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For Honor (PC) Review

Edwin Crump — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 17:43:06 +0000

For Honor is a bold attempt at something different by Ubisoft – an always online melee brawler, where Vikings, samurai and knights are incongruously mixed together in deadly combat. For a company like Ubisoft, where endless side quests and collectibles are de rigueur, this singular focus on just one, core gameplay mechanise stands out starkly. And For Honor is better for it. Slashing and hacking at your foes is delightful, and it is only when the game looks out past what makes it good onto the accouterments typical of the studio and AAA gaming more does it lose track.

For Honour features tactical combat that is at its best in one on one duels. Despite being set in the medieval, there’s no ranged combat such as archery available to your heroes. At the start you’re quickly familiarised through a quick tutorial with the standard blocks, attacks, guard breaks and parries and then taken straight into the action. It starts hard and only gets harder. Timing is everything.

You can block or attack in one of three directions. Simple enough but planning your attacks while constantly keeping an eye not just on your opponent but the wider field of battle requires intense concentration. You can be downed in just a few hits and one mistake can be harshly punished. On top of this you must manage your stamina, and it can be devastating if you run out of it. It’s relatively difficult now, and I can imagine that in a few months the skill ceiling will be enormously high, and may be a deterrent to newbies breaking onto the scene.

There are a variety of game modes, including a tutorial-esque single-player campaign which has some of the worst writing and dialogue in a game I’ve ever played, a control point Domination mode, Skirmish (my personal favourite) and 2v2 and 4v4. But even within the larger battles, spontaneous 1v1 duels are the highlight. For Honor feels like it really should be a game only about 1v1 duels, but Ubisoft being Ubisoft felt they had to add more and more to justify its asking price.

A more stripped-down game, with a main focus on 1v1 at a third of the price might have been a much better fit. The core mechanics are well thought-through and feel fantastic. But Ubisoft have enveloped them in all the trappings of a modern AAA game, with some unwelcome free-to-play additions such as micro-transactions to boot. Why a game about dueling needs two types of collectibles – one of which you obtain by smashing pots – is beyond me. I can only hope that Ubisoft releases a “starter edition” or something like it featuring only duels, sometime in the future, as the current asking price is far more than I would be willing to pay.

For me it was a huge shame that the factions didn’t play differently from one another. There was a huge opportunity to develop a scissors-paper-rock trifecta of skills, a la Fire Emblem or Starcraft, but instead each faction is instead broken down into the four classes that play very similarly to one another. That said, each hero has their own unique movesets and strengths, just as in a fighting game, and as time goes by and players master these movesets, I’m sure an interesting and vibrant metagame will emerge. And Ubisoft have committed to adding more content to the game over time, not only more cosmetic items or weapons but heroes as well, which should keep the meta fresh.

There’s also metagame between the factions, but beside pride and in-game rewards, I never found any compelling reason to care. When I opened multiplayer coloured sections of the map would shift around (think Civilization), but why I should be invested in that wider conflict I never really understood.

2v2 and 4v4 can be great, but at the same time the battle usually goes the way of the team that can whittle down numbers early in the piece. Comebacks one you’re outnumbered are incredibly difficult and with the smallest amount of co-ordination (okay, ganking), it’s relatively easy to knock out a teammate early on.

Dominion is less structured and more of a free-for-all. By killing opponents and capturing zones of the map, you work to be first to 1,000 points. Points can be accumulated by taking out mobs, captains, heroes and capturing objectives. But it’s not a steady march upwards, points can be lowered, such as by losing an objective/control point. It’s the mode that best makes the case for a version of this game that goes beyond 1v1 duels. It can be hectic and hugely kinetic. But because of this, it also largely does away with the mechanical finesse required in the other modes. A much lesser combat system would work just as well, and I can’t feel that the “Art of Battle” system is largely wasted here. Nevertheless, it is definitely enjoyable, and I can imagine elite teams of four having enormous fun.

