A new battle game lets you relive the childhood fantasy of playing fearless war heroes
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Samurais, vikings and knights battling it out - sounds like a childhood fantasy coming alive. That is exactly what Ubisoft’s new game, For Honor, does.
It’s a massive online multiplayer game where you start by choosing a faction - samurai, viking or knight.
At the heart of the story is a massive calamity that has set the three factions against each other. They haven’t stopped for thousands of years. Additionally, there are forces that will not let the fight die out either.
The game is massive in terms of what is there to do in a multiplayer. The single player is limited, but does a good job of educating you about the game.
The storyline has you playing several different characters as you take on Apollyon, a warlord that leads the Blackstone legion, which is trying to destroy the peace. Through the course of the single player campaign you will discover each faction, its characters and the unique fighting mechanics. It is a great way to discover the game and the story. Not to mention, good voice acting and cut-scenes. There is no attempt at explaining why these guys are in the same region though, except for the fact that they just are.
The gameplay, at times, feels very one-on-one where you have to judge what the opposition is planning. This duality makes the game interesting by mixing things up. Stamina also plays a big role as we found out when we lost a few duels; spamming attacks will drain you out and eventually you will be swinging your sword like an 80-year-old with arthritis. You may want to run around once in a while to build up stamina during a fight.
The multiplayer is another beast, altogether. You get to choose your faction in the beginning and then you have options to fight according to the style you prefer. The fight is largely divided into dominion, deathmatch, duel and brawl. Dominion is a battle where you have to score 1,000 points by eliminating the enemies and capturing areas. Once a team reaches 1,000 points, the other team can no longer spawn lower warriors, unless they kill any opponents or recapture an area. The game ends when the last warrior falls. Deathmatch is an elimination battle. Brawl is a team effort where you have to eliminate the opposing team in a best of five match-up. Duel, on the other hand, is a pure one-on-one experience where you really feel like you are in a western or one of those samurai movies where the opponents size each other up before going for the kill.
We loved the ‘dominion’ mode where you can go all Dynasty Warriors on your opponent. The other mode we loved was duel, which we felt was complete Zen. Though be warned, the online gamers are particularly skilled - you may sometimes be paired with a newbie who knows advance techniques like feinting.
It is hard to give a definite verdict with this game because it is so massive and we don’t have enough time to play all its components in depth. That said, this is a game you must buy if you have ever liked playing one of the characters as a child.
But, do remember the multiplayer ladders are a struggle and you may need to play every day to keep a decent rank.
For Honor
Rating: 4.5/5
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: PC, PS4, XBO
Price: PC: Rs 1,799; Consoles: Rs 3,499
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