Chivalry, the first and currently only game Torn Banner Studios have ever released, is a rather interesting blend between an FPS and an action-orientated fighting game that ended up being surprisingly great, mostly because the combat is well paced, the weapons feel powerful, and most importantly, limbs are detached easily and spectacularly.

Unfortunately, while Mirage: Arcane Warfare aims to be a mystical upgrade to Chivalry it does seem to be lacking in a couple of areas when compared to its predecessor, as you'll no doubt notice in 8 minutes of gameplay footage released during this year's PAX East:

Before I say anything else, allow me to bring to attention the fact that this is alpha gameplay, so thing are obviously going to broken, unpolished, and otherwise unfit for presentation. However, I do feel its still well worth discussing Mirage's shortcomings in the hopes of them being ironed out by the time release hits.

With that said, my first problem with the gameplay shown here is that the combat feel sluggish, extremely so. The Vypress is supposed to be a nimble assassin that dashes in and out of the fight, yet all the player seemed to be doing is waddle about, occasionally use a couple of abilities, and then meekly thrust his/her swords in to the enemy. If Mirage is aiming to have the same sort of popularity as Chivalry this will needs to be improved, and quickly, because nothing destroys an action game quicker than a lack of action.

A glimpse at the loadout screen, starring Taurant and his massive axe-thing

My second, and final major complaint lies with how poorly Mirage showcases your blows connecting with the enemy's fleshy bits. This is especially apparent with the Alchemancer as its almost impossible to tell if his fireballs are smacking the enemy, or if they are simply falling short. The reason for this is a complete lack of 'on-hit' animations, or any audiovisual feedback to give your attacks a visceral and satisfying crunch when they finally connect. I'd imagine this is mostly due to Mirage being unfinished, but if the developers plan to demonstrate the game at future conventions then having the combat feel satisfying should be really high up there in terms of priority.

And there you have it, two things I genuinely hope end up getting improved by the time Mirage: Arcane Warfare finally releases. Speaking of which, there is currently no release date set, but its expected to arrive sometime in 2016.

You can read more about Mirage by heading to the official website.