So i finally managed to get my hands on the Beta and i figured id post what i think about it as a gamer who primarily plays games for “fun factor” instead of healthy escapism or simply to experience things as hardcore as a flying simulator. I especially like hard action games which require one to observe and learn patterns and details in enemy movements and act accordingly. Examples are Soul series or Ninja Gaiden Series to name a few well known ones.
Areas that I feel need improvement as they are showcased in the beta:
-1 The narrator is supposed to be Henry right? why is his voice not in the playable part? Hes got a cool voice so I strongly advise a direction like that. Current Voice actor sounds depressed and uninspired. The other NPCs are better.
-2 Horse mounting camera always returns automatically to the center while riding. It doesnt allow to visualize the sides or upwards while riding with ease since it resets on its own. Camera reset button is also needed (usually R3 on a joystick).
-3 Regular horse sprint stamina is much too low, I feel it needs an increase.
-4 I take it the main character is working for the army so he should receive a meager salary mainly to be able to buy basic food and bath in the final version in the game. Unless he returns to farming or blacksmithing. That would be realistic i think. Even though you can abuse bandits and what not for money since he is working he should get paid and receive a bed to spend the night freely at the army camp. The notion of buying a house would be nice too but i dont feel its quite as nessesary as inserting him in a position of “belonging” to an organization by getting paid and having a place to return in the name of added inmersion.
-5 When asking for directions , said Inn, shop, blacksmith, etc need sto be added as an icon on the map.
-6 Town pubs are much too silent. While the beta portion seems extremely rural some banter and ambience SFX noise is a requierement, especially at the pub. Just like bird chirping has been added in the forests.
-7 Subtitles apperaring above the head of the speaker. Please remove that, its very uninmersive. Have the subtitles appear below like it does in movies in a not too big not too small font.
-8 At night the “towns” are much to dark. More light sources will vastly improve ambience. Nights themselves are also unnaturally dark. I hope this get fixed so some moonlight shines the way. Would also like a lamp like the NPCs have to walk at night instead of walking throuh town like an angry plebe with torch in hand.
-9 Big bushes need collision for added horse riding inmmersion. For walking too.
-10 Combat:
The low stamina regeneration makes fights painfully slow, unninteresting and clunky. This makes the entire combat not feel visceral but gamey instead. MC looks fit and able so theres no reason why he couldnt string three sword attack and have a good reserve for a counter. But the main problem is the regeneration which makes combat drag on far more than it should.
More shouts and louder ones from NPCs and main character too would make things more interesting and less monotone.
In the beta it takes several blows to unarmored foes to fell them which i think is unrealistic. Henry himself also has quite a lot of resistance to damage. But maybe the beta is on normal or unbalanced. I hope a hard mode will be added to make victory more quick and sudden by lethal blows from part of enemies and Henry himself.
Hard mode should have directional block instead of auto block for added inmersion and the removal of the HUD sword stance indicator.
Im going to assume the retail game will allow 2 vs 1 or more combats so ill point out the problems the locking system would generate. Firstly the concept of hardlock is quite dated as it makes things feel clunky and more complex than they should be. Games that require it are action games that pit one against many enemies like Devil may cry and games of its ilk. This game would benefit i believe with a softlock aproach. The game locks onto the closest enemy or the enemy you are facing. This would elevate the inmersion of the battles tenfold. To accompany this, smoother and moderate quicker movement speed when sword is drawn (steps) are a requirement.
Quick steps are activated with timing while under attack but why is this nessesary when a person can quickstep whenever he wants? a double directional tap of the analog stick or other command could achieve the same thing while adding more depth to the game instead of limiting it as a possible result to an enemy action. Quick steps could also lead into different variants of attacks because of momentum that need to be watched out for. They could lead into tossing weaker or unprepared enemies into the ground allowing for a ground stab or execution.
Parries and ripostes feel generally fine to execute but the enemy parring rates feels so random and theres no visual indication that they will execute one as far as i know. A certain visual quirk animation could fix this for AI enemies. Of course a riposte can be parried for a counter counter attack but being able to discern one and skip it in the first place would feel much better. I know having the enemies subtly telegraph that they have a parry ready is not realistic per se but lets not forget this is a game and certain tools are always nessesary to allow one to be above the programed random nature of AI controled enemies. If PVP was present of course said indicator will/should not be there since it man against man. I also suggest using the LT button for guarding since Xbox controllers lack responsiveness in both of it bumper buttons. Its a well known problem for xbox controllers. Kick could be assigned to LB (left bumper) instead.
Ive yet to find a bow so ill refrain to comment on that but as long as it allows a certain degree of prediction where the arrow will go it should suffice. I may update if find one and feel its not quite right.
All this being said i feel the beta is quite enjoyable and shows a lot of promise and potential. Keep up the good work and show those guys at Bethesda how first person sword fighting should be done.
Cheers.
