Shadow's Reach

When deciding the skill-sets for the various characters in the game I wanted to ensure that Marcus had a very distinct feel when compaired to those around him. Out of everybody who joins the party throughout the plot, he is the only one who does not use magic, and as such should have a different set of actions. To this effect Marcus' moves all revolve around the use of his weapons and his full list of abilities is quite small but very powerful. As a particular trait of his class he uses two swords, which in itself sets him apart when it comes to equipment choosing, most moves make use of this two-sword style to rain down many light blows onto one enemy for cumulative effect.

One aspect of his character that I am particularly proud of is that when he reaches level 25 (halfway through his max), Marcus learns the Break Limit ability. Unlike any other move in the game this is a static skill that does not appear in the 'Special' box during combat unless his HP is below 25% its max. When he reaches this status however, the Break Limit skill appears for no MP cost and can be selected to trigger an explosive special move of mixed physical and fire elements. Upon healing or resting in any way the ability vanishes again.

Marcus' use of the Break Limit ability, coupled with his smaller but more powerful skill-set and double-sword style manages to make him feel and play much differently to the other 'front row' fighters in the game, in particular Dante, whose skills largely revolve around Light/Healing magics and prayers to his goddess to dramatically boost his own stats each turn. It's important to ensure that each character has a different feel when developing a game, especially when their in-game personalities need to portray them as dramatically different to each other.