At least on PC and from Australia, I do have some complaints about matchmaking. Even when it stated that there was “very high” level of activity, I found it difficult to find a match with people in my region and around my skill level. Almost every time it quickly expanded its search to all regions, all game modes and all skill levels. This is obviously not ideal, for new players especially, who often have no choice but to be paired up with high level players from another country, and its subsequent high ping rate, which is often murderous in a game such as this. I also had a number of disconnections, which may be partly due to the lack of dedicated servers and reliance on P2P as well. You can play with relatively worthy AI, but playing with and against humans is undoubtedly the preferred way to hack and slash.

I had more fun with For Honor than I originally thought I would. It seemed to be too much. Some MOBA like gameplay, duels, a single-player campaign and more? Surely that doesn’t work. But somehow it does. A very solid core loop is immensely satisfying. The additions piled on top of that feel less necessary, and may distract, but fortunately rarely overwhelm what makes this game great in the first place. For Honor is the rare new IP that manages to get right straight out of the gate. I have a feeling that it may become the next Rainbow Six Siege, a sleeper hit that will only get better with time, but with a commensurate increase in skill needed to play.

For Honor (PC) Review

Released: February 2017
Rating: R16
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Windows 7 or Higher)
Genre: Action
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft

4.0Overall Score

Gameplay

Graphics

Audio

Replayability

Reader Rating 0 Votes

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For Honor Hands On (PlayStation 4) Preview

Blair Loveday — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 11:37:40 +0000

“As it stands I must say I have been converted from curious to interested in For Honor”.

When For Honor was shown at E3 in 2016 I know I was among many who weren’t quite sure what to expect. With a seemingly enormous battle between Knights, Vikings and Samurai that looked awesome, one couldn’t help but be skeptical. How was it going to operate when everyday users were getting stuck into the game? Well, thanks to the Closed Beta weekend, my skepticism has been eased.

When you start For Honor you are expected to join one of the factions, either Knights, Samurai or Vikings, which affects nothing but aesthetics and the global war element. There are three gameplay modes in the Beta but there are more coming to the full game. The first is a 1 v 1 duel, the second was a 2 v 2 Brawl mode and the third as well as best For Honor experience, the 4 v 4 Dominion mode.

The 1 v 1 duel is fairly self-explanatory. The 2 v 2 Brawl is the same as 1 v 1 but depending on your partner this can vary greatly, as reviving each other is an option if you can pull it off in battle where isn’t always easy to have enough time to pull off a revive. Then there is 4 v 4 Dominion mode. Each team gains points by collecting and holding zones as well as killing enemies. On top of the four players on each team there are also a large number of AI low powered enemies and allies that spawn and try to defend your areas. This makes for huge battles that look impressive which are fun to hack and slash your way through. Once you get enough points the opposition gets broken which makes them go into perma-death mode and then your team needs to kill each of the opposing team one more time.

The game modes are all very fun and work well. I hit some frame rate issues in Dominion a couple of times but with the game being in Beta, this should hopefully be fixed by launch. The beta also had none of the campaign content which it supposedly requires online which I’m not a fan of but we will see at launch about that.

The gameplay itself feels perfect for the 1 v 1 duels, revolving around slow attacks that feel like you are welding a large weapon. The process of attacking and defending involves using three zones dictated by the joysticks. To successfully defend from an attack, you need to defend in the right zone. The zones are indicated via markers, but you need to watch until the attack in case your opponent changes the zone at the last second. Nailing 1 v 1 combat is great and it means in the bigger battles it’s that much more important to not let yourself get ganged up on as you are at a severe disadvantage.

As mentioned before there is also a bigger global game between the three factions. When you complete a match, depending on how you did, you’ll gain War Assets to contribute towards the war of the factions. Every six hours an update is done which shows the territory held or changed depending on where War Assets have been deployed. At launch Rounds are going to last two weeks and seasons are going to last ten weeks. Once the season ends rewards are given based on how your faction did. You see the current areas and who controls them at the multiplayer match selection screen, which converted me from not caring to being surprisingly invested in the system.

As it stands I must say I have been converted from curious to interested in For Honor. Depending on how the campaigns operate and their storyalong with a potentially a lasting community, For Honor could truly be something special.

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For Honor Gameplay Trailer Released

STG News — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 08:31:11 +0000

Today, during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Ubisoft announced that For Honor, Ubisoft’s new action IP in which players embody skilled and deadly elite warriors from the Knight, Viking and Samurai legacies, will be available on February 14th, 2016. New details surrounding For Honor’s story-driven campaign were also revealed. For Honor, mixing skill with visceral, melee combat through its innovative Art of Battle, will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC, at launch.

