Your Combat Choices
You play as Jehan, a one-armed warrior that always carries his father’s stun baton and sword. With these weapons at your side, you can decide the fate of your enemies. Choose the stun baton, the merciful choice, and you will only demoralize your opponents. Pick the sword if you want to kill those that stand in your way. You can change your weapon at any time during combat. The choice is yours, but you will bear the consequences.
The Stun Baton
Use the stun baton’s magic to drain your opponents’ morale. It may take some time to fully harness the power of this weapon, but those that master it will become truly noble heros.
To fully charge your stun baton, you will need to perform combos. Single hits with the baton will have no effect on anyone’s morale. The baton charges with combo chains - each successive hit must poke a different target than the last to continue the chain. The longer your combo chain, the more powerful your baton will become.
When you jab an enemy with the third hit in a combo chain, they will be completely demoralized and defeated.
...but don’t stop there! Continue the combo chain! If you reach the sixth hit in a combo, Jehan’s stun baton will be fully charged and propel him into the air. He will then thrust down and drive his weapon into the ground, releasing a wave of blue energy. Any nearby enemies will be temporarily stunned and spawn pickups!(More on those in a later update, we promise).
The baton is easily recognizable as a weapon of mercy. Your foes know this as well. That’s why they will be emboldened by your choice of a less-than-lethal weapon. Make sure to plan your combat around this behavior as your enemies’ positions are crucial to success with the baton.
The Sword
The sword is a brutal weapon of destruction. There’s not much finesse required to use it effectively. Slash away at your enemies to cut down their health.
Like the baton, the sword still requires combos to defeat your enemies. A single slash with the sword will not be enough. But unlike the baton, you will only need to swing your sword to perform combos. No unique targets required. The third hit in a combo will drain their health. If you are ruthless enough, Jehan will unleash a spinning attack on the sixth hit in a combo. Any enemy nearby will be hurt and spawn pickups.
When you draw your sword you send a simple message to your opponents - there is no escape. Scared, they will approach you cautiously. You must be the aggressor with this combat style and pursue them with the vigor that the sword requires.
The Power of Choice
Don’t get too caught up in the immediate satisfaction of your weapon choice. It has an effect that ripples throughout the game.
Your enemies will change their behavior when they see the weapon you are wielding.
If you are holding your sword when you face them, the guards will keep their distance. They will use their long range weapons, hoping to protect their own lives.
Select the baton, and those same guards will find the confidence to charge. They will run headlong into battle, their minds filled with visions of glory about the time they defeated the great Jehan.
You can switch between the sword and stun baton at any time. How you treat people in this game changes their destinies. It changes your journey and affects the legacy of others and your town.
What does this all mean? The consequences of a simple act, choosing a sword, will take multiple playthroughs to fully comprehend.
Final Thoughts
While merciful combat has a learning curve, the reward of climbing that challenge can be very rewarding. In the hands of a skilled player, Jehan feels like a gracious and graceful fighter.
If you prefer a more visceral and immediately gratifying experience, ruthless caters to your desires. A room cleared with the sword is a bloody mess, with no one left to tell the story.
And if you change your mind, you can switch weapons at any time.
Remember that the choices you make in combat have a wider impact. The enemy you choose to cut down now may have friends… and the foe you choose to spare may be different down the road. The choices you make in this fleeting moment may be etched for eternity in their consequences.
Until next time
Next time we’ll discuss the specials you can unlock for each weapon. We look forward to seeing you again!
