Strange Girl Gaming

Let me begin by saying that I am sorry for how long it has taken me to get his post finished and published! I started a new job recently and getting into a new routine for my shift hours has been somewhat challenging but I am back now!

For Honor has been out for 4 weeks now and I feel that is safe to say that it has already garnered a strong and loyal fanbase, and I happen to be one of these fans, you see I have had many fights on the battlefield over the past 4 weeks so I do feel as though I have a pretty solid feel for this game and its mechanics now. When it comes to the single player mode I find it very hard to fault For Honor, now as much as I have been enjoying the multiplayer aspects of this game I do feel that there is a major problem that Ubisoft need to address before it’s too late.

I would like to begin with the many good things I have to say about For Honor, the first key thing I’d like to discuss is the combat system. I don’t think that there has ever been a combat system as intricate as this, for me personally I believe that it causes the fights to feel more realistic, it’s more of a challenge requiring some tactics rather than a standard button masher. In order to successfully block or parry an attack you must first match the stance of your opponent, should you wish to cause some serious damage to your adversary you must be in either of the two stances in which you opponent is not. I believe it does take some skill to master this system and it does take practice with the hero of your choosing to learn their combos and what fighting style suits you.

The campaign of this game is fantastic, honestly I can’t fault it and I’m not even going to try, all 3 chapters are brilliant and immersive. It never feels too samey or boring, it’s exciting, it’s thrilling, it’s an all out war amongst three legendary factions. Chapter 1 sees us playing primarily as the warden with one mission requiring us to play as the lawbringer and another putting us into the shoes of a peacekeeper. For much of the wardens story we are used to an upfront battle but when playing as Mercy the peacekeeper stealth becomes our best friend.

Chapter 2 sees us play as the raider, though we do get to experience both the warlord and the Valkyrie in this chapter. The mission in which you play as the Valkyrie was a personal favourite for me across all of the chapters.

Chapter 3 wasn’t overly enjoyable for me but that’s simply because me and the orochi don’t exactly get along very well, I just can’t get the hang of using the orochi which is a real shame given how devastating they can be when utilised well in PVP. When playing as the kensei however I found myself loving the samuai, much like the Valkyrie mission from the vikings chapter I enjoyed it more than most of the other missions I embarked upon. Having said that I really do feel the need to say there isn’t a single mission I actively dislike, my inability to perform as an orochi doesn’t impact my opinion on the design of the levels.

The story itself was very well written, the idea of weeding out weak and raising up the true wolves of humanity was brilliant. What better way to determine the best humanity has to offer across three factions than to cause an all out war? Apollyon did just that, she believed that humans were born to fight not to be peaceful, she believed that war created strong warriors, whereas peace created weak beings. Unfortunately after all you go through across the campaign Apollyon does in fact win, while you may have bested her in battle her legacy lives on, her longing for war lives on, the war she created rages on.

Moving onto the multiplayer, there are several modes all of which are a lot of fun and rather challenging depending upon the skill of your enemy. All modes can be played in PVP or vs the AI.

1.      Dominion

Arguably the most popular mode for multiplayer, dominion puts you in a match of 4v4. The idea of this match is to capture zones A,B and C, once a team hits 1000 points their opponents will break should the winning team successfully eliminate all opponents they will win the battle. Make no mistake though just because you cause a team to break doesn’t mean they will stay broken, no, in fact they can rally bringing your impending victory to a halt. I have been in matches where the losing team has not only rallied but they have gone on to not just break their enemies but they have destroyed their enemies. If you want to experience the thrill of battle then this mode is for you.

2.      Duels

Now should you prefer some one on one action without the interference of team mates then a duel is the mode for you. It’s exactly what it says on the tin, a one on one fight, best out of 5 rounds. This is the only mode in which you are guaranteed and honourable fight, while you may start one on one in both brawl and elimination make no mistake that you can still be ganked, some players will abandon their duel for the numbers game.

3.      Elimination

Essentially this is a 4v4 duel, but you may get power ups to give you back health, a shield, an increase in attack damage umongst other things. As stated above be prepared to not only be outnumbered should your teammates fall in their duels but your adversary may not be as honourable as you, they may be too afraid of one on one and favour the numbers game.

4.      Brawl

The 2 on 2 version of the duel, besides a lack in numbers and power ups it is the same as elimination, meaning the chances of an unfair fight are still there. Don’t forget this is war, not everyone will maintain their morals like you.

5.      Skirmish

This is essentially dominion minus capturing zones. You are granted power ups around the battlefield. Since you aren’t capturing zones the only way to capture points is to eliminate the enemy, this is 4 on 4 all out fight to the death. There is the potential to rally in this mode should your team break just like dominion.

 

Now my major concern with the multiplayer mode is the people who are AFK but have left an elastic band around their controller to keep their hero moving. This to me is pointless and stupid! Not to mention how unfair it is in those who get teamed up with these time wasters, I know they are doing it to level up quicker but I have to ask, what is the point in owning the game if that is all you are going to do? Sure it gets you to a higher level eventually giving you reputation (essentially this is prestige) but that doesn’t make you good at the game, it makes you an easy target when you do decide to stop being lazy! Let’s say as an example a reputation 4 level 17 law bringer who has only achieved this through being lazy comes up against an orochi of the same reputation who has fought hard and earned their reputation, who is going to win? The orochi obviously.

Honestly though any player who has simply played the game properly and gone to war whatever level they may be will destroy those who have essentially cheated their way through. To those who choose to impact upon the experience of others through doing this, shame on you, your reputation doesn’t make you good, fighting and killing the enemy on the battlefield is what makes you good.

As far as the heroes go they are all very well designed, I do believe the peacekeeper, orochi and the kensei to be OP at the moment but I won’t take anything away from those who have mastered how to play as them, those who actually utilise these characters to their full potential make for an impressive adversary, though some people do prefer to simply spam the same OP attacks from these classes which are undoubtedly irritating for those who have to fight them. My personal favourite warriors are the warden, the Valkyrie and the nobushi, for me all three of these classes are amazing to play as, the warden is a good class for someone who is new to the game and the other two are good for showcasing your speed and skill.

The assassin classes I struggle to play as, I’m very aggressive in my play style and they just don’t suit that. Should you be able to master one of them though you will prove to be a valuable ally and a dangerous enemy.

In conclusion this game is easily the best game I have played so far this year, only just beating nioh, the multiplayer is fantastic except for the AFK players. Should you wish to pick this game up I shall see you on the battlefield, be it allies or enemies one thing is certain, it’s going to be a war!

Oh and if you guys are interested in not only the game but history of the legendary warriors featured in it then I recommend checking out Lee Vockins The infinite one, they have done an awesome post on the history surrounding the factions and the warriors within them. I’ll leave a link to their post below. Thanks for reading guys, I’ll be back with a new post really soon.

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