It has been months and months since we last heard anything about Perfect World’s Swordsman Online. And I would have expected the game to launch this year given the English trailer was first teased at E3 2010!
Even for the native China side, the last trailer came late last year in the form of computer animation. Fret not, as ChinaJoy 2012 is creeping up in less than 3 weeks’ time, Swordsman Online will feature heavily on the show floor.
New screenshots were posted earlier today, showcasing the polished graphics which players can expect to see once the Closed Beta phase hits China later this year. While games such as Jade Dynasty and Perfect World International are developed using the in-house Angelica 3D Engine, a newly dubbed “Angelica III” was quoted for Swordsman Online, probably the most updated version of the engine.
I have talked about a couple of the game’s features in my previous posts, so head on to them (link) and have a read. These features shouldn’t have changed much, such as random miracle encounters, scenario instances, self-chain combos, 2 modes for each weapon etc. How would I describe Swordsman Online based on what I read so far?
Well, imagine Age of Wulin with the level system, much faster combat with almost similar block, defense and offensive stances and much more vivid skill effects almost on par with Blade & Soul’s.
In terms of overall design style, Age of Wulin totally eliminated the fantasy elements, Blade & Soul has a heavy focus on fantasy design while Swordsman Online is somewhere in the middle. Of course, each game has its own unique taste and fans, to each his own 
I cant wait!
