this vortex of surprise, I've got to give a massive shout-out. This whole existential gaming crisis (the good kind, mind) was sparked by a truly brilliant piece from Tom Orry, Editorial Director over at Eurogamer, titled 'Blades of Fire and Hideo Kojima showed me I can still be surprised by a video game and that originality is essential.' He's been navigating these digital realms for decades, much like many of us, and his observations are pure gold. So, if you're looking for the full, detailed rundown, you absolutely must check out his original article over at Eurogamer.
But for now, let's tinker with this story a bit, shall we? Because what Tom describes isn't just about two games; it's about the very fabric of what makes gaming truly magical, rather than just another predictable loop. I mean, after nearly 40 years of mashing buttons (and probably slightly fewer years being any good at it, bless my aging reflexes), you reckon you've got a pretty good read on what a game's gonna throw at you. Usually, you do. Most new releases feel like familiar incantations with slightly different visual effects. You know the drill, right?
Enter *Blades of Fire*, the action soulslike adventure from Mercury Steam. Now, Mercury Steam had my attention with *Castlevania: Lords of Shadow* (a genuine reinvention, that one), but then things got a bit… middling, in my humble digital wizard's opinion. *Metroid Dread* was decent, but didn't exactly blow my robes off. So, my expectations for *Blades of Fire*? Low-to-moderate, mate. Just another day at the digital office.
And fair dinkum, my early hours with the game were a proper slog. I’m a big believer in cutting your losses – if a spell goes wrong from the start, you don't keep channelling mana into it, do you? The combat felt like a bad roll of the dice, characters were duller than a rusty dagger, and the visuals had that distinct 'last-gen' energy that makes you wonder if your GPU is just phoning it in. I was frustrated, annoyed, and ready to yeet the whole thing into the digital abyss.
Then, like a forgotten ritual suddenly clicking into place, something shifted. *Blades of Fire*, you see, is an adventure game at its core, packed with obscure paths and towering structures that beckon you to explore. And despite my initial grumblings about the combat, it turns out I was just trying to force the game into a mold it wasn't designed for. I was expecting the standard soulslike rhythm, the predictable parry-and-roll dance. But *Blades of Fire* had its own groove, its own set of rules, and I, the supposedly seasoned gamer, just hadn't bothered to learn the steps. Once I stopped trying to make *it* conform to *my* preconceptions and instead met the game on *its* level, everything... clicked. Bloody hell, what a feeling!
This isn't some groundbreaking combat system that'll rewrite gaming history, no. But it's an approach the developers clearly believed in, and they built an entire, fantastical world around it. Enemies demand specific tactics, weaknesses must be exploited, and every encounter feels less like muscle memory and more like a tactical puzzle. There's no comfort zone here, no easy rhythm to fall into. Even 30 hours in, a moment of lapsed concentration is enough to send you back to the last bonfire – or whatever magical checkpoint they've got. But the effort? Absolutely worth it. It delivers that 'pure video game' feeling, the exhilaration of discovery that we sometimes forget exists beyond the polished, focus-tested offerings.
And that brings us neatly to the other big hitter from Tom's reflections: *Death Stranding*. Oh, Kojima. The man who throws concepts out there like confetti at a wedding, with character names that feel like a meme generator gone wild, and themes that would slip into utter ridiculousness if they came from anyone else. I'm not even a 'Kojima superfan' (my digital altar is reserved for other deities, thank you very much), but there's no denying his avant-garde style is a vital, gloriously chaotic part of our industry.
*Death Stranding* is unapologetically itself. It doesn't care about your conventions. It builds a whole experience around something as 'mundane' as delivery, transforming it into an epic journey of connection and resilience. It's a game that takes massive risks because, well, its creator *can*. He’s a celebrity in his own right, a veritable gaming wizard with a loyal following that most studios can only dream of. But the core message from both *Blades of Fire* and *Death Stranding* is the same: vision trumps formula every single time.
We live in a gaming landscape where 'open-world formula' has become a legitimate, albeit sometimes groan-inducing, descriptor. You know the type: collect this, climb that, unlock a tower, rinse, repeat. And look, these games have their place; they appeal to millions and provide comfortable, predictable fun. But if you're like me, constantly tinkering with reality and looking for the next unexpected portal, you start to crave something more, something different. You start to long for those rough edges, those surprising turns, the moments where a game dares to defy your expectations and make you adapt.
So, what does this all mean for us, the curious gamers always wondering what happens if...? It means we should embrace the unexpected. We should celebrate studios that take risks, even if every single idea doesn't land perfectly. Because it's in those brave attempts at originality that we find the true magic of video games – the ability to genuinely surprise us, to challenge our preconceptions, and to remind us why we fell in love with these digital worlds in the first place. Let's keep hunting for those spells that work a bit *too* well, shall we?
Original article by Tom Orry, published on Eurogamer, December 23, 2025.
Tags: Gaming Innovation, Game Design, Soulslike, Hideo Kojima, Player Experience
Original article: Eurogamer