Timed Gameplay Animation Test — Bastard Sword Combo Attack

Recently I completed a timed gameplay animation test focused on creating a sword combo attack using a bastard sword / hand-and-a-half sword style. The visual and combat inspiration came primarily from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

The total production time was approximately 21 hours, including:

reference gathering
combat analysis
planning and iteration
animation production
polish

Animation Goals

The primary objective was to create a combo that felt:

impactful
readable in gameplay
responsive
grounded while still stylized

It needed to have impact ready for implementation in engine, as well as enough weight that you could feel the impact and heft of the different strikes between light and heavy.