Opinions on this title are based on the demo, not the full release so it’s all subject to change.
There have been lots of games which have taken a more realistic approach to swordplay, Mount & Blade, For Hono(u)r, War of the Roses, Jedi Knight II & III, and there are probably loads of others that have come before and since, but it’s a well established mechanic, and, when implemented properly, it can be incredibly fun, albeit often frustrating.
Half Sword (developed by Half Sword Games and published by Game Seer Publishing) is the latest to attempt it, utilising the movement of the mouse to precisely replicate the movement of your weapon. The game, being a combat simulator focuses almost solely on the mechanics of fighting, pitting groups of combatants together in a 15th century setting, fighting to the death in a small arena, either one on one, free for all, or in group melee.
Half Sword’s unique selling point, along with the mouse driven sword play is certainly its gore factor, featuring dismemberment, decapitation, and lots of blood spillage. Upon starting the demo, you’re given the choice of three violence options, depicted by some delightful theme appropriate illustrations. These are described as Gentle, Gruesome, and Grotesque. I’d heartily recommend the third option, and if you do, you’ll be treated to some of the bloodiest combat you’ll likely have seen in a very long time – scenes of which can be captured in all their glory with the incredibly robust in-game camera system, the inclusion of which is always very much appreciated!
The combat, as mentioned utilised precise mouse controls in order to swing your weapons with each hand being controlled independently. You can pick up items in your left or right hand with Q and E, and you are able to swing your weapon (or fists) by pressing the left or right mouse button in conjunction with the movement of your mouse, its direction relating to the direction you wish to hit. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you really do feel engaged.
Picking up a halberd or long axe, for example, combined with the precise combat and Grotesque gore setting can result in excellent fun, like slamming your blade into a man’s face from afar, watching as the blood gushes all over the place and he falls limply to the ground. Brilliant. If you don’t quite finish your foe off, they’ll possibly get back to their feet, or writhe around on the floor begging for mercy - which you don’t have to give them. Mashing away with your fists on a downed foe is perfectly acceptable behaviour in this game - and quite amusing.
The sound effects are engrossing too, as is the excellent and evocative music, which really gets you in the zone to turn your fellow peasants into a bloody mush. Killing those of an equal social standing as yourself is key at first (in Gauntlet mode), in order to progress through the ranks. You start as the bottom of the barrel, and after proving your worth by punching your follows, or whacking them to death with a wooden stool or candelabra or whatever else you might be able to grab, you’ll face off against a tougher opponent. These guys are much better equipped, so figuring out what weapon to pick up is a must if you are to survive. If you do, you’ll unlock the next rank, and with it better starting equipment, working your way through the various armaments until you’re eventually fighting in a full suit of armour. If you die, you’ll get a chance to retain your rank by fighting in the abyss, which has you spawn within the dark foggy depths with nothing but your underwear, and from there it’s up to you to arm yourself using just the odd bits of equipment scattered about. Kill three wretched souls there and you can carry on, if not you, your lose your character and reset your rank (at least in the demo version).
The chaos of medieval battle is something we can only recreate with so much realism in the real world, what with historical reenactments between a load of dads at the local castle and the like – but Half Sword gets closer to the realities of the thing, feels authentically awful in the just the right way, as if someone swapped out all the safety weapons and given all the aforementioned dads a few pints before battle to get them riled up. Initially you feel as though your character has the gonads to get the job done, but after stabbing, slashing, kicking, and punching for a while, you slowly lose stamina, and it’s in this moment, when both you and your opponent are tired, that the game feels most realistic. Fighting with such weapons and in heavy armour would be absolutely knackering, and as your character slows down and starts panting and bleeding, you really feel the struggle. You can also grab your opponent or their weapon if your hands are empty, and tussling and wrestling in a breathless heap, throwing the odd punch or kicking them occasionally (while probably somewhat homoerotic) is quite reminiscent of fighting over a particularly good stick as a child. It’s stupid, silly, and fun, and it succeeds at all three spectacularly – made evident by the fact that you can stab your own character to death in the menu screen.
Overall, the demo for Half Sword shows real promise and displays how fun and robust the core of the game is. It’s a bit janky in places, but that’s what you get with physic based games – the impressive part is how real the combat feels, even down to how your axes and shields or whatever else can get locked together in the melee, how the armour works, and how reactive the poor wretches your fight are to the damage you inflict upon them. The full release will apparently have many more features than are available in the demo, which is good, but the core of the game has certainly been proven, and I highly recommend giving the demo a try – it’s fun, and that’s always the most important thing!
If you’re looking for more games to try out, you can see the demos covered on the blog by checking out the Steam Next Fest page - just click the link below:
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Jamie B