General News - The Art of Video Game Swordplay

Culture of Gaming looks deeper at the art of video game swordplay and how games have gone about it through different eras.

Flipping the Perspective

Outside of combat itself, perspective can be a key component to how you strategize your attack plan. Even something as seemingly simple as camera placement can greatly influence your perspective of any sword fight. Many Souls-likes and Zeldas have adopted Ocarina of Time’s lock-on-camera, but some do it differently than others. Dark Souls’ camera stays at a nice, comfy distance from the player, while Wind Waker zooms in nice and close. Then there’s For Honor, where the camera stays on roughly the same altitude as the player’s head.

Lock-on camera isn’t essential for a great fighting system, however. Chivalry Medieval Warfare is played entirely from a first-person perspective, using position-based commands instead of various kinds of attacks. Then there’s the Soulcalibur series, which is a beautiful blend of fighting game combat and swordplay, all viewed from a semi-2D perspective. Of course, if 3D isn’t your thing, there are plenty of 2D sword simulators that are just as mechanically deep. Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, and Symphony of The Night are all gorgeous examples of 2D combat done right.

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Thanks Farflame!