Even though I enjoy Skyrim very much, I can't deny that the combat in Skyrim is mediocre. That's disappointing, considering I was hoping for the combat to be much better around this time. But there's a game that does melee combat EXTREMELY well, probably the best melee combat game out today: Pirates, Vikings and Knights II. Here's how the combat works in that game: Your melee swings vary on the direction you're moving in. Move forward while attacking, and you'll perform a powerful overhead swing. Move sideways while attacking, and you'll perform a sweeping attack that doesn't do as much damage but can hit multiple times over a broad area. Move backwards while attacking, and you'll butt the enemy with the handle of your weapon or do an accurate forwards jab. In Skyrim, however, your character just flails around in combat like a drunken Orc. It's gotten to the point where I LONG for PVKII's far superior gameplay, even though it's only an independent mod with a small community. The two-handed combat is also handled much better. In PVKII, the Berserker class wields a dual onehanded axe/sword combo. Hold down the mouse button, and he'll continually attack with each weapon, unleashing a flurry of fast but weaker blows as you can mow down enemies. In Skyrim, you have to keep clicking the mouse buttons over and over again to attack, but only get the ability to unleash both weapons at the same time with an EXTREMELY stamina-consuming attack that locks your character in place. Again, PVKII beats out a multi-million dollar AAA title.
In addition, Skyrim lacks satisfying combat. The finishers are nice, but hitting enemies sounds more like you're chopping would than delivering a devestating blow with your gigantic axe. In PVKII, each hit gives you the satisfying sound of an opponent yelping in pain accompanied by the melodic sound of flesh being torn apart. Again, much better done. Say what you want about Skyrim having quests, and a huge world, and all that, but would it really kill the developers to spend some time making a decent combat system? They pour all this effort into the game, and still can't make melee combat less awkward and stiff. In the mean time, I'll be waiting for a mod that makes the combat ANY more bearable.
In addition, Skyrim lacks satisfying combat. The finishers are nice, but hitting enemies sounds more like you're chopping would than delivering a devestating blow with your gigantic axe. In PVKII, each hit gives you the satisfying sound of an opponent yelping in pain accompanied by the melodic sound of flesh being torn apart. Again, much better done. Say what you want about Skyrim having quests, and a huge world, and all that, but would it really kill the developers to spend some time making a decent combat system? They pour all this effort into the game, and still can't make melee combat less awkward and stiff. In the mean time, I'll be waiting for a mod that makes the combat ANY more bearable.
