Gunfinger - General - Where are the subtleties?

The fantasy world... With all the new games out, MMORPGs, Single Player Games, what have you, I think they are all missing one key component. Maybe the next gen systems will deliver this, but I doubt it.

When I was a teen, I really loved the Forgotten Realms books. This are your typical fantasy setting... Magic, Dragons, Undead, and so on... very similar to Dungeons and Dragons, I even think there were a few PC RPGs set in that world.

Well one of my all time favorite characters in a book is Drizzt Do'Urden. (Character created by R.A. Salvator) He's a dark elf who cast off the evil ways of his race and has gone to live on the surface where he constantly fights prejudice. Despite all of that, he fights with twin scimitars and is one of the greatest swordsman ever.

Salvator depicted numerous sword fights between Drizzt and others through the many books the character appears in. Blades spinning, crashing off of each other, sparks flying into the air. Salvator's imagery made the books great. Imagine the most amazing Jedi saber battle... then kick it up a notch. Yeah... It's that good.

So my question is... "In all of gaming, where is that?"

I have played games that capture the essence of gun play... games that capture the essence of fishing... games that capture the essence of tennis... Even games that capture the essence of board gaming...

I have never played a game that comes close to capturing the essence of swordplay. It's either reduced to 2-3 animations with hit points floating off of the characters, or bouncing away and flashing invincible for a moment.

Nothing has shows the feel of two blades clashing together at full force. Stopping each other mid swing. Hands and Arms numbing from the ringing vibration. your opponent being nearly hand to hand with you, swords pressed together, feeling each others breath as your press against the other attempting to gain the upper hand... Throwing your enemy back a step and pulling one sword in between to block his swing as your other sword swings back and under, trying to get through his defences... Blades clashing, nicks in the metal, sparks flying as the two opponents work their deadly dance...

I want that in a game. Maybe the PS3 will deliver some new innovative games that really deliver that. I think the power is finally there. Look at the new fight night. Take that kind of detail and move it to the fantasy setting, add a story and other RPG components and you could have it.

Maybe it's due to the controller? Maybe sword play doesn't translate well to button mashing. Maybe developers don't feel that way about fantasy combat? Who knows. Maybe the technology wasn't good enough to deliver that.

I'll be waiting.