“Skydance’s Behemoth” Update Tweaks Combat Following Mixed Feedback – Full Patch Notes Inside

Recently, Skydance Games rolled out a significant patch for "Behemoth" (2024), aiming to tackle some of the feedback surrounding its combat system, which had stirred quite the debate among players.

Back when "Behemoth" first debuted on December 5th, it was met with mixed reviews about its combat experience. While some, including myself, found it satisfactory, others across platforms like Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR 2, and PC VR (available on Horizon Store for Meta and Steam) were not as convinced.

Responding to this, Skydance has issued a patch that directly targets the game’s core, particularly the physics-driven melee mechanics against human adversaries. The developers openly addressed the controversy, saying: “Combat has been divisive. While many appreciate it as it is, we can’t ignore those who’ve voiced concerns over stamina depletion, the difficulties of parrying, and the tight windows for dodging attacks."

To that end, they’ve made adjustments to improve the balance of stamina, parrying, and dodging, thereby enhancing gameplay for everyone. They also introduced a beta feature called ‘Freestyle Mode,’ which significantly reduces stamina drain across the board, excluding climbing sections. In addition, the patch tackles boss fights, improves enemy AI behavior and navigation, and bolsters overall game stability across all systems.

For those interested, a comprehensive list of patch notes is available, but be warned, there might be minor spoilers. Below, I’ve included a spoiler-free summary of the key changes:

QUEST SPECIFIC CHANGES

Player Experience

• Added a “Shader compiling” loading screen at startup to avoid confusion.
• Introduced haptic feedback in the Main Menu.
• Fixed a crash in Arena Mode [BETA] caused by striking the gong in certain conditions.
• Enhanced climbing interactions and collision responses in critical areas.
• Resolved progression issues, like in the Nightscraper fight and Ragnar disappearing during the tutorial.

Gameplay

• Improved collision detection to prevent players from phasing through geometry.
• Fixed rare clipping glitches related to climbing on Dreddstag and Shacklehide.
• Keys now correctly respawn in ghost form after saving and reloading.
• Enhanced enemy combat reactions and transitions between states.
• Refined hand grips and inverse kinematics for ropes.

Art & Audio

• Improved textures and lighting, most notably on Quest 3.
• Reduced visual pop-ins.
• Fixed floating objects such as arrows and debris.
• Ensured music continuity during the Shacklehide battle.

ALL PLATFORMS

Progression Blockers

• Fixed issues with certain enemies not appearing correctly or causing game freezes.
• Enabled Fast Travel post-campaign for ongoing exploration.

Combat Updates

Tuning Adjustments:

• Expanded dodge invulnerability to 0.5 seconds.
• Standard enemies now suffer one-hit kills with exposed headshots.
• Made parry/block angles more lenient for better execution.

Combat Stamina Drain Adjustments:

• Balanced across all difficulties.
• ‘Freestyle Mode (BETA)’ introduced, minimizing stamina drain (achievements/trophies are disabled in this mode).

The ‘Tenderfoot’ difficulty has been further fine-tuned to lessen enemy damage.

Miniboss and Boss Tuning

• Adjusted miniboss difficulty and resolved glitches.
• Increased Ragnar’s health and attack frequency.

Level Updates

• Fixed interactions in crucial areas like Shacklehide’s arena and Zephyr’s Pass.
• Enhanced puzzle mechanics and access to chests in Duskhold and other locations.

Miscellaneous Fixes

• Improved stability with major crash fixes.
• Resolved issues with lighting, visual pops, and voice-over timing.
• Reorganized Trophy Room collectibles to prevent glitches.

With these tweaks, Skydance aims to deliver a smoother, more balanced experience for "Behemoth" players, ensuring both newcomers and veterans can enjoy the game to its fullest potential.