A risk in video games is something that can break or make a company, as for Honor it is probably one of the riskiest bets Ubisoft has brought us all so far this generation, daring with something completely new and away from current fashions. Thus, Ubisoft puts innovation and testing new ideas, how well does the game do is something very necessary for the industry that does not stall and gets moving towards new directions.
And no wonder, since they launch a competitive multiplayer game medieval court and focused on the battles and duels with melee weapons in a market dominated by market shooters online, is not something that has high expectations of success, but Fortunately for all, Ubisoft has bet strong by the product at hand today, giving the usual treatment of any of its Triple – a games, no skimping on budget and making the best game they can.
In fact, much light that have been at all times he is appreciated, reaching conducted three phases of different tests for the public and the community could taste it and contribute their grain of sand to the development, so that everyone who He was interested in it might be a good idea of what would be in the final version.
The final result? A very interesting proposal and that, although far from perfect, knows how to offer enough fun to make us spend a good number of hours waging war and fighting intense duels between samurai, knights and Vikings.
The first thing we would warn is that although the game includes a campaign for a player, this is nothing more than an accessory and a supplement that is not capable of supporting the title itself, since the real attraction and it really it has care is multiplayer, so if you are thinking of buying only for its single – player side, we recommend you do not do, at least at launch price.
That said, this is a game of action that can control up to twelve different characters (four per faction: Vikings, samurais and gentlemen), each with their own skills, special techniques and unique peculiarities. Although the basic controls are practically the same for all, the game experience changes a lot depending on who we control, since neither the speed at which we attack, or how to hit, and the movements that we make are the same, forcing we adapt to them and learn to master them if we want to be really competitive.
Speaking of controls, here we have one of the biggest differentiators of For Honor compared to other games on the market and one of its strengths. This is because there are three different directions in which we can cover and attack (right, left and above), which in combination with two types of basic attacks (weak and strong), the possibility of grips to break defense special techniques of each character ends up in a duel of wit and skill as tense as satisfactory.
We will have to demonstrate at all times that we are better than our opponent at the time to figure out where we ‘re going to attack and where we can catch him by surprise, when you use any of our resources and be very quick to react to anything that can happen, because the addresses by which we can come shock can be altered within a single combo.
Nor can we forget that there is an energy meter consumed with any of our actions, whether attacks or dodge, which we have to manage very well, because if we are empty we will be playing wait for it to recharge again to perform combos and special moves.
Another of the great successes we have in the game so well done that is the weight of arms, getting to feel very realistically each of the impacts, which come to be particularly satisfactory in the blockades and clashes between weapons.
To give you a better idea of what it means to play for Honor, the sensations transmitted fighting against other players are much closer to those of a fighting game than to a hack and slash, and this is something that it is accentuated with the passing hours. What initially seems a complex system but shallow, just made known to a lot of possibilities in the long run.
In fact, it has nothing to do with a duel between two players who just started playing with one of two experienced users and with some shooting. The first will be a little clumsy and random, with movements performed more or less randomly, while the latter go on to become almost a hypnotic dance where the locks, special techniques, elusive and precisely calculated movements are continuous. And the best part is that progress that we as players are always present, so constantly will notice how we are improving after each game.
In fact, the title comes something just content with just five ways that are not what they say precisely varied, as they rarely have many more goals in them to kill the contrary. On the one hand we have duels one against one, two against two four against four best of five rounds (ie, you have to win three for the win) and a classic death match by teams of four against four (with the caveat that we must first reach 1,000 points and eliminate all the opposing team behind it) and Domain.
This latter type is the “original”, as clashes raises four against four in which we have to conquer different points on the map to score points. Our goal is to score 1,000 points and eliminate all the opposing team to reach that figure, so that eliminating rivals going into the background to give more prominence to the strategy team.
As in all modes for teams of four, as we unite we will eliminations leveling up and unlocking skills during the game, like a MOBA it was. In fact, in the central base of each map have to remove minions to help our advance since conquer the place (AI controlled that last hit characters), resulting in very chaotic battles when both teams trying to grab with this area.
The characters are very unique
The truth is that this method has seemed much less fun than the rest, since the items tend to fall in absolute chaos and requires so much communication and team play that to which one of our comrades fail us can cast all by land, so we recommend you seek a group of friends to play it if you will really enjoy.
At least, the number of initial maps itself accompanies with twelve different scenarios and each of them with a lot of variants, providing them thus a very different visual appearance every time we play them (although the playable design remains intact). Of course, none of them is especially great, since what is sought is to encourage confrontations between players.
An interesting detail we have in the inclusion of a global war between factions, where we will be forced to join the Vikings, samurai or knights to fight for their cause and try to impose at the end of each season, something we’ll have to get supplies playing war games and send them to support the defenses and achievements of each territory.
