Today, Raw Power Games revealed new gameplay footage of its upcoming sandbox game Chronicles: Medieval, highlighting the inspiration behind its realistic combat.
When diving into the inspiration for the combat in Chronicles: Medieval, the developers noted how they want to avoid the Hollywood cliche that is usually associated with medieval fighting. Instead of elegant duels or endless sword clanging, weapons like polearms rule the battlefield with their long reach, leverage, and diverse heads. You can customize them, including blades, hooks, spikes, and hammers, allowing troops to control space, stop cavalry charges, pierce or crush armor, and kill efficiently while keeping the enemy at a deadly distance.
This is one of the many fundamentals of HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts), which uses authentic techniques taught by historical masters. Chronicles: Medieval draws from these real-life sources when designing animations, giving players a sense of how effective, tactical, and grounded real European swordfighting may have looked and felt.
Since it emphasizes realism, Raw Power Games also highlighted the importance of adaptability and growth in creating combat for its medieval simulator. To do this, Chronicles: Medieval uses Energy and Posture systems alongside player and in-game character skills to determine the result of each outcome. Every swing should be readable, every hit should tell you why it landed, and every decision should carry weight.
As such, preparation for each battle will be vital, meaning you’ll need to bring the right gear for every occasion. This means choosing between bringing a spear for reach, a bow for ranged pressure, a sword for tight spaces, or a mace for armoured opponents. Your mastery also progresses naturally, informing these choices, shaping the loadouts you rely on as your character develops.
Chronicles: Medieval is set in a sandbox of medieval Europe, where players can create a character, recruit, train, and lead armies into battle, promising to immerse players in “a living medieval playground.” Players will also be able to create custom battles and “fight alongside friends” via some multiplayer feature, though there is still plenty of info to come, including some news about motion capturing and saddle details.
The game is set to arrive on Steam early access at some point in 2026. For more updates and information as we head into the new year, as well as other interesting period-simulators like City Tales, be sure to check back to Simulation Daily.
