Blade Chimera is a cyberpunk metroidvania from Team Ladybug, the studio behind Touhou Luna Nights and Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth.
You play as Shin, a demon hunter exploring a dystopian version of Osaka that’s crawling with yokai and all sorts of supernatural threats.
The game gives you a ton of tools right from the start, and it can be a lot to take in.
These Blade Chimera tips will help you hit the ground running whether you’re getting wrecked by bosses or just trying to figure out how everything fits together.
Master the HP and MP Recovery Loop
This is the single most important thing to understand in Blade Chimera.
The game has a built-in recovery loop that lets you sustain yourself through combat without burning through consumables.
Here’s how it works. Your regular melee attacks recover MP, and Lux’s attacks recover HP.
That means you’re meant to constantly switch between the two to keep both bars healthy.
When you get this loop down, you can chain together long stretches of combat without burning through a single healing item.
Mastering this system is what separates players who breeze through the game from players who struggle with every encounter.
Always Equip One Ranged and One Melee Weapon
Shin has two weapon slots in addition to Lux. You can technically fill both with guns or both with melee weapons, but the best setup for most of the game is one of each.
Guns have infinite ammo and auto-reload when you stop firing, making them great for picking off enemies from a distance.
Melee weapons hit harder, don’t require ammo, and are your primary way to regenerate MP.
Having both gives you an answer for every situation.
Some enemies are resistant to certain damage types, and some encounters practically demand ranged attacks while others are best handled up close with a sword or whip.
One important thing about guns: they deal more damage the closer you are to the target. If you can safely close the gap while shooting, you’ll take enemies down much faster.
Unlock the Warp Skill as Soon as Possible
This might be the best tip for Blade Chimera beginners.
The Warp skill is available in the skill tree and only costs two skill points to unlock. That means you can grab it after just two level-ups.
Warp lets you teleport to any room on the map that you’ve already visited. In a metroidvania where backtracking is constant, this is an absolute game-changer.
Most games in this genre lock fast travel behind late-game upgrades, but Blade Chimera hands it to you almost immediately if you know where to invest your points.
Use Lux for More Than Just Combat
Lux is your demon sword companion, and she’s way more than just a weapon.
She’s essentially a multi-tool that handles combat, platforming, defense, and puzzle-solving all at once.
Stab Lux into a wall and she becomes a temporary platform you can stand on, letting you reach high ledges and access hidden areas.
Plant her into the ground and she creates a protective barrier that absorbs incoming projectiles, which is a lifesaver during boss fights.
Lux can also restore objects from the past at specific interaction points throughout the world.
You might restore a forklift to use as an elevator or bring back a crumbled bridge. These activation points are key to both progression and finding secrets.
Don’t Ignore the Dodge Roll
Shin’s dodge roll has invincibility frames, commonly called i-frames.
During those brief moments of the roll animation, you’re completely immune to damage. This is your best defensive option in the entire game.
Get comfortable using the dodge roll early and often.
Enemies in Blade Chimera hit hard, and bosses especially can shred your health bar in just a few hits. Learning the timing of your i-frames is what turns impossible fights into manageable ones.
Pay Attention to Weapon Range and Type
Not all weapons in Blade Chimera are created equal.
The game doesn’t always reward you for just picking the one with the highest damage number. Speed, range, and damage type all matter.
Whips have the longest melee range and can hit enemies on other platforms or flying overhead without you needing to jump.
Daggers are fast and build MP quickly but require you to get in close.
Greatswords hit like a truck but swing slowly.
For ranged weapons, shotguns deal massive damage at close range while pistol-type weapons are better for consistent damage from a distance.
One important quirk: don’t fire energy weapons underwater. Plasma-based guns will electrocute Shin if you use them while submerged.
Some enemies can only be damaged by specific types of attacks.
You’ll run into foes that block your gun but crumble to melee, or demons that are only vulnerable to Lux’s magic damage. Stay flexible and don’t get too attached to a single setup.
Take On Side Quests for Easy Cash and XP
Side quests pop up at save points as you progress. These are optional, but absolutely worth doing, especially early on when you’re still getting your footing.
Most side quests fall into a few categories: missions to kill specific enemies, gathering materials from certain demon types, or short story-driven tasks that sometimes end in a mini-boss fight.
The rewards are generous.
You’ll earn solid chunks of cash and experience points that help you level up faster and afford better gear from the shops scattered around the game world.
Watch Out for UV Light Sections
Throughout the game, you’ll encounter areas bathed in ultraviolet light. These zones are extremely dangerous because UV light is lethal to Lux.
When you enter one of these sections, you lose access to her entirely.
That means no Lux attacks, no shield, no platforms, and no double jump if your double jump is tied to Lux’s skill tree.
You’re essentially playing with half your moveset stripped away, and these sections can feel tense because of it.
The biggest danger is accidentally pressing the button to summon Lux. If you call her into a UV zone, it’s an instant game over.
Be very deliberate with your inputs and resist the muscle memory of relying on her abilities.
UV light sections are some of the most challenging parts of the game, so take them slow.
You’ll have to rely entirely on your guns and melee weapons to get through.
Don’t Overlook the Skill Tree
The skill tree in Blade Chimera is compact but powerful. Every skill makes a noticeable difference, and the order you unlock them can significantly change how you experience the game.
After grabbing Warp, focus on movement abilities next.
The double jump and slide dash are huge for both exploration and combat, letting you reach new areas and giving you more options for dodging attacks.
There are also quality-of-life skills that are easy to overlook but incredibly helpful.
One skill removes the MP cost for using Lux as a platform, which is a massive convenience since you’ll be stabbing her into walls constantly.
Don’t sleep on the offensive skills either. Unlocking Lux’s downward attack and other combat abilities makes the HP recovery loop even more effective.
Stock Up on Consumables Before Boss Fights
Bosses in Blade Chimera are no joke. Most of them have multiple phases, hit incredibly hard, and will punish you for going in unprepared.
Even if you’ve mastered the HP/MP recovery loop, having a stash of healing items as backup is smart.
You can buy consumables from vending machines and vendors found throughout the game world.
Enemies respawn every time you re-enter a room, so farming a profitable area for extra cash before a boss is always an option.
Explore Every Corner of the Map
Blade Chimera rewards thorough exploration. The map is packed with hidden rooms, secret weapons, puzzle pieces, and all kinds of goodies tucked away in places you might easily miss.
Make it a habit to check the corners of rooms, look under stairs, and poke around near elevators.
Puzzle pieces are especially well-hidden and collecting them all contributes to unlocking the game’s true ending.
Some of the best weapons and accessories aren’t sold in shops. If you see a path that doesn’t lead toward your current objective, take the detour anyway.
There’s almost always something worth finding.
Be Careful When Warping
The Warp skill is amazing, but it comes with a catch. When you warp, Shin teleports directly to the exact tile you select on the map.
Whatever is happening in that room is what you’ll land in the middle of.
That means you could warp into a room full of enemies, underwater, or right into a UV light zone.
If you teleport into a UV area and Lux is active, that’s an instant game over.
Always check the map before warping and think about what’s waiting on the other side.
Save points are always the safest warp destinations when in doubt.
Blade Chimera is a fast, stylish, and incredibly satisfying metroidvania once everything clicks.
Keep these beginner tips in mind and you’ll be tearing through demons across Osaka in no time!
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Images in this article are from the Blade Chimera page on Steam and used under Fair Use.