The Video Game Critic

Die by the sword is one of my favorite obscure games.  It was released in 1998 for the PC, and didn't get much attention.   Some reviewers slammed it for being only about 3-4 hours long, because reviews like to play long boring games that never end.  
 
The game had an awesome gimmick.   It would be a standard hack n slash if it wasn't for the controls.   You could change the controls so that you could control your sword with your mouse.   What I mean is, what ever direction you swung your mouse, your sword did also.  It wasn't perfect as your sword didn't always follow completely, but this game came out 5 years before the havoc physics so I can forgive them.  Everyone should try this game out for themselves as strangely, no one has made anything like it since.  Download the demo here, and if search ebay to pick it up if you like it.  I found it for 1 penny plus 6 dollars shipping.
 
http://www.download.com/Die-by-the-Sword-demo/3000-7564_4-884099.html?tag=lst-0-1
 
I think this game should be remade for the wii.   Of course the game could be alot better with the improved controls of the Wii mote, and 9 years of physics technology since that game.   I was really disapointed with the controls of Zelda.  Basiclly you swung your wiimote to swing your sword, but it didn't matter how you swung it, your sword motion was always the same.   Basically it was a button press and they might as well have made it a button press because they didn't want to use the potential of the Wii-mote.  I'm getting tired of games like Zelda and call of duty not using the power of motion sensing and basically using a motion as a button press.   I think a game like this could turn this around.

I love Die By the Sword, and consider it to be one of the most underplayed PC games of the past 10 years.  The graphics may be crude, the controls may have a steep learning curve (especially for a hack n' slash game) and it may be too short, but DBTS is just so original and fun.  More than just an innovative control scheme, the level design is fantastic, built around challenging set piece sword fights and hilarious scripted events.  The shortness of the game actually made it easier for me to go back and try for a better run through some of the more challenging stages. 

But really the main draw is that crazy sword fighting engine.  What makes it even more appealing is the fact that you can aim for specific limbs, since there are many specific damage points.  Also, the exaggerated physics just adds to the comical nature of the game. 

I usually play with the mouse, but I've heard the game actually supports a Microsoft Force Feedback joystick, so you feel actual resistance when your sword meets with an orc's limbs.

Treyarch actually made a pseudo-sequel to this game for the Dreamast, called Draconus:  Cult of the Wyrm.  It's a pretty good game, but held back somewhat by poor performance, probably because they tried to design a hack n' slash game using the Tony Hawk engine. 

Oh man...I haven't thought about this game in such a long time!  I had a demo disk of this game and I used to play the hell out of it.  I remember buying the strategy guide for the game and I waited for the actual game to drop in price to buy it...I must have got sidetracked because I never bought the damn thing! 
 
Anywho...great game for its time.  Its well worth the money to track it down.  I remember when this game came out Interplay could do no wrong...they had hit PC games coming out left and right. 
 
The possibility of a return on the Wii would be great...since Interplay is gone the license was probably sold...I wonder who owns it now?

I'm not sure how likely a Wii remake would be (or a similar game from Treyarch).  Although they've been doing Wii development, it seems like all they do now are the Spiderman and Call of Duty games.