It’s wonderful to see older titles getting new life as they are ported to newer consoles. One of those is Blades of Time, the sequel to X-Blades and originally released back in 2012. Ports have a funny way of being incredibly great or disappointing. Which direction will this title go? Continue to read for our review of Time of Blades on the Nintendo Switch.
Let’s start off with yes, this an older title re-released on the switch. I am reviewing this game based on its current form as I never had the pleasure to play it on any other platforms. The mechanics of the game feel almost familiar, I believe this is partly due to the fact I have played other games in my life that have very close features and ideals. One cannot help the female – treasure hunter theme. Lora Croft, of course, was one of my favorites back in the day but the moment I Jumped into Blades of Time I got that same feeling. I am not saying there is anything bad about it just the idea is not exactly a fresh one. There are a few others that come to mind as well, Prince of Persia – The sands of time. BOT seems to have adopted an always fun ability. This, of course, is vital as it allows Ayumi the ability to solve complex puzzles and increase her odds of fighting hordes of enemies.
With that being said the game is enjoyable with its hack and slash style gameplay. You are able to unlock various sets of skills ranging from attacks, combos and even powerful magic. I have always been partial to games like Dynasty Warriors, and this title is no different. However, unlock others the added story and puzzles to add a nice touch in a playability standpoint. Wait you have to use your mind? Yes, yes you do. There are moments in the game that challenges the player to use combinations of dashes to avoid or get over obstacles. There are even times where its necessary to use something other than your swords to unlock or gain access. I found using guns a bit rough at times but defiantly adds.
As with most games the controls are what set the mood. With BOT I was able to adapt to the controls with little to no learning curve and during times when you receive new skills the game walks you through how to use them. The only thing that bothered me was how you interact with doors and switches. To open doors you have to hold the R button and mash the Y button until it opens. And I know it seems silly but the whole standing on a switch until it fulfilled its animation requirement to open other doors just seemed like a waste of time. I guess call me old school but I like just clicking one button to open and interact with my environment. I also feel they missed an opportunity to implement some switch features such as the gyroscope to aim weapons and of course the HD Rumble.
In conclusion, I would say the game was moderately enjoyable though it felt very much like every other title that Blades of Time obviously gained inspiration from. The gameplay was familiar but a bit lackluster as it got old fast. The decision to split ranged and melee left the game a bit disconnected, dare I say disengaging. The improvement’s that where made still fall under the shadows of itself.
