Aaron Poole goes hands-on with Ubisoft’s newest franchise
For Honor will not see an official release until February, but we at OTwo were granted exclusive access to an alpha build of the game. We were able to try the game’s 1v1 multiplayer system (dubbed ‘duel mode’) which saw each player try to cut down the other with whichever of the 3 character classes – Vikings, Knight and Samurai – they had selected.
What is immediately noticeable is just how different the game feels in contrast to Ubisoft’s more recent franchises. Abandoned is the third-person, open world-style game featured in the Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs series, replaced with an over-the-top-shoulder view featuring heavier controls that wouldn’t be out of place in a Gears of War game.
This is somewhat complemented by a simplistic, yet fitting control scheme that keep things to the point. It is akin to the likes of a fighting game: the face buttons provide low-high levels of attack damage based on which button you press, all the while the right thumbstick provides prompts to raise your shield for self-defence while engaged in battle. This system is essential in a game where the main aim is to charge your opponents and cut them down, eradicating complicated combos and keeping the player immersed in the moment and the goal.
It’s impossible to ignore the art direction that Ubisoft have taken in recent years with their games. Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag was one of the most visually impressive games on current gen platforms. It’s easy to see that For Honor has borrowed many cues from it in terms of its scenery and background visuals. The arenas that the players occupy are huge, over-the-top structures based around the class the characters choose. While playing as the knight, the arena is a massive castle surrounded by a moat and island that look like they were ripped straight out of Black Flag’s naval fort battles, albeit with more detail and an incredible lighting system.
Despite being locked into the single game mode, it is interesting to note just how different For Honor feels in contrast to Ubisoft games of late. What was initially thought to become “another Assassin’s Creed but with more swordplay” is shaping up to be a promising title in a gaming world dominated by first-person shooters and Minecraft derivatives.
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