3 Crucial Tips to Know Before Playing For Honor

For Honor is an upcoming action fighting game developed by Ubisoft in which the player can play as soldiers, known in-game as Heroes, from three historical factions: the Legion (Knights), the Chosen (Samurai), and the Warborn (Vikings). The single-player story mode focuses on the three factions struggling for survival until a warlord named Apollyon, believing that the factions have grown weak, begins an age of war that spans one thousand years. Not much else is known about the plot, but Ubisoft released an open beta that spanned from Feb. 9 to Feb. 12 which showcased the online multiplayer. As someone who's put more than ten hours into the beta, here are a few tips for new players!

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1. Don't just hop into the multiplayer!

A common mistake some gamers make when they start a new game is ignoring the tutorial with the mindset that they'll learn how to play by actually playing the game. This is absolutely not the case with For Honor. For Honor uses a tactical combat system known as the "Art of Battle" which makes the combat all the more immersive and difficult. The player can use their right thumbstick to change the direction of their attacks and defense, which forces the player to watch their enemies moves and attack styles. Because of this, there's a really steep learning curve that punishes players who don't take the time to learn about the combat mechanics.

The story mode focuses on the warlord Apollyon and how she affects and manipulates the three different factions. The story mode might not appeal to every player, but it does play a critical role in familiarizing the player to the different move sets and strategies for the Heroes, as well as the combat mechanics. I strongly suggest playing it before approaching the multiplayer.

2. Find a Hero that you like - and stick with them.

For Honor offers four Heroes in each of the factions, all of them representing a different class. The four classes are Vanguard, well balanced with a good offense and defense, Assassin, duelists that are perfect in 1v1 but deal low damage, Heavies, which can soak up a ton of damage and deal just as much but are extremely slow, and Hybrids, a combination of the other three classes with uncommon skills. The Heroes in the Chosen faction are the Kensei (Vanguard), Shugoki (Heavy), Orochi (Assassin), and Nobushi (Hybrid). In the Warborn faction, we have the Raiders (Vanguard), Warlords (Heavy), Berserkers (Assassin), and Valkyrie (Hybrid). Last, but certainly not least, the Legion faction offers the Warden (Vanguard), Conquerors (Heavy), Peacekeepers (Assassin), and Lawbringers (Hybrid). For Honor offers a plethora of Heroes, each of them with their own strengths and weaknesses, so when you find a Hero that fits your particular playstyle, make sure to master them by learning their move sets and individual strategies.

3. Choose a Faction and deploy War Assets wisely.

The War of Factions is, to me, one of the most interesting qualities of For Honor. When you first open the game, you're given a critical choice: which Faction do you pledge yourself to? This decision is so important because the multiplayer includes Seasons. Each Season is separated into 5 rounds, with each round lasting 15 or so days. The days are segmented even further into Turns, which last around 5 hours. After each turn, the map refreshes to show which Factions have lost or won new territory, and the Faction with the most conquered territory at the end of a season wins an exclusive reward. After you choose your Faction, you're responsible for helping your Faction win the war. You can do that by participating in matches and, win or lose, deploy War Assets, which helps your Faction defend or conquer a territory. It's important to look at which territories need the most help, instead of choosing randomly. If you manage to get the percentage over 50% when attacking or defending, you'll keep/take that territory!

So there you have it! Three tips to help you make the best out of this amazing game and, hopefully, help your faction win this season's faction war. Good luck!