For Honor is a third person action fighting game that was released in February 2017 by Ubisoft. Ubisoft are one of the biggest games publishers around, responsible for popular games like Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed and Myst, and For Honor promises to continue their proud gaming record.
Partly a successor to Assassin’s Creed, but with a whole new graphics engine and plenty of new in-game features, For Honor has been met with rave reviews and is building a huge multi-player audience, allowing owners to mix their own personal quests with online adventures.
This buyer’s guide explains how it all works, how to dive into the For Honor universe, and how to buy the game for the lowest prices around.
For Honor is an action fighting game, meaning that your character is constantly beset by enemies and that he has a wide range of weapons, moves and spells he can use to ward them off. It’s also a historically-themed title. Like Assassin’s Creed, For Honor conjures up a dark, mysterious atmosphere by placing the player in historical situations. Players can take control of warriors like Japanese Samurai, Viking marauders or medieval knights, with the action sprawling across geographical areas and historical eras. Few games have ever been this epic.
All the fighting actually takes place in an imaginary world populated by warrior clans, who are fighting each other in the wake of an apocalyptic natural disaster. However, they aren’t fighting on their own terms. Above them all stands the female warlord Appolyon, who is pulling the strings, setting knights against samurai and samurai against Vikings.
In the game, players can choose between three factions:
The Legion - Also known as the knights, the Legion are said to have been scattered from their historical settlements but they’ve recently reunited and vowed to reclaim their roots. They have a yellow and green shield and come in four different classes: wardens, conquerors, peacekeepers and lawbringers (see the classes section below for more information).
The Chosen - Also known as the samurai, the Chosen have arrived in the war-torn land from the east and have also recently come together after years of separation. In their case, the Chosen have recreated the Empire they left in the east, and now fight under the imperial banner. They are less numerous than the other factions, but known for their cunning and loyalty, which make them more than a match for the others. Their colours are teal and brown, and the Chosen come in four classes: kensei, shugoki, orochi and nobushi.
The Warborn - Also known as the Vikings, the Warborn are a bloodthirsty clan who have recently arrived in the area from the sea. They seek plunder and territory and have a historical mission to reclaim lost land in the north of the continent. They are known for their ruthlessness and violence and have a red and black livery. The Vikings too have four classes: Raiders, warlords, berserkers and Valkyrie.
For Honor has two main gameplay modes: single and multiplayer. In the single player game, players choose a faction and take the role of one of the heroes from the four classes. They then enter melee mode and take on missions that are specific to each faction, aiming to vanquish their enemies and control the continent.
Combat isn’t the typical hectic slashing you might expect. Instead, when players come up against other heroes, they enter a sophisticated fighting mode with various attacking and defensive moves and several ways to target the weak spot of any enemy.
As you battle and defeat enemies, your character will gain experience points and new abilities through what are known as ‘feats’ (such as killing a number of enemies in quick succession). Feats can also allow you to restore your lost health and even call in external support such as catapult barrages.
In multiplayer mode, things are slightly different, although the feats, battle mode, and AI players around you remain in place. However, now the action moves into one of five multiplayer modes:
Dominion - A game mode featuring four-person teams that fight against each other. The teams need to capture, then hold various zones on the game map, accumulating points as they go. When they have enough points, they win the match by eliminating every player on the opposing side.
Duel - A classic death-match mode where single players take each other on. All you need to do is track down and kill your opponent.
Brawl - In brawl mode teams of two take each other on. A simple game mode, and one of the bloodiest, victory is attained by eliminating both players on the other team.
Elimination - Very similar to brawl, elimination involves teams with four members on each side. Simply fight it out until one team has been wiped out.
Skirmish - Another game mode with teams of four. This time, the action continues and teams accumulate points for kills. When a certain points quota has been reached, the team then needs to destroy the opposition to win the game.
That’s not the end of the story, though. Above the level of brawls and duels, there’s a bigger conflict going on: The Faction War.
Every multiplayer fight contributes to the fortunes of the three factions in the Faction War. Each minor battle accrues war assets to the victors, which are added to their faction’s overall pot. These assets are then used to battle for territory across the continent in rounds that last two weeks. These rounds form part of seasons which each last five rounds.
It’s worth your while fighting hard for a specific faction. The most courageous and deadly fighters in each faction accumulate points that are totted up at the end of each season and extra weaponry is awarded to the best fighters, which remain available for future rounds.
