One of the great cliches of games writing is using "It's like X with Y" as a descriptor, but sometimes it's nearly unavoidable.  Today's case in point is the 3D platformer Blue Fire, which is like a cute Mario-styled 3D platformer fused with Dark Souls.  Cute little characters that seem plucked right out of the most family-friendly adventure imaginable run about doing adorable things like playing in an orchestra, except they're black, shadowy creatures living in and around an oppressively ruined kingdom.  It's an art style that could very easily wander into "so edgy you'll cut yourself" except if today's trailer is any indication, Blue Fire uses it to strike a balance and unite its hardcore platforming and impactful combat with a more friendly, inviting tone.  It's adorably ominous.

The land of Penumbra has fallen but it's not dead yet.  The lone wanderer Umbra explores its ruins in search of...?  Honestly, the story isn't clear, but there's treasures down there so that will have to do for now.  Like any good platformer there are a good number of collectibles to chase after, and finding them will require putting Umbra's full set of moves through their paces- wall jump, air dash, double jump, spin attack, and anything else that can get just a few more seconds of air time.  Blue Fire is promising to be one of those games where the line between combat and platforming moves is practically nonexistent, with an attack just as useful for reaching a new platform as the wall-run is for avoiding an enemy.  It's dangerous in the kingdom and its temples, and any tool is a good one if it helps survive a little longer.

Blue Fire dropped its release date trailer today and is coming out for Switch and PC on February 4.  Give it a watch below, and mind the pink bunny suit.

https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3607085/type/dlg/sid/UUhgUeUpU13534/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvM1R4wCjYA