Kingdom Hearts.

The combat was absolutely inspired by Kingdom Hearts. But that probably makes you think of fast aerial combos, flashy animations, and that signature flowmotion from the later entries. But when it comes to Strife & Serenity, the inspiration I drew from Kingdom Hearts was in the more technical areas.

Specifically? Birth by Sleep.

MORE specifically? The Command Gauge.

If you’ve played it, you’ll remember how every successful hit fills a meter. Once full, your command style increases. You get a new form, stronger moves, and your playstyle shifts depending on what kind of attacks or magic you’ve been using. That mechanic ALWAYS stuck with me. It rewarded intentional combat and added a layer of strategy beyond just mashing the attack button.

I wanted to bring a bit of that into Strife & SerenitY. Something more reactive that made combat feel more satisfying, and victory more earned.

Every time one of Ka’Sipho’s arcane abilities lands, the gauge starts filling. The more you hit, the faster it builds. And when it finally reaches full capacity? He levels up.

Not in the traditional stat-boosting sense, but in a real-time, dynamic way. His Combat Level can increase up to Level 3, and with each level, his fighting style evolves. New animations, new (and more satisfying SFX), stronger and faster attacks, and his arcane abilities get overhauled. They hit harder, move flashier, and inflict more effective status effects.

It honestly came out better than I expected. Not just the satisfaction aspect, but because it challenges players to think, not just react. You can’t just spam abilities and hope for the best, you need to land and vary them. When you do, the payoff is worth it.

It’s not just a tribute to Birth by Sleep, it’s a system built to reward smart, adaptive play. The better you fight, the more you grow. Literally.