Before looking at the nuts and bolts of how to purchase and play For Honor, it’s helpful to look in a bit more detail at the classes of hero you can play. These are the characters you’ll take control of, and there are 12 to choose from, stretched across the three factions.
Firstly, classes from the Legion:
Wardens - Wardens have a fine balance of attacking and defending skills and come with a formidable longsword. They are nimble, powerful, and an excellent choice for first-time players who want a character who can do just about everything fairly well.
Conquerors - Ex-prisoners of the Legion, Conquerors are heavily armoured experts on defensive moves. They fight with the footman’s flail, a ball and chain which crushes opponents (literally) as Conquerors fight to the death.
Peacekeepers - Despite their pacific name, peacekeepers are a dangerous bunch. Lightly armoured and extremely mobile, they are armed with a sword and dagger and specialise in stealthy assassinations.
Lawbringers - Known for enforcing the Legion’s draconian laws, Lawbringers are armed with a ferocious poleaxe, which can be used to thrust or bludgeon opponents to death in seconds.
And the classes from the Chosen:
Kensei - Classical Bushido samurai, Kensei are intensely loyal killing machines. They possess a heavy-duty katana sword that effortlessly slashes through enemies, giving them excellent range in battles.
Shugoki - Heavy, formidably armoured, and slow, Shugoki might seem like sitting ducks, vulnerable to more agile attackers, but they are tough to defeat. They are hard to take down and can deal deadly blows with their kanabo clubs.
Orochi - Orochi mean business. Trained as the Emperor’s personal assassins, these stealthy warriors also wield a katana blade which makes them handy in mêlées, while their stealth gives them an advantage in tracking down slower enemies.
Nobushi - Very mobile and absolutely committed to defending their villages, Nobushi are only let down by their skimpy armour. However, if you have the fighting skills, their naginata sword is one of the deadliest and most versatile weapons in the game.
And, finally, the Warborn:
Raiders - The bread and butter of the Viking army, Raiders are terrorisers of their weaker enemies, who flee when they catch sight of their two-handed axes. However, so sure are they of redemption in Valhalla, they wear very little armour, making them vulnerable to determined counter-attacks.
Warlords - Warlords are fearsome community leaders with a protective shield and a gladius sword. The combination of sword and shield gives them an unparalleled ability to fight up close and personal with their enemies.
Berserkers - Nobody enjoys combat more than berserkers. Lightly armoured, thinking only of death and violence, berserkers pack the biggest punch in the game thanks to their bloodlust and Viking hand axes.
Valkyries - Scouts of the gods in Asgard, Valkyries have come down to earth to help the Warborn. With speed, quick reactions, and more armour than raiders or berserkers, they are armed with a spear and shield and have a wide range of attacking options at their fingertips.
Each of these classes has their own special skills and moves, adding a huge amount of depth to For Honor’s gameplay. You can spend days exploring the many different fighting techniques and special moves, before taking them into the multiplayer arena, where the practice will surely pay off.
Ways to Play For HonorNow that we’ve touched on the gameplay and the background to For Honor, you’ll probably be wondering where you can actually get hold of it. First off, let’s be clear about the formats it is available for. At the moment, you can only play For Honor on PS4, Xbox One and Windows PCs (so Xbox 360 or PS3 owners will need to think about an upgrade if they want to try it).
Ubisoft opened up a For Honor Beta testing phase in January 2017, inviting sign-ups from PS4, Xbox and Windows gamers. The game itself was formally released on 14th February 2017, and is available from a wide range of gaming retailers.
One place to track down a copy is the Ubisoft website. You can purchase versions for all of the formats in three different editions:
Standard Edition - Includes the For Honor game CD, along with three in game Hero outfits (Warden, Raider and Kensei). This is easily the most basic version of the game, and misses a huge number of hero skins and extra weapons that can be found in other editions. However, if all you want is access to the gameplay, it’s the right edition to go for, costing much less than the others.
Deluxe Edition - This time around, you’ll get the For Honor game, as well as a 7-day champion status, the Deluxe Edition emblem, a special sunbeam effect when you execute enemies, and three unique helmet crests for your characters.
Gold Edition - The most expensive of the three editions, the Gold pack includes the game itself, a season pass to the multiplayer arena and all the add-ons that you get with the Deluxe Pack. Gold pack owners have early access to any new heroes as they are rolled out by Ubisoft, and they also get 30 days of champion status which adds extra oomph to attacks and greater rewards for winning matches.
