IMPRESSIONS: ‘For Honor’ awakens your inner savage

MANILA, Philippines – For Honor could be Ubisoft’s next biggest hit. It’s quite a bold statement, but that’s what I felt mere hours after the closed beta of the game ended some 2 weeks ago. 

If you aren’t familiar yet, For Honor is Ubisoft’s latest multiplayer melee action title. It features 3 historical factions: the knights, samurai, and vikings all fighting for territory. Players can choose any of the 3 factions and help conquer more territory by participating in battle and donating war assets.  

What makes For Honor stand out is their unique melee combat system. Coupled with its war-torn environment and intense music, the game allows for some of the most gripping battles and encounters. I’ve had countless duels that left my hands shaking and my heart pumping. I’ve even caught myself making a victorious battle cry after slicing off an opponent’s head clean.  

This game can truly awaken your inner warrior and that’s all because of how For Honor’s mechanics and gameplay work. Its combat system is deep. You definitely cannot win a single game if you’ve only opted to master the art of random button mashing. For comparison’s sake think of Dark Souls’ multiplayer combat, except it’s not only the timing that you should be wary of. For Honor’s controls may seem straightforward at first but it forces you to be more methodical. 

The most essential element that For Honor brings to the table is the stance. Every hero has 3 stances to block and attack. You may attack or block left, right, and upwards. While the controls are the same for everyone, each hero has a different approach when it comes to blocking and attacking.  

This is something I learned the hard way after trying to switch from one class (the Samurai’s Kensei) to another (the Knight’s Assassin). Some heroes are adept at blocking attacks, others will be better off with dodging. There are heroes that are damn good at forcing an opening, and there are other heroes that require a lot of skill and good timing to slice and dice your opponents. Mastering one, does not mean mastering all. There are 4 character classes in every faction. 

It can also awaken your inner savage. If you are used to the unspoken Fight Club rules employed by Dark Souls player-versus-player (PvP) fans, then you may not appreciate the Dominion game mode of For Honor. The 4v4 mode tends to invite the brutal and base, and often you may find yourself the victim of dishonorable ganks and backstabs if you operate alone in the field. 

And just like almost every multiplayer game, For Honor has a pretty unstable server. The bigger problem with For Honor though is that it doesn’t allow you to enter the same lobby you’ve been kicked out of. This is especially frustrating if you’re in a Dominion game.  

That being said, I feel I no longer need to emphasize how incredibly promising this game is shaping up to be. It’s high time we got ourselves a multiplayer melee game that employs stances, and I’m glad that Ubisoft seems to be doing it right. 

Now if they can only iron out the server issues and punish dishonorable deeds, then Ubisoft can expect a loyal base. 

Looking forward to try out the game for yourself? For Honor held its open beta from February 9 to 12 before launching officially on February 14, Tuesday. – Rappler.com

Nadine has been a passionate gamer since she was a freshman in college. When she isn’t playing video games, watching her favorite YouTubers, or trying to share her gaming misadventures, Nadine is working on her photography and her travel plans. Her biggest gaming wish? To build her own gaming PC and to see the release of ‘Devil May Cry 5.’