Blue Fire - What We Know So Far
For any upcoming game, being compared with Zelda is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, Zelda is one of the best game franchises of all time, so it's good to be compared favorably with it. On the other, Zelda sets the bar sky-high, and many would-be Zeldas come up short. The latest title getting the Zelda comparison is Blue Fire, a 3D action-adventure platformer from independent Argentina-based developer Robi Studios.
Blue Fire's release date was recently announced and is coming just around the corner. It'll be available on Nintendo Switch and PC for $19.99, with additional console versions planned for the future. The wait won't be long to find out if Blue Fire lives up to the Zelda hype. If it does, Blue Fire will join Nintendo Switch's lengthy roster of beloved indie games. In the meantime, here's everything we know about the upcoming indie title.
Does Blue Fire have a release date?
Blue Fire will release on Feb. 24, 2021. This was just announced in the "Launch Date Reveal Trailer" on Jan. 13, 2021. The Feb. 24 release date only applies to Blue Fire's Nintendo Switch and PC versions. The game will also be available on Xbox One and PS4, but so far developer Robi Studios and publisher Graffiti Games haven't specified when those two versions will come out. The game was first announced via a teaser trailer at Nintendo's Indie World Showcase on Mar. 17, 2020.
Blue Fire is the first title from indie developer Robi Studios, which is based in Córdoba, Argentina. They first came up with the idea in early 2019. Graffiti Games was founded in 2017, and their first title was 2018's Joggernauts, a 2D autorunner platformer. In addition to Blue Fire, Graffiti's only other title announced for 2021 is Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, in which you play as a turnip who avoids paying taxes. Turnip Boy will be coming out Q2 2021.
Does Blue Fire have a trailer?
The Launch Date reveal trailer gave an overview of Blue Fire's gameplay. It will involve challenging platform-based puzzles, exploration, and combat. The player will explore the mysterious collapsed Penumbra civilization and the many colorful characters who inhabit the ruins. The original Reveal Trailer showed off even more of Blue Fire's gameplay and locations in March 2020.
The Launch Date Reveal Trailer also introduced Blue Fire's main character Umbra, although it didn't name him. On their developer blog, Robi Studios described Umbra as a "soulless" character with a mysterious past, who wears the Warrior uniform of the collapsed civilization. In terms of gameplay, Umbra rocks a mask and two swords. Despite his small stature, he's an aggressive attacker who also relies on stealth. Umbra will have a wide variety of jumping and dashing moves to explore Penumbra and will be customizable with in-game items as the story progresses.
Why is Blue Fire being compared with Zelda?
The Zelda series is one of Blue Fire's main inspirations, particularly Blue Fire's emphasis on dungeon crawling and hack-and-slash combat mechanics. The title may even be a nod to Zelda's Blue Fire, a magical flame that appears in the series. Hollow Knight is another obvious Blue Fire influence. Although Blue Fire will be a 3D title, it shares many similar elements with the 2D metroidvania classic. Both games star a mask-wearing main character who explores the ruins of an abandoned civilization. Like Hollow Knight's Soul system, Umbra uses a substance called Black Shadow to power many of his moves.
In an interview with Nintendo Life, Robi's co-lead Santiago Rosa also cited Dark Souls' gameplay mechanics and A Hat in Time's art style as additional influences. Clearly, Blue Fire will blend elements of drastically different titles in the hopes of making something new.
The Zelda series definitely sets a high bar for Blue Fire to clear, but if the upcoming indie title can even approach its influences, it should be one of the first indie gems of 2021.