You can also purchase season passes from services like Steam, which essentially upgrade Deluxe or Standard packs to Gold - with add-ons like 30 days of Champion status, extra characters and skins.
However, that doesn’t mean that the multiplayer game costs extra. You can enter the various multiplayer games without paying a penny more than it costs to purchase the Standard Edition. The extra outlay is to purchase more characters and weapons, as well as free access to new characters when they are announced, not to the multiplayer servers themselves.
This means that some players might not need to purchase a season pass at all. It’s a neat feature for hardened fans, but the Standard or Deluxe packs will serve most gamers just fine and save them money in the process.
The only exception to that might be less-skilled players. If you are worried about being overwhelmed by more experienced gamers, the Champion Status that comes with a season pass might be the best way to even up the odds a little.
As with any advanced gaming title, the accessories that you use with For Honor can make a big difference to how much you enjoy the experience. Here are some handy purchases that might make your melees even more satisfying:
Mad Catz Arcade Sticks - Designed to look just like the arcade controllers from games like Street Fighter 2, these retro devices might be just what For Honor players need. They are ideally suited to turning out strings of complex moves, a key aspect of the title’s gameplay.
Wireless Xbox One Controllers - If you are playing For Honor on an Xbox One, this controller is a must-have accessory. Not only can you roam around the room, carrying out moves as you go, but the pad can easily be programmed to suit the special moves of your character class, making it far easier to pull off decisive moves when it really counts.
Collector’s Merchandise - Part of the fun of For Honor is the chance to immerse yourself in a wildly imaginative fantasy world, and what better way to heighten the effect than by adding some For Honor merchandise to your gaming rig? You can purchase helmet replicas, beautiful lithographs and even CD copies of the in-game soundtrack from the Ubisoft store - a must for serious For Honor fans.
What if you are in the market for a really exciting historically themed action title with great multiplayer game play, but feel turned off by the complex aspects of For Honor and need something more simple?
If that sounds like you, there are plenty of alternatives to For Honor that are just as enjoyable (and may be far cheaper). For example, if you aren’t wedded to the idea of plunging into medieval mêlées, you could give Battlefield 1 a try. Released by Electronic Arts in late 2016, it has some of the best World War I themed gameplay sequences ever made.
If you really adore the medieval setting, why not try Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate? Published by Ubisoft, Syndicate was released in late 2015 to generally positive reviews and allowed gamers to take the role of a ruthless professional killer, although it does lack a multiplayer mode.
Another popular warfare based shooter is Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Although it’s more of a competitor to Battlefield, COD is basically similar to For Honor, with its frantic fighting sections. The major difference is accessibility. If you want to get up and running straight away, it’s a far easier title to get into than Ubisoft’s medieval offering.
These days, gamers are lucky to enjoy plenty of choice. If they want a sci-fi blaster, they can get it. If they want to fight Samurais with Vikings, they can do so. If that’s your scene, For Honor will be an incredible gaming experience, but if you just want pure gameplay, there are other options to consider, so shop around. It’s not the only game in town.
If this buyer’s guide has whetted your appetite for gore and medieval mayhem, it’s probably time to purchase For Honor, but what is the best way to go about doing so?
As we noted above, one place to look is the Ubisoft shop, but that’s unlikely to yield the best deals. Instead, search the HotUKDeals For Honor listings for current offers. You’ll find deals for the Standard, Deluxe and Gold bundle, along with For Honor collectors merchandise and handy controllers, with offers from many of the UK’s biggest gaming retailers.
When you browse the HotUKDeals listings, you’ll find reductions from GAME, Currys, Argos, Tesco, Amazon, Very and CDKeys. There will be download deals for PC, as well as options on the PlayStation Store, Steam and Xbox.com. Every single way to buy the game is available at the HotUKDeals listings, so check back regularly and you’ll soon find a discount on the package you desire.
If you can wait that long, it could be worth delaying your purchase until the Black Friday or January Sales, when all the major gaming platforms and retailers run seasonal sales. But there should be savings to be had all year-round. Whether they are for the game itself, or for season passes, For Honor deals are always coming online. The trick is to find them, and there’s no better place to do so than HotUKDeals.
For Honor is one of 2017’s biggest games. A medieval slash-fest for Xbox One, PS4 and PC, Ubisoft’s star title is a multiplayer masterpiece that will delight action and fantasy fans. Get the game for the cheapest possible price by checking out the HotUKDeals For Honor listings.
