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BlueMonday has posted a hands-on preview of Arx Fatalis, together with 34 screenhots. Here's a bit:
The combat system works just like UW. You keep the left mouse pressed to “charge” your hit and release it to strike, while the mouse movement determines the type of attack (swing, overhead, etc.). In this version you activate combat mode by keeping the attack button pressed for a couple of seconds, but I’m willing to bet this will change in the final version (it took me 20 minutes to figure this out).
Spell casting uses a gesture system, not unlike Black & White, where you have to “draw” the runes you want to use with your hand. It’s easier than it sounds, though I’m still not sure if it works well in combat situations (the beta doesn’t include any offensive spells). The tutorial says you can have up to 3 spells “pre-charged” for later use, but apparently this wasn’t implemented in this version.
After a little practice, all these systems are intuitive and work well, though they still need some tweaks, like a key command to toggle combat mode and some fine-tuning when dragging/picking-up objects.
I know the control system is in the to-do list, but I just mention it so the designers don’t forget about it ;)
The good news is that none of these control quirks was enough to make my brief stay in the world of Arx less enjoyable. I would have liked it to be a bit longer, but it succeeded in letting me experience all the different things you can do in the game.
After escaping my cell I had to kill the small goblin guarding the prison, and I released the other prisoner in my block. I could have ignored him, but it was the right thing to do, and he even showed up later and helped me get through a rough spot. The main door was sealed shut, so I got out falling through a trapdoor in the floor. |
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Arx Fatalis Hands-on Preview at BlueMonday
