At yesterday’s State of Play, Sony and Counterplay Games showed off a new and in-depth look at the combat of Godfall. If that wasn’t enough, the developers have also shared how Godfall takes advantage of the PS5 DualSense controller.
According to Counterplay Games CEO Keith Lee, Godfall takes advantage of the DualSenses’s novel mechanics to “produce a kinesthetic, tactile combat experience that’s as gratifying in your hands as it is on the screen.”
First off, the DualSense’s haptic feedback is used so players can identify the different surfaces their character is on.
First, we take advantage of the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback to simulate a variety of surfaces and textures. Imagine walking along a marble floor — the way it feels different through your boots compared to walking over gravel, dirt, or a rain-slicked field. If you were sliding along a fiery molten floor, say in the heat of battle to dodge an enemy attack, you would sense the unique surface without needing to look at it.
It was important for us to reflect that difference in your hands. As you adventure through the elemental realms, you’ll be pitted against mobs of enemies in gilded halls with smooth marble flooring. You’ll also clash with fiends in the dirt. As your controller is your connection to the action, the physicality of the controller’s haptics must reflect the different spaces you’ll be fighting in.
Another DualSense feature being used are the adaptive triggers! This one sounds to be the one that’ll be noticed more by gamers.
The second is by using the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers. A unique PlayStation 5 feature, adaptive triggers modulate resistance on the R2 and L2 inputs to give players a real, physical sense of what they’re doing on screen.
In Godfall, you will bring the fight to your enemies using five different weapons classes, and we wanted to make sure that each one plays and feels unique. We accomplished this using adaptive triggers, so the piercing thrust of your Polearm doesn’t glide with the same heft as your two-handed Warhammer.
By default, light attacks are mapped to R1 and heavy blows to R2. When the hits are coming fast and heavy, X evades an enemy attack and a double-tap executes an evasive slide. This is where Godfall combat comes alive.
In addition to the Godfall DualSense integration, the studio also showcased short clips of two weapon classes, which are the Dual Blades and the Longsword!
The first is the Dual Blades which, as the name suggests, are a pair of light, agile weapons excellent for making quick work of soft, vulnerable opponents. You can combo quick slashes with four consecutive light attacks or hit hard with a heavy Blade Cyclone.
As you build up charge over time with the Dual Blades, you’re able to activate Inner Focus, a special ability that buffs attack damage for a brief duration. Another signature move? Mortal Coil, where you throw your blade into an enemy and yank them toward you, closing the distance.
The second is the Longsword, a balanced, versatile weapon for a wide variety of enemies. Not unlike the Dual Blades, the Longsword can also string together four light attacks, but stands out with a heavy Attack Finisher to put a devastating exclamation point at the end of the combo.
The Longsword has three signature moves. Spectral Flurry is a heavy damage dealer that can’t be interrupted by foes. Spiral Technique works best to take down a number of enemies lined up in a row. Shield Uppercut works only if your timing is just right: at the end of a Longsword swing, a flash of white signals your brief opportunity to land a violent blow.
Godfall is set for release later this year on the PS5 and PC.
Source: PlayStation Blog