For Honor is an action game developed and published by Ubisoft. The game allows players to play the roles of historical forms of soldiers and warriors such as Knights, Samurai, Vikings, Wu-lin, and a 5th faction called Outlanders using a third-person perspective. The game was developed primarily by Ubisoft Montreal and released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in 2016.
For Honor received generally favorable reviews, with the difficult and original combat mechanics being highlighted.
Gameplay
For Honor is an action fighting game set during a medieval, fantasy setting. Players can play as a character from one of the five different factions, namely the Iron Legion (Knights), the Warborn (Vikings), the Dawn Empire (Samurai), and the Wu Lin (Ancient Chinese; introduced in October 2018 with the Marching Fire expansion), in addition to the uniquely-themed Outlander faction (introduced in January 2022). Playable characters, referred to as "Heroes", are divided into four classes. The Vanguard class is described as "well-balanced" and has excellent offense and defense. The Assassin class is fast and efficient in dueling enemies, but the class deals much less damage to multiple enemies. The Heavies, also known as Tanks, are more resistant to damage and are suitable for holding capture points, though their attacks are slow. The last class, known as "Hybrid", is a combination of two of the three aforementioned types, and is capable of using uncommon skills.
All heroes are unique and have their own weapons, skills, and fighting styles. Players fight against their opponents with their class-specific melee weapons. When players perform certain actions, such as killing multiple enemies consecutively, they gain Feats, which are additional perks. These perks allow players to gain additional points and strengths, call in a barrage of arrows or a catapult attack, or heal themselves. In most missions, players are accompanied by numerous AI minions. They are significantly weaker than the player character, and do not pose much threat.
A tactical combat system, known as "Art of Battle", is initiated when the player encounters other players or player-like AI in the multiplayer or higher health AI in the campaign. Players enter a dueling mode with them wherein players aim at their opponent with their weapon. Players can then choose to rest and move their weapon(s) in one of three directions (left, right and top) which allows them to block incoming attacks and start attacks of their own from the chosen direction. By observing on-screen hints and the movements of their opponents, which reflect their respective attack position, players are able to choose the correct position to block the other players' attacks. Players also have other special abilities, which vary depending on the character they choose, such as barging into enemies with their own shoulders and performing back-stepping swipes. The strength of each attack can also be decided by players. The system aims at allowing players to "feel the weight of the weapon in [their] hand".
Multiplayer Similar to the single-player campaign, most multiplayer modes feature feats, AI minions, and the Art of Battle system. As the competitive multiplayer modes feature a structure similar to that of shooters, the creative director of the game called For Honor a "shooter with swords". Friendly fire is also featured in the game. Players can cause damage to their own teammates by hitting them with melee attacks or feats. The multiplayer aspect also allows players to customize their characters with various armor variations, colors, materials and ornaments. There are seven game modes:
Dominion: Dominion is a four-versus-four multiplayer mode featuring a battlefield with three capture zones, labelled A, B and C. Controlling capture zones and killing enemy minions, that primarily fight at zone B, generates Points. Two of the capture zones, usually A and C, can be captured by either team by remaining inside them for a period of time with no enemies present. Once captured they grant the team 100 temporary Points that can be lost by losing the zone to the enemy. The zones generate 1 additional permanent Point every second, remaining inside them doubles the generation rate. The third capture zone, usually B, features minions for both teams, Each giving 2 additional permanent points when killed. It is captured when at least three minions reach the opposing team's side of the zone. When either team reaches 1000 Points, the other team enters a state called 'breaking', meaning their players cannot respawn upon death unless revived by a teammate. The game ends when either all players of a breaking team die, resulting in that team's defeat, or a four minute timer, starting when a team goes breaking, expires, resulting in the victory of the team with more Points. Brawl: In this two-versus-two multiplayer mode, each team must eliminate the other, best out of five rounds wins. Duel: Duel is a one-versus-one multiplayer mode in which a player must eliminate their opponent or have more remaining health by the end of the five minute round in order to win. Best out of 5 rounds wins the match. Ranked Duel: Ranked duel features the same format and similar rules as regular duels. Additionally, players start in a qualifying stage called "unranked", where they will have to complete 8 matches before they are placed into one of seven rank tiers, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master and Grand Master. Players placement depends on how many wins or losses they receive in the 8 qualifying matches as well as their rank in previous seasons. The player's rank resets at the