First Look: For Honor – Knighthood

Ubisoft provides a refreshing take on multiplayer action with this knight-on-knight battle game.

Ubisoft had a lot of surprises in store back at the Electronic Entertainment Expo – including Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands and the thoroughly entertaining squad-based shooter Rainbow Six Siege. However, one title that completely caught us off guard – literally – was the multiplayer-oriented action game For Honor. It has a similar approach to other competitive games on the market in terms of interaction and protecting areas on a map, but how it plays is an entirely new ball game.

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For Honor takes place back in medieval times, where you get to take control of Vikings, samurai warriors and knights as you fight off enemies through a variety of strongholds, including castles and other areas. The goal is to strike down as many foes as you can while keeping your team in one piece, eventually getting to the point where one squad can show total dominance.

The particular multiplayer demo we took part in only featured knights, but introduced us to the innovative gameplay system that Ubisoft’s team has put into the game. The main mode featured here was Dominion, a “Capture the Flag” style mode where the goal is to overtake and keep three specific points on a map – by any means necessary.

Now, getting around in a knight suit is easy enough, despite its weight, and hacking away at no-name thugs will give you an idea of how the control system works. You can actually control your strikes using the L2 button and performing light or heavy blows in a number of places, whether it’s to the head or to the sides. The L2 button is also pivotal for defense, as you’ll use that combined with your analog stick to deflect incoming attacks from enemies. This is vital, because if you take too many hits, you’ll be killed and have to begin at the respawn point on the map.

Controls can take a little getting used to, especially if you’re used to playing on the offensive without much need for blocking or hiding. Sure, you can take down many guards this way, but eventually, when facing human foes or stronger opponents, you’ll have to discover what defensive tools work best if you want to stay alive.

Prompts will appear depending on how an opponent is standing, giving you an idea of just where you’ll need to block to avoid taking damage. If you deflect at just the right time, the ability to strike back will open up, and you can turn the tide in your favor. Granted, your opponents will be defensively positioned as well, so prepare for quite a fight.

Now, there’s a point system in play with For Honor, and it can make all the difference between victory and defeat. With each kill you get on the map – and with proper capturing of sections in the Dominion mode – you will earn points. If your team manages to get to 1000 points before your opponents, you’ll gain the upper hand, with the ability to respawn when the need comes around. However, if the losing team doesn’t have 1000 points, they lose the ability to respawn, and once you’re killed, that’s it for you as far as the match goes.

That’s why it’s important to stay alive as much as you can in For Honor using defensive techniques and not entirely going on the offense against every guard. Number one, you could easily be overwhelmed if two knights (or other soldiers) attack you, guaranteeing a defeat even after you’ve managed the defense system. Number two, respawning takes a good amount of time, and you’ll have to run through an armada of knights to get back to the player that killed you. And, of course, number three, no one likes to see their marks overrun with foes. You want to keep control.

Even with the small amount of time with the demo, For Honor left a great lasting impression. The knights offer some variety in terms of attack and blocking, and things are sure to get more interesting as other type of warriors enter the mix. The castle terrain is large and a fantastic place to get around, whether you’re running through the battlefield or climbing a ladder to get the jump on foes from a higher point. Plus, the four-on-four multiplayer potential is quite addictive – especially with skilled players that know how to put up a fight.

Although there’s still more of Far Honor to see before its 2016 release, there’s enough here that could potentially make this Ubisoft’s next big multiplayer hit for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

 


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Prima Games Staff
The staff at Prima Games.