[Unity] Game Creator 2 Melee — Weapons, Combos, Shields & Close Combat

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In this article, we will provide a detailed explanation of “Melee” (close combat), one of the modules in Game Creator 2.

Melee is an extension asset that covers all aspects of close combat systems. From Souls-like heavy combat to Devil May Cry-style fast combos and first-person melee, it is built from the components: Weapon / Skill / Shield / Combo / Reaction / Striker / Poise / Motion Warp / Input Buffer.

Official documentation: Game Creator 2 Documentation

You can find a list of all articles in this series below.

Complete Article List — Game Creator 2 Complete Guide Series Indexen.senkohome.com/gamecreator2-series-index/

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What Is Melee?

• Behavior is built from 5 asset types: “Weapon + Skill + Combo + Shield + Reaction”
• Skills use a Sequencer (timeline) to precisely control attack phases (Anticipation / Strike / Recovery) along with instructions and actions
• The Striker component is attached to the weapon for hit detection, simultaneously drawing a Trail
• Motion Warp automatically snaps the character close to the enemy (Batman Arkham / Kingdom Hearts style)
• Input Buffer and Combo enable DMC-style input queuing + chain attacks
• Poise (hyper armor) suppresses interruption, Souls-style

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Installation

1. Purchase the Melee module from the Asset Store
2. Install via Window > Package Manager
3. Samples from Game Creator > Install...:
   • Brawl: Souls-like / punch & kick combat
   • Sword: Fast combos, DMC/KH style
   • Sword FPS: First-person swordplay
4. Install location: Assets/Plugins/GameCreator/Installs/Melee.Examples/

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Weapon Asset

How to Create

Right-click in the Project window → Create > Game Creator > Melee > Weapon.

Weapon Data (Basic Information)

• Title / Description / Icon / Color: For UI
• ID: Unique identifier (identified by this ID, not the asset name)

Shields & Reactions

• Shield: Shield asset to associate when using block mechanics
• Hit Reaction: Reaction on taking damage
• Parried Reaction: Reaction when your attack is parried

States

Animation State to enter when equipped.

• State Layer (critical): Default Layer 5. Shield is 7, Charged Skill is 6 (reserved). Layer design mistakes cause Shields to be overridden — always verify

Combos

• Combo reference (recommended) / Embedded (direct embed)
• The advantage is that the same Combo can be shared across multiple weapons

Instructions

• On Equip: When equipped (Self = character, Target = weapon GameObject). The standard place for Prop attachment
• On Unequip: When unequipped
• On Dodge: When an attack passes through during dash invincibility frames

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Shield Asset (Block / Parry / Break)

Concept Overview

How to Create

Create > Game Creator > Melee > Shield.

Defense

• Angle: Front-facing defense angle (180° for front + both flanks, 360° for all directions)
• Parry Time: Grace period from guard activation to successful parry
• Defense: Defense gauge (Break occurs at 0)
• Cooldown: Seconds after gauge depletion before recovery starts
• Recovery: Recovery rate (units per second)

States

• State Layer defaults to 7 (higher than Weapon, so the defense animation overrides)

Blocking / Parrying / Breaking

Each section contains:

• Reaction: Animation to play
• Effect: Prefab spawned at impact point (sparks / flashes, etc.)
• Instructions (On Block / On Parry / On Break): Self = defender, Target = attacker

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Skill Asset

A Skill is the core asset that defines “a single action”. It can be used broadly — for single attacks, combo stages, synchronized execution sequences, and even non-attack animations.

How to Create

Create > Game Creator > Melee > Skill.

Charge

Settings for using the Skill as a charge attack. Enters a State (Layer 6 by default) before activation.

Strike (Hit Detection)

• Direction: Attack direction (from the attacker’s perspective)
• Predictions: Number of physics prediction steps between frames (prevents pass-through)
• Use Strikers: All Strikers, or a single one specified by ID

Trail

Settings that override the default Striker’s Trail (only checked items are applied).