Playable in solo and two-player co-op, online and split-screen, For Honor’s full-fledged story campaign is a tale of warriors in which players will live from the inside a crucial moment in the war amongst Knights, Vikings and Samurai. A thousand years after a huge cataclysm destroyed their world, the Knights, the Vikings and the Samurai have united their scattered forces and what was a rampant conflict is about to turn into a total open war. Embodying the greatest warriors in each faction, players will need all their wits and skill to ensure the survival of their people and foil the plans of Apollyon, the merciless and bloodthirsty leader of the Blackstone Legions. Storming castles and fortresses, turning the tide of massive battles and confronting deadly bosses in intense duels, players will become Heroes of legend, symbols and models for their warrior legacies.

In addition, it was announced during the E3 Ubisoft press conference to us that players and fans can start registering now at www.forhonorgame.com for a chance to take part in the forthcoming alpha and beta that will happen on all platforms. Registered fans will have a chance to play the game and provide feedback that will aid the For Honor team in providing the most immersive and enjoyable experience at launch.

Deluxe and Gold Editions of For Honor were also announced. With the Deluxe Edition, gamers will be able to dominate the battlefield faster and in style with exclusive content, including gear, customization items, a special execution effect for all heroes, boosters and more. The Retail version of the Deluxe Edition will also provide players and fans with an exclusive lithography and the original soundtrack of the game. Additional details about the Deluxe Edition will be available at a later date, so stay tuned to us.

The Gold Edition will include the base game, the Deluxe Pack items from the Deluxe Edition, plus the full Season Pass.

Additionally, fans who pre-order For Honor will receive the exclusive Legacy Battle Pack. This pack includes three exclusive armor designs, inspired by ancient tales of our warriors, and gamers can embody the legendary sprit of each faction in these legacy armor designs. These three armor styles are exclusive to the Legacy Battle Pack and wearable by the Warden, Raider, and Kensei Heroes.

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal in collaboration with other Ubisoft studios, For Honor offers an engaging campaign and a thrilling multiplayer. Players embody warriors of the three Great Factions – the bold Knights, the brutal Vikings and the enigmatic Samurai – fighting to the death on intense and believable melee battlefields. Leveraging the Art of Battle, For Honor’s innovative combat system that puts them in total control of their warriors, players can use the unique skills and combat style of each Hero to dominate all the opponents who stand in their way.

The post For Honor Gameplay Trailer Released appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ubisoft Celebrates 30 Years of Creating Games at E3 2016

STG News — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 23:34:33 +0000

Ubisoft has revealed its plans for E3 2016, where its creative teams will proudly present highly anticipated titles such as Watch Dogs 2, For Honor™ and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon^® Wildlands. They’ll also detail new content coming for live games and – as usual – unveil some surprises.

The week will kick off with Ubisoft’s E3 2016 Conference, taking place on Monday, June 13 starting at 1 p.m. PDT and preceded by a 30-minute pre-show. E3 attendees can experience Ubisoft games at its booth (booth #1023, South Hall, Los Angeles Convention Center) from June 14 – 16. More than 1,700 fans also have the opportunity to play Ubisoft games and meet the development teams at the fourth-annual Ubisoft Lounge.

“E3 is always a very special moment when everyone in the entertainment business does their best to amaze and engage gamers. For Ubisoft’s teams, it’s a period of pride and of anxious anticipation because they are finally showing off the games they’ve poured so much passion into, and receiving feedback from players and peers. Our industry has evolved so much in the past 30 years, but what hasn’t changed is my love and respect for the limitless passion and talent of developers and players alike,” said Yves Guillemot, co-founder and CEO, Ubisoft. “The video game industry continues to enjoy strong momentum, with powerful new platforms that enable more creativity, expression and imagination. More than ever, video games are showing how they will shape the future of entertainment. I can’t wait to be at E3 and see what the future has in store.”

Actress and comedian Aisha Tyler hosts her fifth Ubisoft E3 Conference, which will include all new trailers and gameplay demos for upcoming Ubisoft games. The conference will be broadcast live and on demand on Ubisoft.com, Ubisoft’s YouTube channel as well as on its Twitch channel.

