Game looks great - can't wait. As for the fighting skill? Um I've watched many people play AC and have to say none where as "skilled" as I was. When I played it was like watching a flawless movie. The Skill is in the animation timing. I dearly hope they don't change it. The hardest move/animation was offensive combos - for me it wasn't as fluid as strike and counter. Want a really tough fight. play with only using the hidden knife. Really hard and not as fluid but some nasty cut scenes. You know your the **** when it seems like the game is just a cutscene. Its not hard to do - maybe thats what you mean by skill - every type of guard has a tell, (later in the game those same tells are sometimes fake like a check swing). With using the tells and timing your offensive strikes you can make short work of 5 guards with a min of 3 cutscenes and 2 button stike kills. For instance you are surrounded. Take out the short sword (easiest and prob coolest kills). Pick a guard and attack with 3 hit combo. While performing each of the three hits watch the other guards. If they use their tell interupt your combo with the counter - cut scene - one down. Usually a second guard will immeadiatly attack you. Counter - cut scene - two down. Sometimes this is repeatable for each guard. So you could string four or five cut scenes. Then switch to throwing knife for that guard that just ran away. Oh and dont forget to switch to the hidden knife to stab any slow dying guards on the ground. Anyway I guess my point is the skill is making it look good. BUT yes you could button mash to victory.