Effects

• Sound (Use / Hit / Block / Parry): With slight pitch variation
• Hit Pause (hit stop): Specify Time Scale / Delay / Duration in unscaled time
• Hit Effect: Prefab spawned at the hit location

Sequencer

The heart of the Skill. In the Sequencer editing mode, configure the following:

• Animation: Required animation (played as a Gesture)
• Avatar Mask: Partial playback
• Gravity: Gravity multiplier (set near 0 for aerial attacks)
• Transition In / Out: Blend time
• Motion: None / Root Motion / Motion Warp
• Anticipation / Strike / Recovery Speed: Playback speed coefficient per phase

Poise

• Poise Armor: Defense power during this Skill’s execution (default 1)
• Poise Damage: Amount this Skill depletes from the opponent’s Poise Armor (default 1)
• When Armor reaches 0 or below, the Skill is interrupted → transitions to Hit Reaction

Power

Attack strength. Used by the Reaction’s Min Power to switch response animations (light flinch for normal attacks, knockback for heavy strikes, etc.).

Instructions

• On Start: On activation (Self = attacker)
• On End: On completion (including interruptions)
• On Hit: Per hit (Self = attacker, Target = target). The standard place for damage calculations

Execution

Use the Play Melee Skill Instruction for forced playback (direct activation without going through a Combo).

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Charges (Charge Attacks)

• Charge Skills enter a State (Layer 6) and transition to the main action once charging is complete
• Select Charge mode on the Combo side
• Set minimum charge time and Auto Release / Manual Release on the Combo side

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Strikes, Striker Component & Trail

Striker Component

The key component attached to a weapon prop that generates hit detection.

• ID: Identifier for filtering with Skill’s Use Strikers = By ID
• Section: Reference to the blade or attack area GameObject
• Shape: Sphere (radius) / Capsule (radius + length)
• Trail:
  • Point A / Point B: Two endpoints for trail drawing
  • Max Quads: Maximum polygon count
  • Length: Maximum trail length
  • Material: Trail material

Trail (Trail Drawing)

Automatically drawn only during the Strike phase. Uses Catmull-Rom splines for smoothness.

Predictions (Frame Interpolation)

If fast animations with small Shapes pass through enemies, increase Predictions. Higher values increase physics cost, so keep them moderate in multi-enemy battles.

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Motion (Movement Control)

Controls character movement during Skill execution.

None

Character can move normally. Used when playing animations on the upper body only with an Avatar Mask.

Root Motion

Moves the character using the animation clip’s root motion. Two sliders appear in the Sequencer — P (Position) and R (Rotation) — allowing you to define intervals where root motion is ignored.

Motion Warp

Root motion + interpolation between start and end positions (Kingdom Hearts / Arkham style). Within the Warp slider:

• Conditions: Whether to perform the Warp (e.g., target exists)
• Easing: Interpolation curve
• Self Location: Attacker’s final position (Self Close to maintain close distance, etc.)
• Target Location: Target’s final position (Look at Self for face-to-face, etc.)
• Sync Reaction: Synchronized animation played on the target (essential for stylish executions)

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Sequencer (Timeline)

Preview and edit in Enter Skill Mode. Three default Tracks:

Attack Phases Track

• Anticipation: Wind-up
• Strike: The phase where hit detection is active
• Recovery: End lag
• During combos, the previous Skill’s Recovery is skipped and the next Skill’s Anticipation begins, creating smooth transitions

Animation Cancel Track

The red-shaded non-cancelable range. Create open frames to allow the player to dodge out at the start/end of combos.

Instructions Track

Executes Instructions at any frame. These can be interrupted, so place must-execute logic in On Start / On End.

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Poise (Hyper Armor) and Power

Poise Flow

1. Poise Armor is full at Skill start
2. Taking a hit deducts Poise Damage from Armor
3. When Armor reaches 0 or below, the Skill is interrupted → Hit Reaction

Defaults

• Poise Armor = 1, Poise Damage = 1
• This means by default, attacks always interrupt. For uninterruptible heavy attacks, increase Armor

Runtime Visualization

During Play mode, a Poise gauge is displayed at the bottom of the character’s Inspector for debugging.

Power

A value used by the Reaction’s Min Power condition. Use 1 for normal, 2 for heavy strikes, etc. to differentiate responses.

