Players of the Half Sword simulator were extremely dissatisfied with the change in combat mechanics

Medieval Duel Simulator Half Sword, which got noticed during Steam Next Fest, opened in early access (EA) to mixed reviews — many players saying the combat felt quite different from the tech demo.

The devs explain that the demo existed to illustrate a few core ideas, not to lock in the final direction. Once full development began, movement and combat were overhauled rather than polished in place.

A big part of that shift comes from proc. anim. — procedural animation — where stances, hits, and reactions are driven by a web of variables. That means the "feel" of a fight can shift as mechanics are adjusted; an update can change timing, contact, or how damage looks and reads.

Right now the team is prioritizing performance work. Features glimpsed in trailers but absent in EA are planned for later drops. The devs keep saying combat interactions will keep evolving; they’re iterating rather than promising a finished product overnight, and patches will shape the gameplay over time.