Though I’ve never felt drawn to many fighting games, one that immediately caught my eye when it released back in 2017 is Ubisoft’s For Honor. I was an instant fan of its wholly unique “Art of Battle” third-person combat system, large character roster, and dark medieval setting, and over time, its status as my favorite multiplayer fighting game has been solidified. With that said, I’ve also been grappling with how I feel about it for a long time now, and there are some things you should know before you jump in yourself (you’ll find my full thoughts below).
Right now, the For Honor Complete Edition that’s normally $100 is on sale for just $17.20 at GMG (Ubisoft Connect, PC) for Black Friday, and it gives you access to the majority of the game’s playable heroes as well as all of its game modes and some cosmetics. A similar deal is available for Xbox players as well, and less advanced editions of For Honor are heavily discounted under $10 on both platforms, too.
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The double-edged sword that is For Honor
Compared to the majority of fighting titles that operate on a 2D plane, For Honor’s 3D third-person swordfighting system stands out quite a bit. In it, you’re able to both attack and defend yourself in three different directions, utilizing various offensive and defensive maneuvers to cut down your foes or guard against their strikes. Every character can light attack, heavy attack (and feint those heavies, if they want), block, parry, dodge, or guard break, but each individual hero has unique combos and mixups they can perform to keep opponents on their toes. These lead into special moves like unblockable or undodgeable attacks, bashes, and knockdowns.
It’s a lot to wrap your head around, especially now that For Honor has 33 playable knights, vikings, samurai, and other warriors — but once you’ve got a good understanding of how your hero works and what your enemy’s is capable of, it’ll start to click. The back-and-forth of trying to predict what your opponent will do next while trying to throw them off with your own mixups is absolutely thrilling, and thanks to the game’s stellar animation work and intense medieval warfare backdrops, the moment-to-moment gameplay feels cool as hell.
The problem, though, is actually getting to that point. Even with its solid campaign and training modes that help ease new players into the experience, For Honor is extremely difficult to learn. Its fights are blisteringly fast, and just a few mistakes will often lead to a quick death. The game is rather notorious for being frustrating as a result, to the point where “why does For Honor make me so mad” is a common Google search. If you get irritated easily or you’re not a patient person, this definitely isn’t the game for you.
Ultimately, it’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, the mind games of For Honor’s stylish, read-based combat have led to some of the most heart-stopping moments of action I’ve ever experienced in gaming. But when you’re just starting out, or when you face off against a much better player, it’s hard not to get discouraged or downright angry. There’s a lot to enjoy here, but you’ll probably need to resist the urge to hurl your controller a few times before you see it. If you’re eager to learn and able to keep your cool, though, you might just fall in love — and when Black Friday has it this affordable, it’s absolutely worth a shot.
In terms of game modes, there’s a number of different 1v1, 2v2, and 4v4 playlists available, as well as a 6-7 hour campaign, PvE Arcade mode added with the Marching Fire expansion, and limited-time event modes. You’ll unlock gear and customization unlocks for your heroes as you play these and level up with XP (gear only matters in 4v4, and even then it’s marginal), as well as the Steel currency that you’ll need to buy characters you don’t have.
Notably, the Marching Fire Edition of For Honor that includes both everything in the base game and the four heroes and two modes from Marching Fire is available on Xbox Game Pass. If you subscribe to Microsoft’s all-you-can-eat gaming service, using it to try the game out before buying it permanently isn’t a bad idea.
