Top game producer

After explaining the differences between "Sekiro" as a Souls-like game and other games, Wang Jian briefly outlined the story he had pieced together: a storyline involving the Divine Dragon and the Dragon's Heritage, and a war for the country. His explanation made the narrative very clear, and the planners didn't have any particular questions.

As an action game, the most important aspect is naturally the combat system, which was the focus of Wang Jian's explanation.

"Everyone has a Wuxia dream in their heart. You've all watched Wuxia TV dramas or movies, right? The scenes of masters exchanging blows are flashy and beautiful. I especially like the sword fighting parts."

Wang Jian gestured, "Imagine two masters standing on the city wall under the moonlight, their sword blades gleaming, engaging in a series of clanging strikes. Then, one turns away, and the other clutches their chest and slowly falls. Isn't that a very cinematic image? In 'Sekiro,' I wanted to recreate this kind of gorgeous sword fight scene."

A look of longing couldn't help but appear in the eyes of the planners. Just thinking about it felt so cool!

Moreover, an action game centered around such dazzling sword fights seemed truly novel.

Wang Jian continued, "I call the combat system in 'Sekiro' 'Clashing Blades'!"

Clashing Blades?

The others were taken aback for a moment, then smiles appeared. The crisp sound of swords clashing was indeed like hammering metal.

As Wang Jian explained, the planners understood the specifics of this Clashing Blades system.

First is the Posture, or Guard Break gauge.

The Posture system is like the shield in "Faster Than Light." It decreases when blocking enemy attacks and recovers automatically when not under attack.

Once the Posture gauge reaches its maximum, the character enters a "vulnerable" state, unable to move.

In Wuxia terms, it's like the enemy's attacks come wave after wave, giving no chance to breathe. Finally, one can't hold on any longer, and a tightness fills the chest, limbs weaken, and even the sword can't be held steady.

If the enemy's Posture gauge reaches its maximum, the protagonist can perform an "execution"—a white blade goes in, and a red blade comes out, instantly taking away an entire health bar. Compared to slowly grinding down the enemy's health, taking down a whole bar in one go, accompanied by an incredibly cool execution animation, will undoubtedly give players a very satisfying feeling.

And when the player's Posture gauge fills up, they will also enter a vulnerable state, unable to move for a while. Although they won't be executed by monsters, they will still be beaten severely.

During combat, each side's attacks can trigger the other's block, which is divided into two types: normal block and perfect block.

A normal block can protect health from damage, but the Posture gauge increases. A perfect block, on top of a normal block, increases the Posture gauge less and significantly increases the enemy's Posture gauge.

The lower the health, the slower the Posture gauge recovers. Holding down the block button can accelerate Posture gauge recovery, but at the cost of being unable to move.

In other words, a battle involves continuous exchanges, with multiple blocking actions. If players keep using normal blocks, the Posture gauge will increase rapidly, and they will soon be overwhelmed, exposed, and beaten by the enemy.

Choosing to block the instant the enemy's sword swings, while risky and potentially causing a significant loss of health, allows for a perfect block, exposing the enemy and allowing for a counterattack.

Normal blocks and perfect blocks not only have different outcomes but also vastly different visual effects. The normal block posture is the character holding the sword defensively, leaning back after being struck, looking slightly disheveled, with a small burst of sparks on the sword.

A perfect block, on the other hand, is an active sword strike that deflects the enemy's weapon, keeping the body in a forward-leaning offensive posture, with a large burst of sparks on the sword. This clearly signals to the player that they have gained the upper hand in this exchange, making them feel satisfied and accomplished.

The exhilarating and satisfying feeling of Clashing Blades is inseparable from the successful design of this action.

It is through this Posture gauge system that the high-risk operation of 'dancing on the edge of a blade' is tied to high rewards, encouraging players to constantly and actively attack, preventing enemies from having time to recover after accumulating Posture, and avoiding running away while defending. By grasping the enemy's attack rhythm, players can make bold blocks at the right moments and then counterattack.

If players are timid and afraid to fight at first, they will find the monsters difficult to beat and can only passively take hits. But after suffering and embracing the 'do or die' mentality, performing risky operations will make the monsters seem easier, allowing them to enjoy the feeling of clashing blades.

Of course, there are also unblockable "Perilous" attacks, such as thrusts, grabs, and sweeps, which the protagonist can counter with techniques like Mikiri Counter and jumping. These Perilous attacks make the rhythm of combat less fixed, enriching the strategy beyond simple back-and-forth blocking.

The planners furiously took notes, their eyes shining, and when Wang Jian took a break to drink water, they discussed among themselves!

"Wow, I feel like this Clashing Blades system is really exciting!"

"If it can be implemented, the combat scenes will definitely be very visually appealing! I really want to experience it!"

Wang Jian began to explain the enemies in the game: "We must ensure that each enemy has enough fun, challenge, and novelty. Action games are different from other games. To express a character's characteristics, we can't rely on thin text descriptions but must directly showcase them through their combat movements."

For example, the Tengu Hunters are very agile, skilled at leaping and running on rooftops—a characteristic that is evident from their name. In addition to being annoyingly jumping around on the rooftops, they will even perch on kites and perform kamikaze attacks.

On the rooftops of Ashina Castle, players may be walking along when suddenly they see a Tengu Hunter flying from afar, delivering 'divine justice' and smashing them to death. This is definitely one of the most memorable scenes for 'Sekiro' players.

The image of the Tengu Hunters using kites in combat is not entirely based on imagination. The legendary ninja manual "Koka Ninja Arts Secret Teachings" records a secret technique of dropping fire from the sky.

It is said that during a battle, Minamoto no Yoriie faced the difficult situation of not being able to capture Kanazawa Castle. At this time, a little-known ninja from the Akutagawa school, Hattori Genzo, came up with a plan. He made a huge kite, rode the wind into the sky at night, and dropped torches from the air, setting the fortress on fire, thereby achieving victory.

Compared to ordinary monsters, the various elites and bosses in "Sekiro" are even more carefully designed.

For example, Isshin Ashina, the Sword Saint, although old, still stands upright, moves with slow steps, attacks like a raging fire, wields his sword with one hand, and uses techniques that are methodical, as if teaching his opponent a lesson, showing the demeanor of a master.

Similarly, Emma, the Gentle Blade, also uses Ashina sword techniques, but her movements are as graceful as water, with a forward-leaning motion when attacking and a brief pause to catch her breath after attacking, demonstrating her lack of stamina.

Moreover, when Emma's Iaido slash is perfectly blocked, it will deviate from its original trajectory, while Isshin Ashina's Iaido slash is always perfectly square, which shows the difference in their swordsmanship.

The image shaped through combat is more vivid and direct, allowing players to leave a deep impression.