Hey there Journeyers, Today we'll be talking about our melee system. Taking a wide variety of inspirations in mind, we've designed something unique and engaging that requires the player to take timing and situation into account.
In Journey's End, you have the choice of several different types of melee weapons, all with their own advantages and disadvantages. From the humble machete, to the hulking chain greatsword, to the advanced Pyrowire-edged weapons.
Attacks need to be committed to; you can't run around while you try to swing at stuff. You can break out of an attack by dashing, but it causes it not to damage things. Also, different weapons have different movesets, including directional movesets - you have certain attacks when moving forward, backward, while jumping, and while dashing, which you can also do in midair.
The Chain Greatsword is - as you probably guessed - a chainsaw-edged weapon that's really big. Because it's really big, however, it takes a lot of force to swing it around, so it leaves you quite open before and after each swing.
Of course, that's offset by the fact that it hits like a truck. Getting hit in the face with a gigantic heavy object with spinning chainsaw teeth would hurt a lot, after all. Unique among other weapons, the chain weapons hit multiple times per swing since the teeth spin and chew through flesh and armor alike. Because it's so heavy, it takes more energy to swing it than a machete, for example, and you'll be more vulnerable to blocks and parries than you would with other weapons.
Blocking is an important aspect of melee weapons. Some weapons can block better than others with a block bonus - reducing the energy needed to block an attack. When you run out of energy and continue trying, then your guard is broken and you're stunned.
You can parry attacks, too! When you attack immediately after blocking, you can parry an enemy, sending them off balance and vulnerable to further strikes. We tried to make melee a viable alternative to guns, and we hope you agree!
