A few days ago, the New Year rolled around, and many people welcomed 2025 by celebrating with alcohol, making resolutions they intend to keep, and setting off fireworks. However, I spent the initial hours of the year immersed in my computer, playing a game that has quickly become one of my favorites – Half Sword. This game initially surfaced as an early work-in-progress demo in October 2023, but more recently, it was released as a polished and free-to-play playtest build during the holiday season, which I stumbled upon by chance.
As a tech-loving medieval combat fanatic, let me tell you that Half Sword stands out as an authentic physics-driven medieval battle simulator with flexible control schemes. Unlike traditional games in this genre like Mordhau and Chivalry 2, which rely on dedicated buttons for attacks and defenses, Half Sword offers a unique, immersive experience where every guard and strike is executed through precise mouse movements. The game’s innovative controls make it strikingly realistic, setting it apart from its peers, and that was the very reason I felt compelled to give this fascinating title a try after hearing about its playtest release.
Enhancing the realistic gameplay are accurate portrayals and engagements of 15th Century weaponry and armor, including an unusual feature often missing in medieval games: half-swording. To employ this technique, hold down the right mouse button to adjust your grip; you’ll then wield the blade of your sword with your left hand (or move up the shaft for other weapons), reducing reach but providing greater control to impede your adversary’s weapon or attack vulnerable parts of their body. This maneuver offers a more efficient self-defense strategy against thrusts from extended weapons like spears as you try to close the gap, and is particularly useful in grappling with armored opponents.
In this game, various mechanics blend seamlessly to form a highly captivating combat simulation experience. Despite the comical shuffle-walking of characters which might initially give the impression of shallow gameplay, there’s actually a wealth of strategic depth hidden beneath the surface. Each weapon encounter challenges you to assess your benefits and drawbacks, and then make decisions and respond accordingly. For instance, if you have a halberd and your opponent wields a sword and shield, it’s usually wise to exploit your extended reach with thrusts or sweeping cuts. However, if they manage to get past the edge of your effective range, you’ll need to be prepared to adapt by shortening your grip on the polearm so that you can defend yourself effectively in close quarters.
In addition to other factors, armor brings another challenge since attacking covered areas won’t end fights swiftly. Instead, focus on vulnerable spots like the neck, legs, or armpits. Direct hits against the armor are mostly ineffective, but a powerful blow to an enemy’s helmet could knock them out if you’re wielding a heavy or blunt weapon. Alternatively, you can try to grapple with an armored foe using kicks and a half-sworded weapon; if you succeed in disbalancing them and forcing them to the ground, you can continue attacking until they surrender or are struck somewhere their armor doesn’t protect.
In Half Sword, the main gameplay during testing is a straightforward duel against an AI, both wearing similar armor but with randomly assigned weapons. However, additional modes can be chosen as you play, such as team battles, free-for-alls, and one-versus-all group fights, which provide specific situations for various weapons and techniques to showcase their effectiveness. For instance, half-swording proves beneficial in the 1v4 “Brave Stand” mode due to its added leverage, allowing you to attack and defend against enemy strikes simultaneously. On the other hand, blunt weapons like maces perform well in the 3v3 “Small Buhurt” rounds since they offer numerous chances to strike an opponent’s head while they’re engaged with one of your teammates.
It should be acknowledged that the game isn’t perfect; it has its flaws. A friend who practices Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) has highlighted some issues. For instance, certain techniques in the Half Sword’s combat system can’t be accurately mimicked, and the exaggerated movements may make your character’s footwork appear wobbly at times. Furthermore, I’ve observed that the AI tends to overlook range considerations, leaving them vulnerable to simple attacks with spears and other polearms.
Indeed, I’ve found this game to be incredibly enjoyable, given my long-standing interest in HEMA and my anticipation for a game of this nature. Moreover, Half Sword’s design is impressive, featuring authentic blood effects, convincing death sounds, and various voice lines that effectively convey the raw intensity and grandeur of medieval combat. While the visual quality may not be mind-blowing, it certainly impresses as an emerging indie title.
The upcoming full release of Half Sword, scheduled for 2025, leaves us wondering about the specific enhancements and fine-tuning the developers have in store, including potential additions like multiplayer PvP and character customization. It would be fantastic to see these features, along with a console port, given that controller support is already in place. Even without them, Half Sword stands as one of the top new games for PC. Plus, the playtest is free, and the game’s system requirements are minimal, taking up only a few gigabytes. So, why not give it a spin?
Read More
- HBAR PREDICTION. HBAR cryptocurrency
- IMX PREDICTION. IMX cryptocurrency
- TRB PREDICTION. TRB cryptocurrency
- LDO PREDICTION. LDO cryptocurrency
- JTO PREDICTION. JTO cryptocurrency
- MNT PREDICTION. MNT cryptocurrency
- FLOKI PREDICTION. FLOKI cryptocurrency
- DGB PREDICTION. DGB cryptocurrency
- Dandadan Shares First Look at Season Finale: Watch
- TNSR PREDICTION. TNSR cryptocurrency
2025-01-06 21:39