For Honor feedback on release

This is a brief review on the full release of For Honor, for those people who didn't buy the game.

For Honor was released on 14th February 2017. Players now get to play the highly-anticipated single player (or co-op) experience with factions of famous soldier archetypes (Vikings, Knights, Samurais) . Players had the chance to experience this game in the beta and alpha but only now we can finally see all of the changes that are in the official release. Let us look at what was offered.

Gameplay

There are five different game modes in For Honor.
1 Vs. 1 Duels allows individual players to fight others (or AI) to test their skills solo.
2 Vs. 2 Brawls could be considered death matches, using teamwork to gain fame for your faction.
4 Vs. 4 Dominion is the main mode of the game, having players working to claim the most objectives and kill the enemy players, while both sides have AI waves who will be working around the map to help gain (and hold) the bases.
4 Vs. 4 Elimination which is a four-on-four match in which nobody respawns and the last player standing wins the round for their team.
4 Vs. 4 Skirmish which is a four-vs.-four team deathmatch-style mode in which players score points with kill

Combat can split the boys from the men, just as medieval combat did during the past. Various online modes allow players to participate in brutal close-range combat at its finest. The primary goal for the factions is to win matches to gain territory over a set course of time; the more territory that they help gain for their faction, the more rewards will be given at the end of the season.

The most important lesson, which cannot be stressed enough, is that it is required to know how to block and dodge efficiently. Learning to block against AI and humans is necessary to survive, arguably more than fighting itself. Combat can be fast and very deadly against someone with their block broken, or even when they failed to properly deflect an incoming attack in the correct direction. Learning how to block efficiently can be the difference from someone to enjoying the game, to returning it over rage quitting. It is also essential to know how to dodge uninterruptable attacks as being hit by them can result in an unfavorable situation.

Although players choose their desired faction in the beginning, everyone can play as the warriors from each, giving players a chance to choose their preferred archetype. With each victory in every game mode, players earn rewards. The equipment gained from the victories could be used to give an extra edge in battle. Also included (to give warriors extra personality), players can create their own crest to place on their customizable warriors so that everyone else will know who to fear on the battlefield (Some of my friends spent over fifteen minutes customizing their crest; the system is pretty robust and allows for quite a bit of individuality).

Graphics/Music

Combat could be considered challenging, but one of the greatest achievements of For Honor is the design. Landscapes, buildings, and the warriors all look stunning, but hopefully players will not get too distracted by the designs and get slaughtered. Ubisoft has shown that they have made sure that For Honor will be both a fun and beautifully designed title, and it shows very well in gameplay.

Along with a good soundtrack, players can listen to special music which fits their faction. This music could be compared to the music in action movies, where the song enriches the experience of the battle.

Story Mode

Three legendary warrior factions – The noble Knights of the Iron Legion, the deadly Samurai of the Dawn Empire, and ferocious Vikings of the Warborn clans - are under threat from a mysterious and bloodthirsty warlord named Apollyon. Whatever your faction choice, one will be storming castles and fortresses, making the difference in massive battles, and confronting deadly bosses in intense duels in this single player. One will need to use his wits and skills to ensure the survival of your people and foil the plans of the merciless and bloodthirsty warlord.
Playable as single-player and two-player co-op one will be using different heroes through the chapters, which will help the players, experience the gameplay from different perspectives. Each of the three chapters of the story, have their own main character which have their story and origins.
Before the start of the campaign chapter one is able to select his Story Feats which work just like Multiplayer Feats but they are available at the from the start of the chapter. (No renown points are required to make the feats available). It was noted that some enemies have larger health pools then in their multiplayer counterpart. This means that 1v1 fights would last longer then you are used to.

I played the first Chapter of the single player campaign, which puts you in the iron shoes of the Iron Legion. These noble knights are the protectors of the realm, and the closest thing to a group of “standard” fantasy heroes. Here you can watch the first part of the Knights single player campaign in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wK7sHklM_I

Personally after I completed the Knights Chapter, it seems that campaign maps are pretty large and they are fun to explore. One can also interact with the environment for example standing on top of ice for a long period of time will make the ice crack and then eventually break. This means it is essential to pay attention to your surroundings and that in some situations one will have the opportunity to use your surroundings to your advantage.

Each mission features a number of Observables and Breakables, the two types of collectables in For Honor Story mode. Breakables are, well, things you can break! Usually breakables are a bunch of vases/pots. You don’t need to destroy them all to “collect” a breakable. Breakables have a soft blue pulsing glow to them. Observables are things which you can look at which will further unlock extra dialogues which add to the depth of the story line.

Conclusion/Tips section

Here are a few tips for anyone who is still new to the game. These tips helped me out in the long run, I hope they help!

1. Do the Basic and Advanced Practice tutorials first. They're helpful to get basic mechanics down and they'll net you 3.5k Steel right off the bat.
2. If you plan on playing a lot in a short amount of time, invest that Steel into a Champion Status buff (it gives you extra XP and Steel for every match, and stacks with other players in the same match.) It pays for itself.
3. Watch the Basic and Advanced Tutorial videos for any heroes you're interested in. Then, pick one you like, and master that hero. In my opinion the better you are, the more you win, the more Steel you get to unlock new heroes. Get good with one before you start bouncing around between heroes.
4. Be patient when in combat, one should have a good mixture of offensive and defensive moves.

For Honor has proven that it can be an exciting game that can give a challenge for even hardcore gamers. Ubisoft will hopefully tweak the minor problems in the in the game, I think that this game will have a large fan base for a long time. In my opinion For Honor focused on it multiplayer gameplay more than the single player story mode. One could say that the story mode is an addition extra to the multiplayer. What are your thoughts regarding this game. Feel free to comment down below.

And please do not forget to check out our single player series on YouTube. We will upload a part of a chapter for you each day. Feel free to like our videos and subscribe. Thanks for the support!