Torn Banner Studios' new game Mirage: Arcane Warfare promises to be very much like its predecessor, Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, but with magic, which gives players the ability to do all sorts of things they otherwise couldn't—like lifting enemies into the air and turning them into a thin, sticky paste, for instance. But all the old tricks, like chopping a dude's legs off, still work too.
There's something oddly charming about watching a bunch of grown men get so gleefully enthusiastic about sprays of blood and gore in their videogames, isn't there? To be fair, there is a point to it: The amount of blood that flies when you clobber an enemy indicates the amount of damage you've done, and a player's health is represented by the amount of it he or she is wearing. “If you see a guy who's drenched in blood, you know he's been messed up in battle,” artist Darin Walsh explains with obvious relish.
Physics are a vital part of the game as well, both for the way in which it gives melee combat “a sense of weight,” and also because it's funny. “When you hit someone, it's not like their body just limply falls down. You'll know the strength of that hit you just knocked them with, and their body will go flying across the room,” Senior Brand Manager Alex Hayter says in the video. And that, according to Torn Banner President Steve Piggott, “really adds a lot of humor to the game.”
Mirage: Arcane Warfare isn't expected to begin beta testing until later this summer but we got some hands-on time with in April at PAX East, and it's already looking good. It's currently slated to come out nearer the end of the year.
The PC Gaming Show returns to E3 on Monday June 13, featuring game announcements, updates to existing favourites, and conversation with top developers. You can find out what to expect here, and also book free tickets to attend in person at pcgamingshow.com. The PC Gaming Show will be broadcast live through twitch.tv/pcgamer from 11:30 am PT/2:30 pm ET/6:30 pm GMT, but be sure to tune in beforehand to check out The Steam Speedrun, in which one lucky winner will buy as many games as they can in three minutes.
