I'm playing War of the
Roses, a medieval third-person combat game by Fatshark and Paradox
Interactive.
The game is light on features, with
only two game modes (team deathmatch and conquest) and an atrocious
offline training mode that features poor organization and tips
combined with awful AI. When you join a battle, the first objective
is to choose a class; at first, only default loadouts are available
(footman, crossbowman, longbowman, and footknight), but you can
eventually design your own class when you have logged a couple of
hours of game time. The customization options are strong: you can
select from a wide range of primary and secondary weapons (swords,
axes, clubs, spears, polearms, lances, bows, crossbows), armor,
helmets, daggers, and shields with varied options. You also get to
choose perks that grant offensive, defensive, support, or movement
bonuses, or benefits for your squad. Controls are typical for a
shooter-type game, though the mouse wheel does not switch between
weapons. Melee combat is performed by holding down the left-mouse
button and then swinging the mouse in the direction you wish to
attack (top, bottom, left, or right). You can hold down the button
indefinitely (although you move very slowly while doing so), which
makes for the mechanics more unrealistic. Holding down the
right-mouse button blocks in the same four directions, and lowering
your visor restricts vision but offers greater protection. The result
of this method of attacking is a lot of random swinging by newcomers
and successful blocking by veterans; landing a victorious blow
(attacking from a direction that is not being blocked and landing the
swing on an unarmored part of the body) is rewarding, although luck
is some part of the equation. It usually takes several hits to
incapacitate an opponent, so most battles involve slowly
circle-strafing your opponent, holding out your shield, and waiting
for help to flank them. The combat certainly takes practice, and
without a serviceable offline component, most new players will be at
a distinct disadvantage to experienced players. Using ranged weapons
comes with their own liabilities: the bow is inaccurate and causes
little damage, while the crossbow takes a long time to reload.
Mounted combat is not very popular, likely due to the map design that
lacks large open areas to gallop through. If you receive damage, you
may bleed, which requires using a bandage for five seconds before you
bleed out. If you are knocked down, you are not out: you may be
executed by a member of the opposing team (a long five-second
animation, during which the execution can be interrupted) or revived
by an ally as you lay helpless on the ground. The executions are
brutally effective, shown from a first person perspective as your
opponent stabs you in the eye. The unorganized chaos of battle is not
helped by the ability to spawn on your squad leader: you can be in a
tense one-on-one battle, but then another opponent magically appears
nearby and unbalances the contest. I did not care for the style of
combat War of the Roses has to offer, as I felt that the limited
control scheme makes aiming too difficult: the third-person
perspective leads to confusion since you have to use the camera angle
to both aim and see. The bare functionality, slow pacing, and combat
shortcomings limits the appeal of the brutal, methodical battles of
War of the Roses.
