Entries in the Diablo-style
action-RPG category have been pretty slim to date, but Whiptail Interactive
hopes to change that with its latest entry into the genre, Blade and Sword.
From the preview build, it’s pretty safe to say that Blade and Sword draws more
than a little inspiration from Blizzard’s hugely popular game. However, Blade
and Sword does feature key innovations not found in Blizzard’s action RPG
juggernaut, and should be a title that fans of the genre should keep a keen eye
out for this season.
Blade and Sword takes place
in ancient China, and draws upon a fair amount of Chinese lore. The building
and weapon designs reflect the period well, and the monsters have a certain
Chinese mythological flair to them. The game’s 40 levels will carry your
character as he or she fights their way through hordes of monsters in a variety
of different environments, like swamps and caves (all of which should feel very
familiar to Diablo fans). You have three distinct characters to choose from,
all of which fall neatly into the standard character mold for action-RPGs. You
have the “strong-but-slow” barbarian type, the “quick-but-weak” ninja type, and
the “well-rounded-jack-of-all-trades” average joe type.
From the get go, it’s pretty
obvious that the developers drew a lot from Diablo. You start out in the middle
of a town, allowing your character to go around and converse with the
townspeople, giving you a background story on the land as well as a chance to
purchase some much needed items like potions before you trek out into the
wilderness. The HUD display is a lot like Diablo’s. On the left side, a pseudo
“Yin-Yang” lets you know how much health and chi you have (chi in this game is
what powers your special moves). In the middle is some spots for potions should
you decide to hotkey them. Fighting your enemies feels a bit like Diablo as
well, although your character can use unique kung fu moves that they earn by
gaining levels.
Where Blade and Sword sets
itself apart from Diablo is the use of a combo system. When fighting, your
character can string weapon attacks together with kung fu moves for that extra
kick (pardon the pun). The interface for creating these special combo strings
is fairly easy to use, and you should be taking down droves of bad guys in no
time.
The graphics in Blade and
Sword are very simple, but they get the job done. The look is about on par with
Diablo II, meaning it won’t tax your system even if it isn’t quite up to the
snuff of the modern crop of games. The character sprites look quite good,
although the animations are a tad simplistic. The environments are also pretty
good, although if you are looking for a game with 3D graphics that will simply
blow you away, I can tell you that Blade and Sword is not that game.
The music was very good in
the preview version, with a very distinct Chinese feel and authentic Chinese
instruments. The sound effects were good as well, with bone crunches as your
character pummels opponents and the occasional grunt and war cry. Aside from
that, however, there were no voice effects in town as you talked to people.
Blade and Sword may not
dazzle you with amazing graphics, but if you enjoyed Diablo, it’s safe to assume
that you should check this game out when it hits shelves this month.
