For Honor - Beta Than Expected

Published February 1, 2017

From the internet historians calling the game out for historical inaccuracies all the way to the rock hard fans of melee warfare boarding the hype train, For Honor has been shrouded in doubt and excitement alike since Ubisoft mentioned it in 2015.

This past weekend gave a select “few” (and up to 4 of their friends) the opportunity to try the game out across all platforms during the closed Beta. Having had my hands on the Alpha at rAge last year, I was expecting much of the same – which was not much to start with – though ended up pleasantly surprised.

The Beta starts off with a cinematic that sheds some light on the cause of having these 3 historic warrior types in the same place and time. I personally feel that pitting Knights up against Samurai needs no justification as a simple “because it’s awesome” is good enough for me to dig in! I suspect it will fortify the tale in the campaign so I’ll let it slide. Luckily the cinematic doesn’t last long and you’re immediately cast into an arena against basic AI to learn the fundamental strings of the game, which eventually becomes more complex than it initially feels.

Once you’ve convinced yourself you understand the basics, you’re free to select your primary faction. Choosing between either the Vikings, Samurai or Knights, you ultimately become part of a bigger battle known as the War of the Factions. It’s a global, cross-platform and persistent event that sums up the whole of all the player efforts in For Honor. Playing as any faction in any mode grants the reward of War Assets, which can either be manually or automatically spent for you on the World Map. The more assets pumped into the Map for your Primary faction, the higher your faction will climb and once a war cycle comes to an end the winning faction members are awarded with the spoils of war, which is currently limited to logo elements for your character.

As explained assets can be acquired by playing as any hero from any faction, no matter your primary allegiance. This in any of the 3 currently available game modes: 1v1 Duels, 2v2 Brawls (or as I like to refer to it, No Honor) and 4v4 Dominion. Each of the modes pit players up against each other in direct combat, bar Dominion which is a MOBA-like, conquest mode with AI “creeps” and 4v4 area control. I personally took an intense liking to the skill involved in duels and got massive pleasure from winning what at times felt like impossible odds.

Regardless of the mode played or success of the match, players will always be rewarded War Assets for their Faction War. Players also have a RnG chance to be rewarded a field drop, post-match which could be anything from a new blade for your sword to a new helmet for your hero. Each drop has unique strengths and weaknesses which alter your character and add an intriguing RPG element to the game. The value of which will be enjoyed in the testament of custom hero builds players will explore and this element alone is what gives me hope in the success of this game.

With a pool of 12 heroes in total (the beta only gave players access to 3 per faction), For Honor has spoiled us with choice as each hero no matter how similar some may seem, is unique in every way and thus requires a whole lot of time and effort to perfect. I took favour in the Knight’s Conqueror – A slow, defensive tank with a shield and flail capable of withstanding quite a beating and almost able to block any attacks. His only real weakness being his sluggish attacks, which I found could fool many would be victors into the unexpected reach of my flail.

Each of you will find a character that suits your chosen or exacted style of play. From the balanced Knights Warden, the Samurai Orochi dodge-king and the ever-irritating Viking Berseker with his über-knee stun, whichever hero you decide to play as will grant you a unique experience and set of skills to keep each fight a nail-biting affair.

Perfecting these Heroes takes skill and a lot of it, almost comparable to the lightning reflexes required in fighting games. Being able to read your opponent and counter his intentions is in its own a masterful skill. Add to that the initial 12 heroes who are each unique and also have their own 50+ field drops that modify everything from their stamina, movement speed and even strength, and you’ve got almost limitless possibility of never encountering the same tactics in a multiplayer encounter.

For Honor is in the very least an intriguing title as it currently stands and no doubt a risk taker, but it has remarkable flare and a uniqueness unlike anything I’ve played in years. Should you buy it? Well, why don’t you decide for yourself with next weekend’s Open Beta – Scheduled from the 9 th to the 12 th of February.

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Stunt

Gaming Editor / Tech Author at Geek Node

Some say that he sees the world at 144 frames per second and his thumbs are actual analog sticks. All we know is he's called Stunt.