Rise of the Argonauts Preview

UGO Games Blog has conjured up another hands-on preview of Liquid Entertainment's Rise of the Argonauts.
Combat in Rise of the Argonauts makes use of two attack buttons: a light attack and a heavy one. I was immediately surprised by how smooth the whole affair was. Slashing and thrusting with the spear was responsive without feeling empty. Every time I made contact with an enemy, I could almost feel the weight of the weapon, the impact of the blade on flesh. Most of that is thanks to a clever combat camera that speeds and slows key moments of action. Think of it like those scenes from Brotherhood of the Wolf, where the action would enter slow-mo just before a thrown punch or heavy kick hit its mark. The effect is satisfying visually without feeling like it's belaboring the entire fight.

And that's without even mentioning the procedural death animations.

Every sword slice, spear thrust, mace blow and shield bash (I had a chance to use all the weapons in the game) that hits an enemy, results in a unique death animation based on attack direction, distance, and the current action of your enemy. While you only have (X) amount of attack animations--ultimately limiting the variety of your death blows--the effect of this procedural death system is instantly recognizable: it makes you feel badass.