2026 Special - Blades of Vengeance

Manax has to be stopped! If her dastardly machinations are allowed to continue, the Kingdom will be devastated by despair and war forever. Mannax's evil must be obliterated, but the Master's magic is too weak. It's up to the Huntress, the Warrior, or the Sorcerer to slay Manax, restore the Master's power, and eliminate all traces of evil from the Kingdom. I'll admit to being that guy who complains about too much world-building, but Blades of Vengeance could've named its Kingdom at least. Mannax's name changes depending on whether you're reading the manual or playing the game. Don't even get me started on the complete lack of vengeance. Where are all the dead parents, siblings, spouses, neighbors, roommates, and total strangers? I'm not feeling particularly vengeful at the moment. On the plus side, the game kicks enough butt for me to ignore this fill-in-the-blank nonsense. 

Seeing as how it's still (depressingly) 2026, my attention for the bulk of this review will be focused on the Huntress. Let me just say... Damn!? Was "Screw Golden Axe! Our red bikini is tinier!" part of Electronic Arts' marketing campaign for this sidescrolling hack & slasher? Anyway, the Huntress - who I'm just going to call Maneater Mildred from now on - has a sword as well as the ability to block. Mastering them is a large part of staying alive. If a monster is holding a weapon, they're going to swing at whomever is closest. In most cases, all you have to do is crouch, wait for the opening between their swings, and punish. Blocking isn't entirely infallible. You can't block the rocks that might fall on your head or whatever manages to get behind you, but it's still really damn good. Mildred starts with one other useful ability: an overhead slash that can strike enemies low to the ground. Use it to squash spiders. 

The instant you glanced at Blades of Vengeance, you likely assumed that it plays similarly to Cadash, Pirates of Dark Water, Galahad, etcetera. I'm here to tell you that assumption is right on the money. The controls are as natural as breathing, turning one's palm, a heartbeat. Everyone walks with purpose, and their ability to easily make 99% of jumps makes up for the inclusion of fall-damage. I don't know why anyone designs games with fall-damage, but that's just me veering off-topic. Anyway, the platforming segments are intentionally mild so that two players aren't forcing each other into lava while trying to get around. It's level-design that fits the intended purpose. Not always exciting, but never frustrating.

Each of the eight realms is broken up into stages, all of which are packed an assortment of monsters, obstacles, and treasure. I emphasize the latter because if a large part of staying alive is blocking, the rest is in grabbing anything that falls from a corpse or out of a chest. Items cover every possible need and then some, making them immensely powerful. If you need a potion to restore life, then there are plenty to go around. Care for a Midas ring that turns all enemies into cash? Just keep those eyes peeled and you'll stumble onto a few. Transform elite adversaries into pathetic goons with a scroll of transformation. Erase a boss quickly with a strength buff or ignore all their attacks with an invincibility potion. Take the time to poke into every remotely suspicious wall and you'll likely stumble into a hidden room. Depending on your playstyle and the thoroughness of your explorations, this game can get pretty easy. The Maneater waltzed into Manax's lair with 20 invincibility potions... she only needed a couple of them. 

Each realm has a specific theme such as forest, tower, or catacombs. The catacombs are notable for having the most pitfalls, as well as a couple of puzzles to solve. They're supposed to be puzzles because they require a little more thought than "go this way" or "kill monsters", but it's only like 5% more thought. Besides knowing when and where to use items, this is not a game for fans of riddles, and that's good for me! The de-emphasis on problem-solving helps to make the catacombs stand out, while also giving players who tire of it a sense of relief when they move on to the next realm. However, some environments get repetitive. The Kingdom having two towers - both with the same boss - is straight-up padding. I shouldn't complain though, because it's an opportunity to collect more stuff. 

Farming evil to earn extra money.

Even if there isn't a lot of depth in the combat, this game still has some mechanical richness that helps it stand out. Earlier I mentioned a ring that turns enemies into cash. Clever usage can lead to some big earnings. Some areas have a lot of fodder enemies that respawn. Since they don't have melee weapons, blocking just makes them turn around and walk away. With some clever manipulating, you can herd several of them into the same screen, creating a nice bundle once you flash that Midas ring. Besides items and extra lives, the best purchase you can make is a new set of equipment for your chosen character. Ditching the bikini and sword for something resembling armor and a crossbow does a lot to make Milly the Manax-eater's job even easier. Well, losing the ability to easily squish spiders is a nuisance, but I also forgot about the stack of screen-clearing staves in her inventory, so that's on me. 

The initial playthrough is a pretty damn good time, and there's more than enough flexibility for players who want more of a challenge. Maniacs are welcome to try and save the Kingdom without ever sniffing a potion. However, I can't imagine myself doing that even if I had the skills to pull it off. Having an inventory that isn't subject to overly restrictive limitations is part of what makes Blades of Vengeance work. The fact that every item is valuable creates a real incentive to explore. I'm certain this feature is even more integral to 2 Player mode. A couple of friends having each other's backs and divvying up the rewards is a beautiful thing.

All in all, this is an easy recommendation for Sega Genesis and/or dark fantasy fans.