Blade Chimera, by comparison, wears its influences proudly on its sleeve.
It makes for an enthralling concoction and easily my favorite game of the year so far.
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But since this is the near future, you also have access to firearms with their own properties.
Plasma rifles can’t be used underwater, for example, and some demons are immune to gunfire altogether.
This all blends to feel like an evolution of Symphony of the Night as a specific reference point.
The look of the game seems unabashedly SotN-inspired, too.
Shin even has long silver hair and a flowing dark cloak, not unlike a certain Castlevania protagonist.
She has her own dedicated button that functions as both a weapon and traversal tool.
All of these parts harmonize together and create an immense sense of freedom.
In addition to the roughly Shin-sized demons, Blade Chimera boasts several boss fights against so-called Titan demons.
Each one has some new creative wrinkle or mechanic to test your skills or act as combat puzzles.
But to its credit, it also doesn’t always spell out its developments too explicitly.
Instead, it treated that as a given, and simply skipped straight to exploring its implications.
Blade Chimera wears its influences on its sleeve, but it doesn’t feel bound by them.
It’s bold to invite such a comparison, but Blade Chimera carries it off with aplomb.
Blade Chimera is now available on PC and Nintendo Switch.
A demo is available on Steam.
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