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Reaction Asset

An asset for “situation-specific animation selection” used across Hit / Block / Parry / Break / Takedown, etc.

Creation and Basics

Create via Create > Game Creator > Melee > Reaction.

• Transition In / Out: Recommended small values (0.1-0.5s)
• Use Root Motion: ON by default (required for knockback)
• Speed: Playback speed coefficient

Entry

Multiple entries can be added. Reactions evaluate from top to bottom, randomly selecting an animation from the entries whose conditions are met.

Entry Conditions

• Min Power: Minimum Power value required for activation
• Direction: Attack direction filter (From Any for unconditional)
• Visual Scripting Conditions: Custom conditions (Self = target, Target = attacker)

Entry Behavior

• Cancel Time: Time during this reaction when the player can cancel into a dash, etc. (prevents stun-lock)
• Rotation: Rotate to match the attack direction
• Gravity: Weaken gravity during aerial reactions
• Animation Clip list: Multiple clips for random selection

Instructions

• On Enter / On Exit: Always called, even on interruption

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Combo Asset (Input Acceptance and Sequencing)

How to Create

Create > Game Creator > Melee > Combo.

Structure

Left pane: Tree-structured Combo entries. Right pane: Details of the selected entry.

• Evaluated from top to bottom — the first entry whose conditions are met activates that Skill
• Adding child entries creates chains that represent “follow-up attacks only available right after the previous attack”

Combo Input

• 8 abstract keys A through H and 2 modes (Tap / Charge)
• Tap: Immediate activation on Execute input
• Charge: Hold on Charge input, activate on Execute input
  • Timeout: Minimum charge time
  • Auto Release: Unlimited or auto-activation
• Has Delay (child entries only): Requires waiting a set time after the parent’s action before Executing (for advanced players’ heavy attacks)

Combo Execution

• Conditions: Conditions for selecting this entry (airborne only / grounded only, etc.)
• Execution Order:
  • In Order: Follows combo sequence
  • Anytime: Can interrupt and execute during any combo state
• Skill: Required. The actual Skill asset to activate

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Input (Input Charge / Input Execute / Input Buffer)

Instructions

• Input Charge: Called on button press (starts charging)
• Input Execute: Called on button release (activates)
• Set Buffer Window: Input Buffer grace period in seconds (default 0.5s)

For games without charging, call only Input Execute on “button press” for snappy controls.

Input Buffer

A mechanism that remembers early inputs when the player mashes buttons, naturally chaining the next attack immediately after the previous Skill ends.

Multi-Platform

Simply place parallel Triggers for both keyboard and gamepad on the abstract keys A-H for dual-input support.

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Targets (Candidate Management and Cycling)

Single Focus

Directly set/clear with Set Target / Clear Target Instructions.

Candidate Management

• Add Target Candidate: Add to candidates (standard pattern: enemies add themselves to Player on Start Trigger, remove on Destroy)
• Remove Target Candidate: Remove from candidates

Cycling

• Cycle Closest Target: Nearest candidate
• Cycle Next / Previous Target: Next/previous candidate (wrapping)
• Cycle Direction Target: Nearest candidate in the specified direction from camera view (right stick integration)

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Visual Scripting Reference

Instructions (19)

Melee > Defense (4)

Melee > Equip (2)

Melee > Input (3)

Melee > Skills (9)

Conditions (7)

Events (5)

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Practical Usage — Configuration Guide by Use Case

Souls-like (Brawl)

1. Weapon = bare hands, State Layer 5 with fist guard stance
2. Shield = bare-hand guard, Parry Time 0.15s
3. Skill 1 = Light Punch (short Anticipation, 1-frame Strike, medium Recovery, Poise Armor 1)
4. Skill 2 = Heavy Punch (Poise Damage 3, Power 2) → Reaction side Min Power 2 for knockback
5. Combo: Light → Light → Heavy, Heavy has Has Delay ON

Devil May Cry Style (Sword)

