Real-Time Combat: Design Meets Style
Design and style. If a game has one, often times it doesn’t have the other, right? Well, not in Sudeki™. The hot new fantasy RPG from developer Climax is as well-designed as it is gorgeous. This amazing blend especially stands out in the innovative real-time fighting system. Never has the act of dishing out a thorough butt-kicking looked so good.
Think you can take these guys? Of course you can!
Sudeki begins with a stunning visual flyby of Illumina Castle, home to its quartet of courageous heroes. Soon, you’re whisked into the castle courtyard to take control of Tal, the sword-wielding young soldier that introduces you to basics of the game’s real-time fighting system.
The basic battle technique is so simple that even players that have never held a controller will be getting their fight on in seconds. To wield a sword, claws, or any other hand-held weapon, simply face your opponent. Press A to launch a vertical attack, X to launch a horizontal attack, or B to clear multiple enemies. Combine these attack modes with a little movement, and you’ll be hacking your way through enemies before you know it. You can whip some serious butt using only these three techniques, but wait ‘til you see what else you can do …
Dispatched to locate Princess Ailish and escort her home, Tal ventures out into the Illumina countryside. The sky grows dark. Suddenly, there are enemies all around you. What happens when you throw down? This is when you discover that the Sudekidesign team has created a unique hybrid system that combines the immediacy of real-time combat with some superior aspects of classic RPG turn-based systems. The result is an action-packed merger of terrific design and magnificent visual style!
He won’t be bothering you any time soon.
Climax imbued their system with an ingenious rhythm dynamic. Watch the Combo Bar in the lower-left corner. It appears during melee combat and displays the combo buttons (A and X) as you press them. The circles in the Combo Bar flash blue to indicate exactlywhen you need to push the next button. Pressing the A button three times arrhythmically produces three vertical melee attacks, each inflicting separate small damage. Hitting the same sequence with the proper timing inflicts the more deadly Lightning Thrust combination attack, which not only delivers better damage, but also just plain looks awesome! You can even link these timed combos together to unleash truly punishing attacks, such as Tal’s Tornado Spin or Buki’s Devastating Orchid Kick.
However, the game’s melee combat is not about button bashing. Each combo has a specific purpose, whether it's a powerful focused attack on a single enemy, a flail attack on multiple enemies, or juggling a group of enemies in the air so they're dead by the time they hit the floor. If you choose the right combo for the right situation, you'll be a lot more successful.
Before you reach New Brightwater and the waiting Princess, you’ll discover yet another deeper level in the Sudeki fighting system. When you leap into your next fracas, press Y instead of attacking with a combo. This will automatically slow the combat down to a dreamlike “bullet time” speed, allowing you a little time to consider your options and enjoy a tactical depth that’s similar to turn-based combat systems. Then, access the Skill Strike menu and choose Shin Splitter. The menu will vanish and be replaced with a slow-motion visual of the battle in progress. A triangular range indicator will appear, and then you’ll be able to move (still in slow-motion) around the battlefield, positioning the area of effect to include as many enemies as possible. Shin Splitter inflicts a bone-shattering, sometimes lethal melee attack that knocks enemies backward and off their feet, and it’s just the first of many Skill Strikes you’ll gain. Each Skill Strike requires an expenditure of Skill Points. You can launch repeated Skill Strikes, provided you have enough Skill Points remaining.
As if that all weren’t enough, each of the characters has two all-powerful Spirit Strikes that they gain access to only when they've killed enough enemies. After the Spirit Strike bar is fully charged you can summon a demi-god to smite your foes.
Time for one of those deadly combos.
The combat system gains even more depth when you control multiple characters. Each hero’s fighting style is different. You can either control one character and let the A.I. run the others, or you can switch between any of the characters in the fight to manage your strategy more directly. While Tal and Buki use melee attacks in a third-person view, Ailish and Elco change to first-person shooter perspectives when fighting. This gives you a chance to use ranged weaponry and magical Skill Strikes that lay down withering fire (or ice or healing or a host of other useful spells). Between the muscle and the magic, your enemies won’t stand a chance.
The fighting system is only one of the many elements that make Sudeki a must-have for every RPG player. It brings everything together to make a fantastic game. After all, what’s a good adventure without a great fight?
By Jim W. Gettys