What faction you will join?
No longer a curiosity, since, after all, our contribution to the end result will be very unremarkable, although we are sure that will help keep alive the community because it makes us participants in a global conflict with their own rewards at the end of each season, results will also affect the aesthetics of maps.
As for the system of progression, this is individual for each character. Get experience playing with them, allowing us to level up. Everyone who let us go give us a concrete reward, as our emblem or designs for new skills while increasing our chances of getting better loot to open boxes (including several pieces of random armor) or after each game.
All this equipment will improve us some attributes or other, although we liked prove that a certain balance not lose much about those with little time playing, because everything that we equip us to give us both benefits and disadvantages remains, so to It ends up being a matter of being lucky to touch us what we need and refine our preferences to fit our style of play.Try to complete all daily orders and contracts you can, as they offer a good amount of steel and experience.
Something to keep in mind is that the rate of progress is very well measured and, for example, unlock new characters has seemed a relatively simple task, especially if we meet daily quests and play for a while each day. Clearly, to maximize play a character need an enormous amount of hours, especially if we get all their equipment, but at least the game rewards us with some frequency.
Here we would like to note that for Honor will follow the same business model that Rainbow Six Siege, so all maps and modes that are released will be free, while new characters have to unlock them, either playing or paying real money for so the option of having it all without paying a penny more is present, which is always appreciated.
What we did not like so much is the online infrastructure and interface design, with a system of very unintuitive and confusing menus. In fact, start a new game is often a very tedious process, since the matchmaking system is not exactly fast or accurate (rather the contrary), something that is necessary to add several loading screens long lasting until at we can finally put us to fight.
There are plenty of micro-transactions, but all are optional.
Also, when a player disconnects often cost a lot to the system find a replacement, so that at the end of each game we ended up having to find a new one if we wanted to end up not playing with more bots than human, forcing us to go through the process search again from the beginning, with all that entails.
As if that were not enough, the game does not have dedicated servers, so it will always be one of the players in the game which make host, something that has not experience all kinds of irregularities, such as accidental disconnections, changes host disrupt the rhythm of the game, with much lag time, and so on. Eye, most of the time we played smoothly and without too many incidents, but the situation is what it is and these problems are present.
As we said at the beginning of the text, For Honor also it features a single player campaign, but has seemed by far the weakest of the whole. The main problem here is the playability of the game itself, and to face bots (which incidentally, are quite good and hard) is not half as fun to face other players.
When in multiplayer we fight a duel and win, really what we feel is that we are better and smarter than our opponents, while a bot that feeling does not exist, simply that the IA has decided it was time to commit an error not to react in time and let us beat. In addition, most of the time we spend fighting us against weak enemies who die two or three strokes, so much of the tactical factor often offer the game is lost, something that is relegated to small bosses to we will face.
To this it does not help the fact that the campaign is almost always develop in the same multiplayer maps (quite retouched and extended, of course) and that missions have a very linear and markings that design we cannot leave practically, by what all will advance where we say while eliminating what we go out of our way. There are some surprises, but that will be our usual routine.
The campaign could have been much better, but it has some interesting moments.
We will not deny that we have bored enough during the eight hours that it lasted us, and that at all times we were tempted to step out of the game to return to the multiplayer, but at least we have to admit that the story is well told (there a large number of videos generated by the game engine with a lot of quality), even though the story is not particularly interesting.
Also they added several collectibles in the form of observable objects and items that can break, which gives some replay value. In fact, this mode has its own progression system, so we will touch replay several times if we complete it 100%, something that does not seem to us the most attractive in the world idea. Yes, their inclusion is appreciated as extended tutorial works perfectly.
Graphically we have to admit that surprised us much how good the game looks, with detail scenarios, good animations, great modeled characters and a very accomplished lighting. There are some effects that creak and certain textures are not at the level of the rest, but usually is a game that easily enters the eye, something that also helps its great art section.
The sound leaves us with a soundtrack with little presence and unvaried, although the issues that has acclimate very well, they are quality and are perfectly suited to everything that happens on the screen. The effects we also liked a lot, especially with regard to the sound of weapons, proving a great pleasure to listen to.
Conclusion
For Honor it is one of those games that, while not perfect, is precisely what the industry needs: something new, original and different from what seen before, to risk offers new experience. Its combat system is very complete, giving rise to very intense, fun and satisfying duels ahead bring us great moments.
The Multiplayer we enjoyed it a lot, although it suffers from an alarming lack of variety that will make many get tired of it medium and long term, but if we can connect fully with its proposal, a long time will have to pass before we get tired of measure our sword skills with other players.
If you are looking For Honor for the campaign, then this is not your type of game as the campaign does not fulfill the same promises as the multiplayer does in every aspect. Whether one way or another, if you have the mood for something different, then For Honor is that game.