end of every season. After players are placed within their respective rank tier, they will be pitted against other players within a similar rank tier. Completing a ranked Match will earn special effect rewards unique to each season, as well as a chance to earn Special add-ons ('Ornaments') for heroes released up to the Year 4 Marching Fire update. Despite the new rewards each season, Ranked Duels have been in "beta" ever since they were released shortly after launch Skirmish: Skirmish is a four-versus-four multiplayer mode in which players gain points while killing enemies. Once either team earns enough points, they must eliminate the players from the other team and win the match. Elimination: A team of players must eliminate the entire opposing team in this four-versus-four multiplayer mode. The team that still has remaining warriors will automatically win the match. Tribute: A four-versus-four multiplayer mode where teams attempt to gather offerings and place them on their shrine. Each of the three offering gives the team a special power-up. The first team to capture all three offerings and defend them until the timer ends wins or the team with the most offerings at the end of the battle timer wins. Breach: A four-versus-four multiplayer mode where the attacker's goal is to lead a battering ram through two separate gates before fighting and killing 'The Commander'. While the defenders goal is to destroy the battle ram or keep the Commander alive. The attackers must complete a series of objectives such as capturing points, leading the battering ram to each of the two gates, breaking them both down and, ultimately, slaying the Commander; on the contrary, the defenders must prevent the attackers from completing all these objectives. Once both gates are broken down, the Commander spawns and the attacking team gains a set amount of lives shared between the team corresponding to the battering ram's health when the second gate is broken down, If the lives shared between the attacking team hits zero the team becomes 'Breaking' and can no longer respawn unless revived. Forcing desperate melee for the Commander. The defenders can respawn infinitely, and win if they defeat each attacker while they are Breaking.
Arcade The Marching Fire expansion introduced the solo/2 player co-op arcade mode for those who purchased the DLC (included in all game versions as of patch 2.50.0). Gameplay in arcade mode is a sequence of "chapters" within a "quest" in which the player faces 1-3 enemy AI. There are 5 difficulties of quests represented by the recommended "gear score". There is also a "Weekly Quest" that is a fixed difficulty. Gear score is the sum of your character's equipped gear levels and functions differently than in multiplayer. In arcade your damage and armor are proportional to gear score, meaning a player with 0 level gear score will deal a fraction of the damage to enemies in higher difficulties; and be dealt several times more damage. The recommended gear score begins at 0 for common quests and increases by 36 per level of difficulty, up to 144 at legendary. The maximum gear score of any player is 180, accomplished by having all six gear pieces at the max level of 30. Apart from gear requirements, difficulty also influences the amount of modifiers and the opposing AI intelligence. Before each chapter, the player is given a small interlude in which a simple story is presented. The potential opponents and modifiers are generally loosely tied to elements of the story but will have some degree of randomness. Weekly quests are unique in that they are always the same story over the course of the week. This includes the difficulty, modifiers, opponents, and arena or "map". Players can earn experience, steel and even complete orders (daily missions) within arcade.
The Faction War Each online multiplayer match awards War Assets based on the outcome and the player's performance. These War Assets are then deployed in the Faction War – which stretches across all platforms – where they are used either to defend an allied territory or conquer a neighbouring one occupied by an enemy faction, with the most war assets deployed in a given territory determining the victor. Territories controlled are updated every six hours, while each round lasts for two weeks and each season lasts for ten weeks (five rounds). As the war progresses and territories change, the changing front will determine which maps that are played and their appearance (each map has variants depending on whether it is under Knight, Viking or Samurai control). Players who have distinguished themselves and helped their faction gain and defend ground earn higher quality equipment as spoils of war after each round and each season. After a season ends, the map is reset and a new season begins after an off-season period, but the outcome of the previous season impacts the story background of the new season.For Honor: "What is the Faction War?" Ubisoft US on YouTube
Heroes There are currently five factions in For Honor. The first three factions were introduced at game launch: Knights, Vikings, and Samurai. A Chinese-inspired fourth faction, the Wu Lin, was added with the Marching Fire expansion. The fifth faction, called The Outlanders, are a group of uniquely-themed warriors introduced in Y5S4 who have no cultural links to other factions, let alone each other. There are currently 9 heroes in the Knight faction, 8 in the Viking faction, 10 in the Samurai faction, 6 in the Wu Lin faction, and 6 in The Outlanders faction, making for a grand total of 39 playable heroes. Each hero has their own unique weapons and fighting styles.
Single Player story Setting