Ubisoft created a lot of hype when it teased the gamers during E3 2015 with its then-upcoming game, For Honor.
For Honor is an action fighting game set in medieval times. The hype comes from the game's main catch: three of the fiercest and strongest warrior classes in history will be pitted against each other in a massive, strategic war of factions. These classes are: the Knights, the Vikings, and the Samurai. A chaotic free-for-all is at hand!
The game was launched for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day. So did this medieval steel-and-blood fest capture the hearts of the critics? Here's a review roundup from major gaming sites.
(All scores are on the scale of 10 unless stated otherwise.)
IGN - 8
Like a distraught lover, Brandin Tyrrel of IGN found issues with the game. He specifically called out the game's "dents in its shiny armor." He described the single-player campaign "mediocre", as the 18 chapter-long campaign for him felt long enough to be "satisfying without overstaying its welcome." He was not also wowed by the game's "frugal economy" and the "snowballing victories" in multiplayer mode.
However, he heaped praises at the combat system, calling it "second to none" and a true "joy to learn."
"I could feel myself becoming a better warrior with this deep, flexible, and complete fighting system," he wrote. He wished that Ubisoft will fix the issues as he felt that the game is "something truly special."
Gamespot - 8
Matt Espineli of Gamespot showered praises on For Honor's main feature: its combat gameplay. For him, For Honor's weapon-based fighting is "different from other melee-focused action games" like the Dark Souls series. He called the combat gameplay "simple on the surface" but advanced tactics executions require patience and an "understanding of its deliberate pacing." He likened the learning curve to dancing.
"You aren't adjusted to the choreography's complexity and speed, but after repeated practice, it becomes a gratifying exercise of muscle memory," he wrote.
Overall, he wrote that there aren't "many games quite like For Honor. For those with patience to learn the intricate gameplay will be rewarded with "some of the most satisfying multiplayer melee fighting conceived in recent years."
Game Informer - 7.75
Jeff Cork of Game Informer described his experience playing For Honor as "battle-scarred but victorious." He described the medieval feel as something straight from childhood fantasies, "where every stick was a blade and your backyard was a roiling battleground waiting for your swordsmanship to save the day."
He referred to the combat system as "easily the highlight" of the game, describing it as a "solid foundation for the rest of the diverse modes." He loved the battles for being "methodical and thoughtful." He loved how it fared differently from button-mashing fighting games, calling it a "kind of psychological engagement" when you try to circle around your opponent, "looking for weaknesses and openings." He, however, found issues with the online economy and connection issues as he experienced "frequent disconnections" and players "vanishing" before his eyes.
Overall, he described For Honor as "a brutal and rewarding game" that lets you live your warrior fantasies. You might get killed in game, "but those failures make your battlefield successes even sweeter," he wrote.
Eurogamer - Recommended
Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Eurogamer summed up For Honor as "terrific, brutal mix of Ubisoft-brand third-person game design and proven fighting game principles." He praised the game's realistic physics vis-a-vis the way the body moves when it deals and receives attacks. He also liked how well-balanced and distinguished the character classes are. Like other reviewers, he also did not like the game's single-player story mode, calling it the "most flavorless you'll ever come across" because of its "abysmal writing" and repurposed maps.
He concluded that For Honor as one of the "finest weapon-based fighting game" he has encountered, a "game of mindgames and reversals in which you'll savor nothing quite so much as a glorious defeat."
