These simplistic templates don’t do justice to the complexity the combat system offers; fighting is what fuels Blade & Sword more than anything else. Those who found Diablo too slim on role-playing won’t find that this title resolves their issues. Each of the three heroes has a tree of five kung-fu skills, with three abilities in each skill. The skills may be purchased multiple times, increasing its effectiveness. (Each character level equals one point that can be assigned toward skills, which cost more points the higher up the list you go) The third level of any given skill also unlocks a super-move that can be used when a set power-up level has been reached. What’s slick is that all of these skills can be chained into flexible and personalized combination hotkeys. Here’s an example: Attila the Barbarian has a novice rank in Dragon Lift, a skill whereby he can (with a massive uppercut swing of his broadsword) knock several opponents into the air. He can still hit them while they’re coming down, so if Attila has Dragon Lift back-to-back with Matchless Wind, he can immediately execute a flurry of sword swings for a combo move that strikes the enemy approximately 15 times while they’re airborne. (There’s an on-screen hit counter. Make a game of it; hit a monster as many times as possible, and then try to break that record!)