Overview
Blade Waltz is a game about dueling. Players take control of a young italian noble who moves from town to town challenging people to duels. The game takes place in a series of instanced areas, that the character moves between as they progress and become more renowned. Within these areas, player's are able to roam around a largely open world, taking quests for other citizens as well as participating in duels. When a player enters a duel themselves, they control the character as normal for a third person game (with the left stick, for example) and the face buttons on a controller. When players reach the point of 'max focus', gained by a solid opening to the duel, they begin their 'Blade Waltz'.
Core Mechanics
With Dueling being a core component of the game, players are rewarded for flashy and impressive duels, with equipment being but one of the rewards. When a player enters 'Blade Waltz' the control scheme and combat changes drastically. The left and right sticks control the direction of the blade, while the face buttons control the direction the blade moves towards. This allows players to complete flashy duels in an extremely short time following a short 'ramp up' period. It also challenges the player's to complete the duel quickly, as their opponent will also enter the 'Waltz' and attempting to defeat the player. The waltz also includes defensive options, with players being able to duck and weave through their opponent's attacks as they attempt to defeat them.
Environment
The game takes place during the end of the Italian Renaissance, in the late 16th Century. The areas the player has access to range from lightly wooded villages to wide open plains dotted with hamlets Players are able to traverse the area of Italy by both horse and boat, along the numerous rivers and canals present in northern and central Italy. Because a primary focus of the game is dueling and the spectacle of dueling, players will be able to access reasonably dense areas. Places like castles and manors will serve as areas for challenging and dueling opponents.
Blade Waltz allows for precise strikes similar to Metal Gear rising (without the helicopters)
