Release Date

February 14, 2017

Who Is Developing For Honor?

Developed By Ubisoft Montreal, announced during Ubisoft’s E3 2015 press conference. First “hack and slash” game for Ubisoft, and serves as a new IP. Despite being a game centered on medieval combat, the structure is inspired by shooter games in the way combat is handled, and will allow players to select from three separate factions to fight for: The Wardens (knights), The Kensei (samurai), and The Raiders (vikings).

Factions

The knights symbolize nobility, pride, and loyalty, and serve to protect their lands and people. They protect themselves with a mixture of plate, chain, and leather armor while wielding a massive two handed longsword. This choice of weapon provides an effective way for knights to both block incoming attacks while delivering brutal slashing strikes to their opponents.

Where the knights seek to cleave their enemies in two, the samurai embrace both the philosophy of bushido, or the “way of the samurai,” and their nodachi, a slightly longer version of the classic katana. This blade is capable of eviscerating an enemy in a few carefully placed slices, which embodies the samurai’s strive for perfection in all that he does.

Finally, we have the Viking Raiders, who also place themselves at the forefront of every battle, clad in tattoos that serve as souvenirs of past encounters. Sharing many similar qualities to that of the knight, the most notable difference is how death is viewed by the two factions: the vikings know that their moment of death has already been chosen, so there is nothing to fear. This ideology is embraced with the use of the great dane axe, a two handed weapon capable of dealing crushing blows to any force.

For Honor: Gameplay

Campaign

All three of these factions will feature their own segment of the main storyline, which can be completed either solo or with another player, online or splitscreen. After a huge cataclysm has rocked the world, a thousand years have needed to pass before the factions have regained the strength to take control once more, and now are at each other’s throats for domination, all the while combating the plans of the warlord Apollyon.

Coming from the lands of the Iron Legion, the young Warden is a talented and courageous young knight who possesses the potential to be the greatest knight anyone has ever seen. Despite this, the Warden finds that he has no worthy cause to fight for, and begins to wander the land in search for a purpose equal to his talents, and may find it just yet amongst the ranks of the Blackstone Legion in Ashfeld.

The story of the Kensei follows a samurai who was quickly rising through the ranks of the Emperor’s army, until an unfortunate choice of words caused his military career to be ended abruptly. Shackled down by a prison sentence in his native land, the Kensei must rely on his loyal friends and intelligence to restore honor to his name and regain his former rank.

Stirred by his love for his country and his fellow warriors, the story of the Raider follows a viking warrior who has had enough of watching his fellow countrymen shed blood with one another. Although he is just as bloodthirsty as the next raider, he seeks to unite the clans of the Warborn, and refuses to let anything stand in his way to creating a unified force.

Multiplayer

The base multiplayer gameplay functions similarly to Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, in which players are mostly equipped with melee weapons like swords and axes. After a match begins, numerous AI teammates join the battle, assisting players with combat and securing objectives, all the while earning points for your team both temporary and permanent. Once enough points are amassed, they are tasked fully with eliminating players from the opposing team, with the match ending once all members of the team are eliminated. After killing a certain number of enemies consecutively, players can level up and gain “Feats,” which are additional perks that can be utilized in battle. This includes the ability to earn additional points for your team, calling in a catapult attack or a barrage of arrows, and the ability to heal yourself.

Combat

Perhaps the most distinguishing factor of For Honor is the new “Art of War” tactical combat system, which is based upon motion capture by real martial artists and professional stuntmen. Upon entering a “dueling mode” with another player, each party will be given the chance to place and position their weapons as they attack. After choosing how they wish to strike (from above, the left, or the right), and then the strength of their attack, they will either slice into their opponent or be met with a well placed block. It is then becomes a matter of strategy and foresight, as each player must react appropriately and then predict what their opponent will do next. This system will allow players to experience an accurate feel for the weight and strength each weapon possesses. Friendly fire will also be present during combat, so make sure to watch those swings.

Verdict

So, how does For Honor stack up? For one, it looks to expand on the work of previous medieval combat titles by implementing new and improved combat systems to enhance the feel and authenticity of war. This will ultimately improve both the single and multiplayer experiences, and may potentially attract players who may not have otherwise approached the title. The inclusion of cooperative campaign gameplay invites teamwork and strategy over ruthlessness, and the varying factions allow for every player to embrace and develop their own unique approach. Fans of both the genre and setting will be doing themselves a favor by either participating in the Alpha build of the game or picking it up on release. While the price has yet to be set, more information may be found at both their Twitter and Facebook page, and it has been confirmed that the game will be releasing on February 14, 2017 I hope to see you on the battlefield!

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