Childhood dreams can be tricky things. Some of them are so unrealistic that they have no hope of ever coming true; others could become reality if we just studied enough, or worked harder, etc.
Then there are those dreams that are realistic, but depend completely on the actions of other people for their realisation.
I’m very happy that in February 2017, one of my childhood dreams has finally come true, in the form of Ubisoft’s For Honor.
For as along as I can remember, I’ve wanted a game that puts you in the role of a medieval warrior and that featured “realistic” swordfighting. By “realistic” I mean something that captures something of the essence of what medieval battles, and especially duels, would have been like. A lot of games will let you run around with a sword or axe and chop away gleefully at similarly-armed enemies, but none of them have ever made me feel like, yes, I am now experiencing something like what a swordsman or samurai did back in the day.
This is 99 per cent a result of controller limitations. Different developers have tried different ways of approaching the problem, some with more success than others.
But For Honor is the first game that gets it right, using a novel approach that now seems so obvious in its elegance and simplicity.
A bit more information about the game before we get into the nitty gritty of the combat, however.
For Honor is set in a medieval fantasy world in which knights, Vikings and samurai are engaged in a never-ending war (having these three iconic warrior staples face off against one another is of course the realisation of another dream for many, many people).
There’s a single player campaign with a serviceable story, and which helps you get to grips with several of the heroes you can play as.
It’s in its multiplayer modes that For Honor really comes to life, though. At the start of the game you pick one of the three factions, and your wins and losses contribute to how well your faction does in gaining and defending territory on a map that is shared across all platforms.
All three factions have four playable heroes (with more to come), each coming in one of four flavours: vanguard, heavy, assassin and hybrid. Each of these classes has its strengths and weaknesses, and each caters to a different playstyle. But now, let’s get back to the heart of the game: the combat.
As I’ve already mentioned, For Honor has solved the mystery of how to capture the nuances of melee duels on a modern games controller.
When you face another hero you lock on with the left trigger, which puts you into one of three guards: top, left or right. This forms the heart of what the game calls the Battle System. Each guard position defends from and launches attacks from that specific side, and you switch between them by flicking the right thumb-stick. An on-screen arrow warns you of which side you’re opponent is launching an attack from, allowing you, if you’re quick enough, to switch your guard to intercept the coming strike.
A duel soon becomes as much about psychological warfare as anything else as you try to out-think and out-feint your opponent. It’s hard to describe, but sublime in action. It’s always a balancing act; do you focus on defence, attacking only when you have a clear opening? Or do you take the fight to your adversary, hoping to overwhelm their defenses? Should you try and get away from an area where your opponent might use the environment to their advantage by, for example, throwing you off a parapet? Or should you stay, and attempt the same?
So many questions, so few precious seconds in which to make a decision that will lead to elation or ignominy.
For Honor also gets right something that is essential to making a game of this sort a success: feeling fair. I’ve lost a lot of duels and battles, but never felt that it was for any other reason than my own mistakes or lack of skill. Being defeated by a superior foe didn’t make me feel dejected, but instead inspired me to learn where I went wrong. I always wanted to get right back into the thick of things.
The best games are the ones you think of even when you’re not playing them, the ones that intrude on your thoughts at work or school, and that make you wish the day would end faster so that you can get back to playing.
For Honor is that kind of game; it’s a real dream come true.
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Windows
Score: 9/10
