You can use the harpoon to drag boars around. Tamed wolves will follow or stay on command, and tamed loxes can be ridden with a saddle.

The weapons are the weapons. Irl, axes often get stuck a little when you hit a shield or armor and don't quite go through. To avoid this, the melee warrior using an ax will swing as hard as he can, with maximum follow-through. You want to shatter shields and armor, not get stuck in them.

The ax may not be heavier than a mace, but the mace's weight is better balanced, and when it hits, the thing it hits either goes down or the mace rebounds, giving a start on the next swing.

I like the animations. Wait till you jump while carrying the crystal ax.