News
2025.01.16
Team Ladybug's First Original Metroidvania: Blade Chimera Out Now! Collaborative Bundle with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
PLAYISM and WSS playground (under Why so serious, Inc.) are proud to announce that Blade Chimera, the newest and very first completely original Metroidvania by Team Ladybug (the developer of other great titles such as Touhou Luna Nights), has been released for the Nintendo Switch and Steam today.
Blade Chimera is currently having a launch sale and the game's soundtrack is also available on Steam. What's more, you can also purchase the game through a collaborative Steam bundle with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night!
Game Overview
Blade Chimera is a brand new original metroidvania by Team Ladybug, the team behind the critically acclaimed 2D metroidvanias Touhou Luna Nights, the Touhou Project fan game which has sold over 500,000 copies, and the Record of Lodoss War fan game Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-.
In Blade Chimera, the map is much larger than any past Team Ladybug title, and you can explore more areas than ever before. With a plethora of side quests to complete on top of the main story campaign, players can immerse themselves in the futuristic world of Blade Chimera for a long while. Enjoy an occult cyberpunk metroidvania and Team Ladybug’s biggest project yet.
The demo featuring the first two stages of the game has been updated on Steam as well, so please try it out to get a taste of this occult cyberpunk metroidvania if you're still on the fence!
(Note: Your demo save data can be carried over to the full version on Steam.)
Word from the Developer：Ladybug
The part I worked the hardest on was the worldbuilding. I tried to create a feeling that people actually lived in this world as much as possible.
And of course, I put a lot of effort into the pixel art. Just the basic walking animation alone has 22 frames. I think Deedlit had 16 frames or so? I don't remember clearly, but for this game, every weapon has a different set of attack animations. I also put a lot of work into the guns, which have reloading animations, blowback, and cartridge shells dropping onto the floor as you shoot.
You might notice that there are a lot of toilets and elevators in this game, and that's because I wanted it to feel like living, breathing humans could be living in it.
Steam Version Details
Steam Launch Sale (10% OFF)
To celebrate Blade Chimera's launch on Steam, it will be on sale for 2 weeks at 10% OFF, so don't miss your chance to grab it at a lower price!
Aside from the availability of Steam achievements, there are no differences between the Steam and Switch versions.
Collaborative Bundle with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on Steam!
Blade Chimera is Team Ladybug's very first completely original Metroidvania. Back in 2021, during the development of Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-, Ladybug revealed in a round table with ArtPlay's Koji Igarashi and Shutaro Iida that he had been heavily inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Blade Chimera is a successor of the IGAvania and a title belonging to a new generation of Metroidvanias. To commemorate this, we have created the Metroidvania New Generation Bundle on Steam.
As this is a "complete the set" bundle, if you already own Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on Steam, you will be able to purchase Blade Chimera at a 20% discount. The collaboration lasts until February 28, 2025.
Metroidvania Round Table Now Available to Read on PLAYISM News
The aforementioned discussion is one of the things that made it possible for us to have this collaboration in the first place. To celebrate, we have translated the transcript (originally only available in Japanese) into English and Simplified Chinese and posted it on the PLAYISM website.
Metroidvania New Generation Bundle | Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Developed by ArtPlay, Inc. Published by 505 Games S.p.A.
"505 Games" and the 505 Games logo are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of 505 Games S.p.A. All rights reserved.
"ArtPlay, Inc." and the ArtPlay logo are all trademarks of ArtPlay, Inc. All rights reserved.
"Bloodstained" is a trademark and/or registered trademark of ArtPlay, Inc.
©Team Ladybug・WSS playground. All rights reserved. Licensed and Published by Active Gaming Media Inc.
Soundtrack Out Now on Steam! Contains 23 Cinematic Tracks
The Blade Chimera Original Soundtrack is also now available on Steam. Purchase it and the base game with the Blade Chimera Bundle for a little discount!
Blade Chimera's music is all written by peposoft, a Team Ladybug member who has also created music for all other Team Ladybug games. Here is a word from peposoft about the soundtrack:
―――
The soundtrack for Blade Chimera aims to further deepen the game's world with a cyberpunk, underground feel and a stylish vibe, which resulted in a unique music style.
Please enjoy the music that accompanies the story and immerse yourself in the game's world.
―――
Blade Chimera Bundle | Original Soundtrack
For Team Ladybug fans, we've also added Blade Chimera to the Team Ladybug Bundle.
The bundle contains Touhou Luna Nights, Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-, DRAINUS, and now Blade Chimera as well. Purchase the bundle for a discount on all Team Ladybug titles!
Join the PLAYISM Discord for Blade Chimera Emotes!
One of the defining features of a Team Ladybug game is the stunning pixel graphics, and Blade Chimera is no exception. And that's why we'll be distributing Blade Chimera emotes on our website and official Discord server! Please read the Terms of Use before using the emotes, but otherwise, use them wherever you want!
Download the Blade Chimera Emote Pack here!
And if enough users like the emojis, we might even add animated ones...
About the Game
Play as Shin, a demon hunter with no memory of his past, and strike an unusual partnership with Lux, a beautiful demon with the ability to shapeshift into a sword and manipulate time. Begin a quest to learn what happened to you and your loved ones, fight brutal battles against terrible demons, explore a corrupted and dangerous world, and regain what was once yours.
■ Game Features
- As the Demon Sword, Lux offers a wide array of utilities. She can perform powerful attacks and shield you from harm, but also act as a platform and even restore objects that were once lost. Use your demonic companion to traverse and survive in a desolate, demon-ridden Osaka.
- As Shin defeats demons and levels up, new skills can be unlocked via skill tree. Unlock the "Warp" skill to travel anywhere on the map or a double-jump to get up to higher ledges and explore new locations with ease.
- Lux isn't the only weapon in your arsenal. In addition to his main firearm, Shin can wield other weapons such as greatswords and whips. Experiment with a variety of armaments and create your own style of combat.
■ Newest Demo Features
The current Steam demo has even more new gimmicks that appear in Stage 2. All sorts of gimmicks can be found in the game, and you'll have to utilize Lux's powers to overcome them.
- Lux may be powerful and reliable in battle, but she has a critical weakness—UV rays. Whenever she passes through purple UV lights, she takes a lot of damage and might even faint. It's up to you to find a way to safely traverse purple UV-lit areas without hurting Lux.
- Lux can use time rifts to restore objects that were once lost, but time rifts with a yellow aura allow her to turn back the time of the object itself. For example, you can turn back the time of a corridor with a wall blocking your way until you reach a time when the wall never existed. Utilize time rifts to explore every nook and cranny of Osaka.
■ The Story
It all began with the sudden appearance of a ghastly demonic horde. Humans fought against ghouls and ghosts in what would later be known as the "Demon War," and the world was changed forever.
Thirty years later, using their expertise in combating demons, a religious group called the "Holy Union" has carved out a small but stable enclave of survivors...
Blade Chimera
Download the demo from the Steam page here!
Original Soundtrack ｜ Collaborative Bundle
■ Developer: Team Ladybug、WSS playground
■ Publisher: WSS playground、PLAYISM
■ Release Date: January 16, 2025
■ Genre: Metroidvania (Exploration-Based Action)
■ Supported Languages: English, Japanese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, French, Italian, German, Spanish
■ Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
■ MSRP: $19.99 (Launch sale on Steam at 10% OFF!) | Soundtrack: $7.99
©️Team Ladybug・WSS Playground. All rights reserved. Licensed and Published by Active Gaming Media Inc.
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