Ultimately, we’re left with a game that doesn’t appear to know exactly what it wants to be. Without the platforming, Blue Fire might have been a Souls-like adventure game. Without the combat, it would excel at precision platforming. But with both aspects in the mix, it doesn’t quite stick the landing of either.
The issue is only being able to play for short bursts because your eyes hurt. Or because you’re sick of reaching over to the mouse to select a new game mode, even though your controller worked on the main screen. With friends, in short bursts, Kinetic Edge can be fun. But for the most part, it feels like rolling a ball uphill, rather than down: awkward and difficult.
This is where SOLAS 128 falls down: it doesn’t ever really feel intuitive. It fails to point you in the right direction in the opening moments – a brief explanation of what each button does would go a long way. The vague ‘story’ also lets the whole experience down somewhat; had it been more fleshed out, it would elevate the mechanics.
So, here I am comparing Sir Lovelot to a game made eleven years ago. Had the developers made one or two slightly different decisions, Sir Lovelot would earn a place in my heart. Instead, I tore through the game in two hours – though this could be extended if you want to find all the hidden items and secrets. I felt deflated after every level. Like a jilted lover, Sir Lovelot did not perform.
It’s okay that Red Ronin doesn’t feature a killer story, because the actual gameplay does exactly what it needs to, and it does it well.