Life passes in the blink of an eye. Especially those grounded in mire, fighting, and angry metal clashing. You grew up only knowing how to be strong. Knowing that the only way to survive is to fight. There is no other option, as strength equals success and status in your life. You only have one, so you must decide what to do with it, whether that be being the savior as your town burns, or, being the anti-hero and proving that you will win no matter the cost. Welcome to Swords and Glory, where your might is the only thing that counts.
Swords and Glory is a very simple fighting game. You play as a young Norse warrior who is looking to make a name for themselves. Only having a few tools at your disposal, you must fight with honor or anger, neither of which seems like an easy option. For food, resources, wealth, and even love, you must be able to prove your mettle against the best of the best, all while handling your personal affairs as well. This will take some getting used to, but don’t worry, as each character is only meant to live for a short period before you move on.
Although you only get one life to live in each part of the game, advancing a character is surprisingly simple. You must fight in different scenarios, and figure out where you want your life to go, without losing a single bout, as one loss equals complete death. You can then take those experiences and “Memories” of combat into your next life, and increase your chances of success with that life. What you fully choose to do is up to you, though.
In Combat Tips
The combat within the game is surprisingly simple. It consists of just a few systems: careful attack, strong attack, and guard. Each of these is like rock, paper, and scissor respectively. A careful attack means you won’t have as much blowback when blocked as you would with a strong attack, a strong attack can blow through a careful attack’s speed, and a guard can repel most attacks and damage.
Each attack has a type of wind-up when using them. These must be carefully calculated, as they will tell you what kind of attack is coming next, and what should be watched out for. For instance, if you see your opponent go for a long wind up, it is safe to assume that they are doing a strong attack. Thus, you must take care of it accordingly. If you see them start moving their shield up, it may be an indication that they are wanting to just do a block. Using these key moments will help you decide how you fight and duke it out.
Varying your playstyle to fit the scenario is important. Each npc that you fight has a different style, and so taking that into account is necessary. Analyze your opponent, and figure out if you can go all out offensive, or stay safe and passive and let them make the mistake. Remember, you only get one life. So, play smart, and play careful.
Outside of Combat
Outside of the combat modes, you will have decisions to make. Each fight is usually preluded with some sort of quest. Remember, this is a life story. Some quests come from your family members, as they ask you to do weird things, such as fight off a suitor that is looking for your mother’s hand in marriage, and other such things. Another scenario can easily be where a robber asks for your money, and you can refuse. Some scenarios allow you to get away, while others make you choose to fight one way or another.
The best way to do it is to always fight. No matter what, there is no harm in fighting and duking it out, as you can always get surprising rewards in the end of it all. But, it is best to always go with what you feel is morally right, as your character is your own. You choose how you want to play it out, as you will have to deal with the consequences, whether that be mountains of gold, or having your entire family hate you and cast you out of your village.
The best thing to do, early on, is to test out all your options. Many of the quests tend to rotate and random intervals, so throughout your lives, you can start to see different patterns. The end story is to always try to have the highest amount of wealth imaginable, as well as having great status with your family. Test out different theories and routes, such as attacking that neighboring city that you didn’t last time, or fighting over that one lady that you turned down because her suitors were stronger. Although the characters themselves will have no correlation, you as the player will have the experiences and knowledge to produce the best life the norse warrior has ever had.
A few tips when thinking about the life of the norse warrior: don’t ever back down. This tip may seem kind of strange, but backing down is seen as a weakness. Although it may mean that you don’t have to fight at all, you lose credibility, which then starts to lower your overall gold gain, as well as your options for suitable partners in marriage. Instead, take every risk possible, and fight it all out until you get a good grasp of the game. Then you can start to play a bit safer, and take more calculated risks.
Overall, Swords and Glory is a simple life game that takes you through set scenarios. Learn to fight in proper duels, and make sure you never lose when attacking. Increase your stats, and wealth, and show that you are the best fighter to ever grace your family. Make the right choices to ensure that the gold never goes away, and that you will always have health and a great house to live in. Good luck, and happy clashing!