1. Weapon = sword, 3-stage Skill combo (Light → Light → Light) on Tap A
2. Motion Warp snaps to the enemy at each Skill’s start
3. Input Buffer 0.4s for snappy tempo
4. Place a Heavy Finish on Tap B as a child node in the Combo for branching

FPS Melee (Sword FPS)

1. Camera Shot = First Person
2. Weapon State Layer moves upper body only
3. Skill Motion = None (character movement is maintained)
4. Striker is a Sphere at the sword tip, Predictions around 3

Execution (Takedown)

1. Skill Motion = Motion Warp, both Self and Target use Self Close + Look at Target
2. Sync Reaction with the victim’s animation
3. Hit Pause during Anticipation (Time Scale 0.3, Duration 0.5)

Stun-Lock Prevention

Set Cancel Time 0.2s on the hit Reaction Entry → the player can dash out 0.2s after being hit.

Uninterruptible Heavy Attack

Set the Heavy Skill’s Poise Armor = 5, Poise Damage = 3. Normal attacks (Poise Damage 1) from opponents cannot interrupt.

Inventory-Linked Equipment Switching

Use Inventory’s On Equip Trigger → Melee Equip Melee Weapon Instruction for linking. Match Weapon IDs, and use the Prop component for visual props.

Guard Break

In the Heavy Skill’s Conditions, switch to Power 3 when Time Since Last Block < 0.2 is met. The opponent’s Shield Defense drops to 0 → Break → massive damage sequence.

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Tips and Notes

• State Layer design: Weapon = 5, Charged Skill = 6, Shield = 7 are defaults. Choose non-conflicting values for custom States
• Strike Predictions trade off with performance: Only increase for fast animations. Increasing for all Skills adds physics load
• Poise defaults to 1/1: Normal attacks always interrupt each other. Increase Armor for uninterruptible attacks
• Motion Warp Target: If Target is null, warp won’t execute. Don’t forget Set Target
• Reaction order: Evaluated from top to bottom. Place general conditions (From Any / Min Power 0) at the very bottom (as fallback)
• Cancel Track design: Making pre-Anticipation cancelable enables feints; making late Recovery cancelable enables roll cancels
• Input Buffer at 0.3-0.6s: Too long causes unintended combos. Too short breaks combo chains
• Combo Anytime: Forced interrupts prevent exploiting enemy openings. Limit usage
• Striker Trail Max Quads: More for visual quality, 30-50 for performance focus
• Parry Time: 0.1-0.2s is the sweet spot for feel. Adjust for difficulty
• Sequencer Instructions can be interrupted: Place damage application in On Hit, and logs/sounds in On Start/End
• Sync Reaction: Both animations must match in length or they’ll desync. Verify timing in the Sequencer
• Combat module coexistence: Melee and Shooter can be equipped simultaneously. Avoid conflicts in Sight Priority / Weapon ID / Layer

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Related Modules

• Characters: Foundation for Reactions, interrupt suppression via the Busy system, Poise display
• Stats: Formula calculations in On Hit, defense values
• Inventory: Equip items → Melee Weapon equipment
• Perception: Emit Noise on Melee Hit, enemy response linking
• Behavior / Utility AI: Enemy AI calls Input Charge/Execute to fight
• Shooter: Can coexist simultaneously (e.g., sword + pistol gunslinger setup)

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Official Links

• Game Creator 2 Official Documentation
• Game Creator 2 — Unity Asset Store
• Melee 2 | Game Creator 2 — Unity Asset Store

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Summary

In this article, we covered the “Melee” module of Game Creator 2.

By combining the 5 asset types — Weapon, Skill, Combo, Shield, and Reaction — you can build a wide range of close combat systems, from Souls-like heavy blow-by-blow combat to DMC-style fast combos and FPS melee. Frame-level attack phase control via the Sequencer, interrupt management with Poise (hyper armor), snap animation with Motion Warp, and input queuing with Input Buffer deliver the feel of a full-fledged action game.

Visual Scripting provides 19 Instructions, 7 Conditions, and 5 Events.

Complete Article List — Game Creator 2 Complete Guide Series Indexen.senkohome.com/gamecreator2-series-index/

We hope you’ll check out our other articles as well.