The precarious pintsized platforming protagonist Umbra! 

Blue Fire hits all points in this new exciting title.

In Blue Fire, the player wakes up in an unknown keep, trapped in a glass container, and discovers they are Umbra, the child of light and shadow who is destined to destroy the corruption affecting the beautiful world of Penumbra. Blue Fire was created by Robi Studios, a new and passionate team from Argentina devoted to indie game development and high-quality art, partnered with Graffiti Games, a video game publisher that works with indie developers to bring their projects to PC and console worldwide.

GRAPHICS 9.2/10

Blue Fire is set in a stunning and mind-blowing 3D world called Penumbra. This overworld features deep dank tunnels, majestic frozen outlooks, dark, corrupted castles, and flowing rivers of molten lava. I was never disappointed discovering new areas, each one more breath-taking than the last. Every foe is unique to their own area — a testament to the effort given to create such an immersive world. I especially enjoyed the ambient feel of The Void. The charming, miniature shadow chibis are minimalistic and done very well. Even basic items have incredible artwork — the outstanding outfits and dual blades scattered throughout the game made me want to change my outfit every time I reached a new area. Blue fire excels artistically, showing both graphical fidelity and graphical aesthetic.

SOUND QUALITY 8/10

The score in Blue Fire is a calming and ataractic experience unless you catch yourself locked in a room with multiple enemies when the mood suddenly shifts to a more aggressive tone. The background music in each area sets the mood for what’s to come: boss battles have an engaging score that contrasts with the relaxing, sedative mood the player enjoys while exploring new areas. I especially enjoyed the soothing ambiance when discovering Voids, areas that provide extra health upon completion. The characters’ voices are fun and unique: cute voice-squeaks for smaller characters, deep tones for larger ones, and cool sighs for certain characters that think they’re better than everyone else. I was really impressed by the sound effects as well. Striking certain items create distinct and unique sounds — from hitting bells in a tower and attacking an organ to hitting pots and metal — everything is carefully constructed to immerse you into the world of Penumbra.

GAMEPLAY 9.5/10

Players have endless possibilities for engaging gameplay in Penumbra, from extreme frame-perfect platforming inside The Void to searching for new spirits that power-up and unlock additional abilities. Players are also able to obtain emotes that are vital to uncovering secret treasures, and do side quests that provide a competitive edge during playthrough. At the beginning of the game, you are somewhat slow combat-wise but as you progress you earn a dashing ability that gives you dominance over hovering enemies that seemed out of reach previously. Later, players are gifted with a double jump that allows them to dodge, dash, and utilize a great lock-on mechanic more efficiently during boss battles. End game gives you an arsenal of spirit abilities to choose from, making the player a puny hero of massive proportions. Blue fire consists of 3 difficulties to enjoy: easy, recommended, and brutal (unlocked upon completion of the game).

CHARACTERS 8.5/10

The characters in Blue Fire are each a great addition to the game. Your mentor, who is known as Von, is a large dual-wielding swordsman engaged with gods as they guide you through the lore of the land. Hidden throughout the game are little shadow flute players known as "Onops" who are not where they are supposed to be. Players also meet a man named Orip who loves elevators — maybe a bit too much. The many NPCs and side quests in this game let you know there is much more going on inside Penumbra than just the main story line. Fathers, daughters, mothers, children, merchants, and gods — every NPC has something to say about what is going on in the moment, in their life, and the corruption of penumbra.

STORY 8/10

The storytelling in Blue Fire is the only slight low point, in my opinion. There seems to be a lack of story-building and character arc. I enjoyed spelunking in new dungeons and expected that was what was in store for the next 5 gods, but after 2 dungeons you simply defeat the lords corrupting the Gods of each element outright. I never found the story lackluster, I was still just as excited to defeat enemies and figure out jumping puzzles. I just wasn’t expecting such a shift. The story is pretty straightforward which was helpful if you are new to the genre: go to each temple and destroy the corruption that is affecting each god, then destroy the true darkness at the end of the game to wrap things up. The lore in Blue Fire is deep but you have to dig deep and talk to every NPC to really tie everything together. I personally enjoy deeper lore in main storylines than what I experienced in Blue fire.

OVERALL 8.8/10

Blue Fire is an absolute masterpiece. 

I was blown away by the crisp graphics, fluid controls, and amazing sound quality in Blue Fire. The immersion of this game is second to none. I could not put it down. After playing the demo 2 times over, I eagerly awaited the full release of Blue Fire. Thrown into a world unknown, every new area made me stop to take a second to appreciate its beauty before I dove in. I caught myself climbing everywhere to find new and amazing views. Every Void posed a new challenge than simply button-mashing enemies. Some Voids made me want to break my controller — but I persevered to leave no stone unturned. 

Blue fire has everything you could want and more.

I’m writing this after completing the game at 100% but a casual playthrough can run 15+ hours. There is so much replay value in this game too. Blue Fire makes you want to go back and try out new strategies, different spirits, and (obviously) different outfits. There are also secret items and hidden spirits to be discovered too. Speedrunners can enjoy this game as well.  I highly recommend playing this game two times through and trying out the brutal difficulty after a completion. As Robi Studio’s very first game, Blue Fire is very well done. From great graphics to insane gameplay, I’m excited for what’s in store for their future. 

Blue Fire was released February 4th, 2021, and is available now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Steam. The reviewer purchased the game at full retail price. 

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