The medieval melee combat simulator Half Sword was already one of my favorite new games to play — a very early demo in late 2023 gave way to a more polished playtest release last year — but thanks to a major recent update, it's now even better than it was before.
By far, the patch's largest change was merging the content of the 2023 demo and the 2024 playtest into one singular demo release; if you're wondering why you suddenly lost the ability to launch the playtest on Steam, this is why. This means you can now access the original demo's Abyss mode — a roguelike-style experience in a foggy, never-ending underworld with chests full of random loot and enemies using random weapons — along with the playtest's free play option with duels and group fights.
"Let’s be honest with you: having two separate test versions on Steam ended up being more confusing than helpful for most players," wrote the developers in a Steam post. "That’s why we’ve decided to shut down the Playtest and merge its content with the Abyss into a single, unified Demo."
On top of that, though, there's a whole new mode called Gauntlet in which you have to fight your way to the ultimate rank of Baron, slowly climbing your way up equipment tiers by beating opponents and special bosses. Wins give you points towards your next "level," losses by surrender deduct them, and deaths send you to the Abyss; once there, you'll have to defeat some foes with whatever you can find, and then fight the previous level's boss again. If you win, you can try again on your current tier, but if you die in the Abyss, all of your progress in the Gauntlet gets wiped and you have to start over.
Not only is the Gauntlet a good challenge, but it's also a ton of fun, as it drives you to engage with dozens of different weapons and armors from Half Sword's varied arsenal as well as different techniques you can use with its freeform physics-based combat mechanics. Depending on the weapon in your hands and the protection your opponent is wearing, you may need to try and aim for their head, attempt to thrust blade points into armor gaps, use the two-handed half swording technique to grapple and wrestle foes to the ground, and more.
Speaking of the combat system, it's gotten some noticeable improvements with this update, though none of them were documented in patch notes of any kind. Still, swings and thrusts are smoother and easier to both initiate and control than they were before, and on the whole, the Half Sword client runs considerably better, too. Performance could still use some refinement — things still start to get a little choppy when multiple gory deaths occur in quick succession, for example — but overall, it's in a good place for an Early Access experience.
All in all, it's the same great sword fighting sim I fell in love with back in January, but with a sweet new game mode, better-feeling controls, and improved technical performance. And, just like the original demo and playtest were before it, this new demo is both completely free-to-play and under 3GB in size. Why not check out what's arguably one of the new best PC games?
Feedback from the demo will help shape the complete release that's currently slated to come later this year, though there's no word of when specifically we'll see Half Sword launch in full in 2025. Still, developer Half Sword Games and publisher Game Seer have encouraged fans to share their thoughts on social media and on the Half Sword Discord server.
"We’re still fully committed to delivering a compelling, satisfying game for everyone, and your feedback always helps us get there," explained the studio. "Half Sword is an ongoing experiment, and you're a vital part of it. We're incredibly grateful for your presence, your playtesting, and your support. We'll keep working hard to earn your trust, your time, and your attention, every step of the way."
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