Ubisoft’s “For Honor” is a solid, engaging combat game that finds a great balance between approachability and challenge. It is far from perfect, but it’s definitely a game worth trying out, especially for those who enjoy melee combat games.
First off, the game is absolutely gorgeous. It captures the raw carnage of medieval combat, which also means the game is quite gory at times. Those who do not like blood and severed limbs should stay away from “For Honor.” Those with a PlayStation 4 Pro get an even more beautiful game, as it is capable of playing on 4K.
However, if slicing up knights is one’s forte, then “For Honor” is a great choice. The controls are responsive and easy to learn, but the more complex moves are far harder to master. This allows the player to jump in early to have fun while also having a reason to stay for the long haul. Every move has a counter, so it takes actual smarts and strategy to win every battle. This may not be the best title for those who enjoy button-mashing, but it is still fun either way.
The single-player story is fairly interesting, but it isn’t the selling point of the game. “For Honor” truly shines with its online play. Even with my so-so internet connection, I experienced minimal lag and was able to make my moves and time combos just fine. This, like most online games, is more fun with friends. However, it is still pretty fun to play on one’s own.
If there is any criticism to have with “For Honor,” it isn’t with the gameplay. It takes up more than 40 GB just to install with the disc version and will probably take up even more space as updates are added throughout its lifecycle. That means deleting games in one’s PlayStation library will probably be necessary before trying out “For Honor.”
Also, the game forces the player to always have an online connection, even for single player mode. For those who only play games at their house, that shouldn’t be a problem. However, for somebody who travels a lot and enjoys playing PlayStation games in hotel rooms with less-than-adequate wifi, it becomes a huge problem. “For Honor” is a game meant for the domestic human being.
Online matchmaking needs to be improved drastically, as well. For the number of players online, there are way too many instances where teams are filled with computer-controlled bots. Thank goodness the bots are actually pretty smart and aren’t bad teammates, but players want to be playing against other players.
In the grand scheme of things, these are minor complaints that don’t take away too much from an otherwise stellar game. “For Honor” is a perfect game for melee combat fans and a very good choice for those who just want to try out a fun, approachable game.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
Author’s Note: This game was reviewed on a standard PlayStation 4. It has enhancements on the PlayStation 4 Pro and is also available on Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.
