Experience the Mortal Majesty of Swordplay in For Honor

Combat has evolved substantially throughout human history. Our tools have changed, becoming deadlier and easier to wield with each iteration, but nothing has ever quite surpassed the sword in terms of sheer lethal elegance. It’s a weapon that requires immense skill and focus to master, giving those who do the power to bend entire battles to their will. Ubisoft Montreal’s For Honor is built around this very concept, pitting two teams of five players against each other in a battle for territory framed around fierce, calculated duels.The battlefield is flooded with colored units, some on your side but most from the opposition, and those computer-controlled pawns can be dispatched with basic light and heavy attacks without much thought. For Honor feels very much like Dynasty Warriors in these moments, as you and your teammates fight back hordes of weaklings to capture a piece of territory. Dynasty Warriors actually has a significant advantage in attack variety in comparison to For Honor, but what it doesn’t have is its tactical PvP duels.

When you get another player in your sights and lock on, your fighter will immediately raise his sword in preparation for the approaching clash of blades. He’ll wield his weapon in whichever direction you flick the right stick, either left, right, or up. Matching your opponent’s stance will block their strike, while moving your blade to a position your foe has left open creates a chance for a light or heavy attack, depending on which button you press. Players can also dodge and break their opponent’s guard, often opening up opportunities for lethal counterstrikes. For Honor‘s duels are tense, tactical encounters, but they’re only a portion of the game’s broader battlefield clashes.Ubisoft Montreal’s game is first and foremost focused on the acquisition of territory, and teams must work fluidly to push back enemy units and isolate opposing knights. Working in pairs seemed to be a successful strategy during my time with the demo, especially when we faced up against a single enemy knight. Part of the tactical aspect of For Honor is keeping tabs on the overall state of the battlefield and fighting wherever you’re most needed, instead of blindly swinging your sword at every enemy you see. The game rewards you incrementally for maintaining a streak of small victories, tallying the soldiers you kill and unlocking special abilities, like rallying your troops for a time or unleashing a barrage from a catapult. These perks once again emphasize the strategic element of For Honor, teaching players that it’s perfectly acceptable to run from a fight if they need to regroup and maintain their advantage long-term.

Falling to the blade of a foe sends you back to the point you spawned from without tolling more than your time, but once your opponents start to overwhelm you in territory control your team loses the ability to respawn, making each death more costly and raising the stakes exponentially for the players left alive. Though the pressure is high in these moments, the battle is not lost; your team can level the field by recapturing crucial pieces of territory, extending For Honor‘s tug-of-war gameplay until one team bests the other definitively.The demo only offered knights as playable units, but in the final game players will also have access to warriors from the Viking and samurai factions. You’ll be able to choose from a variety of weapons, classes, and even customize your armor, and take to the battlefield online with your friends or in a campaign designed to welcome players to For Honor’s unique, culturally blended world. Ubisoft looks to have a truly unique and exciting new IP on its hands, and we can’t wait to see more ahead of the game’s 2016 release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.