Among other titles, Ubisoft will be showcasing:

For Honor: Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, For Honor drops gamers into the chaos of a raging battlefield during an ongoing war between three Great Factions: the bold Knights, the brutal Vikings and the enigmatic Samurai. For every battle, players can choose which warrior they want to embody amongst the unique Heroes from this pantheon, using their distinct skills and weapons to fight for land, people and honor, decimating all soldiers, archers and opposing Heroes who stand in their way.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands: Set a few years from now, Ghost Recon Wildlands lets players lead a team of Ghosts, a four-player U.S. Elite Special Operations unit, on a covert mission to eliminate the Santa Blanca drug cartel, an underworld power and growing global threat within Ubisoft’s imagining of an incredibly beautiful, yet dangerous Bolivia.
South Park The Fractured But Whole: Delve into the crime-ridden underbelly of South Park as the newest member of Coon & Friends. As the New Kid, players must harness their super powers to fight crime and become part of the most beloved superhero franchise of all time.
Eagle Flight: Developed exclusively for virtual reality, players will soar over the skies of Paris as an eagle and experience the freedom of flight. Players take on enemies in fast-paced multiplayer battles for up to 3v3 or level-up flying skills in single player to navigate their eagle gracefully through the city’s most iconic landmarks.

For the fourth year in a row, Ubisoft is welcoming some of its biggest fans to E3 by inviting them to the Ubisoft Lounge.

More than 1,700 fans will visit this pop-up event being held nearby the Los Angeles Convention Center. At the Ubisoft Lounge, fans will have hands-on time with games from Ubisoft’s E3 lineup, as well as time to discuss their favorite titles with Ubisoft’s teams, attend master classes, compete against other fans and win prizes. Fifty fan ambassadors, the “Star Players” from around the world, also will join Ubisoft for full access to this year’s E3. These Star Players are chosen from among the most dedicated of Ubisoft’s fans. The Ubisoft Lounge will open its doors Tuesday, June 14th, 2016 at 2 p.m. PDT and close Wednesday, June 15th, 2016 at 6 p.m. PDT. On Tuesday, starting at 8:30 p.m. PDT, a Special Ops Night will gather development teams from Tom Clancy’s The Division, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands for a 90 minute livestream with on-site fans.

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Carve a Path of Destruction with For Honor

Shane Thomas — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 10:43:14 +0000

In more Ubisoft E3 2015 reveals, they announced the development of For Honor, a new IP mixing skill, strategy and team play with visceral, melee combat. For Honor is in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC.

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, For Honor drops gamers into the chaos of a raging battlefield during an ongoing war between three Great Factions: the bold Knights (the Legions), the brutal Vikings (the Warborn) and the enigmatic Samurai (the Chosen).

For every battle, players can choose which warrior they want to embody amongst the unique Heroes from this pantheon and use their distinct skills and weapons to fight for land, people and honor, decimating all soldiers, archers and opposing Heroes who stand in their way.

For Honor includes both a thrilling multiplayer and an engaging, single-player campaign, letting players conquer their foes alone or with friends.

Tense gameplay mixes the skill and ruthlessness of a shooter with the quick, heat of the battle decision-making of team-based tactical games. The Art of Battle, Sanctuary’s innovative control scheme, gives players total command of their weapons by creating a direct connection between the input on the controller and the moves performed on screen. Players choose precisely where to block, where to attack and how to adapt their approach to each battle in real time.

“Our vision with For Honor is to create a game that ignites the same emotions that a warrior would feel on a real battlefield.

The tension of face-to-face encounters with deadly enemies, the adrenaline of charging alongside your army against the opposition, and the danger of a chaotic battle when you don’t know where the next strike will come from,” said Jason Vandenberghe, Creative Director, Ubisoft. “It’s a game that celebrates the art of sword-fighting and the legacy of the legendary warriors from those great legacies, the Knights, the Vikings and the Samurai that we brought together in one single experience.”

Fans who want to get the latest news and content about Sanctuary and have a chance to play the game first can register to For Honor’s Backstage Program HERE and follow the game’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

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