For Honor – 7 Years Later

For Honor – 7 Years Later

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that the journey of For Honor has been nothing short of remarkable. Having played numerous games from various genres, I can confidently assert that this game stands out as one of the most unique fighting experiences I’ve ever had.

These days, Ubisoft isn’t particularly popular, but looking back to 2015, the situation wasn’t drastically different. Following criticism after the releases of Watch Dogs and Assassin’s Creed Unity in 2014, the company began the new year with a desire to demonstrate their capabilities. Despite any opinions about Ubisoft, they were open to innovation and experimentation, as demonstrated by the release of For Honor that year.

At E3 2015, the game For Honor stepped into a genre that Ubisoft was less recognized for: combat games. This title showcased three groups – the Iron Legion, the Warborn, and the Dawn Empire – engaged in fierce competition. The game’s idea was intriguing, posing the question, “How would a confrontation between Knights, Vikings, and Samurai unfold?

As a gamer, I found each faction brimming with diverse heroes, all playing unique roles. The Vanguard, where I often find myself, strikes a harmonious balance between offense and defense. Then there’s the swift Assassin, perfect for those who prefer stealth and quick strikes. The Tank, on the other hand, moves at a snail’s pace but boasts an impressive resistance to damage. Lastly, the Hybrid, a versatile class that blends attributes from the others, filling specific roles with their special skills.

Absolutely, For Honor wasn’t your typical 2D side-scroller; instead, it was a third-person game featuring modes such as Dominion, where players clashed with both real opponents and AI minions to seize and maintain zones on a map. In combat against another player (or comparable AI enemies), the Art of Battle would initiate, shifting the perspective. During this phase, opponents could adjust their weapons to block, parry, and counterattack while keeping an eye on each other’s strategies. It was possible to unintentionally strike teammates during fights, push or shove opponents, and exploit environmental dangers as well.

Due to this setup, the standout modes primarily centered around the player’s experience, such as Duel, a competitive 1v1 match; Brawl with its intense 2v2 battles; and Skirmish, emphasizing 4-player confrontations. Additionally, there was Elimination, a mode designed to determine the lone survivor. Although there was a campaign that detailed why these factions were at odds, it primarily served to prepare players for multiplayer combat.

On February 14th, 2017, the game “For Honor” was released for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Its Metascores varied from a low of 76 on PC to 79 on Xbox One. It took the top spot in US sales charts for the month and UK physical charts in its initial week. Digital sales were also robust, with over 700,000 copies sold across all platforms. Considering it’s a new IP primarily focused on multiplayer and retails at $60, these numbers aren’t too shabby.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

Just as any multiplayer game, the true adventure starts post-release for For Honor, and when it initially launched, there were various challenges to overcome, such as cheating and AFK farming within the Battlefields. The developers threatened penalties and bans for both offenses. Nevertheless, balance problems persisted, resulting in adjustments to guard break mechanics and classes like Berserker, Conqueror, Peacekeeper, Valkyrie (who underwent significant modifications). One of the least recognized changes is that bots joining a game midway would remain inert, preventing opponents from receiving unexpected backup.

Players experienced more than their fair share of desynchronizations in various maps, but another problem concerning the Steel rewards quickly became prominent: The Steel distribution. Steel is used to acquire cosmetics and new characters. Initially, the rewards – particularly Campaign and Training awards that were given only once – were meager, making it a lengthy process to unlock everything, even for the basic roster, taking years in some cases.

Not only does Steel require an upgrade for necessary equipment and aesthetic changes, but it’s also needed to unlock perks. You might acquire gear through matches at random or purchase Steel-containing loot boxes instead. Predictably, the company offered Steel Packs for real cash as well.

Just over a couple of weeks into our game’s release, the developers decided to up the rewards for Steel from matches, daily tasks, side missions, and community events. However, there’s still some grumbling about how lengthy the wait can be sometimes. On the positive note, they’ve been adding new cosmetic items, which only adds fuel to the grinding fire! Fortunately, recent updates now let you complete Daily and Contract Orders in both PvP and PvE scenarios. And here’s a sweet deal: They’ve even added daily orders that don’t force you into specific game modes anymore.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

The central concern regarding the title’s continuation primarily focused on maintaining a stable connection. Initially, For Honor operated without dedicated servers during its first year, instead utilizing peer-to-peer connections. This approach led to certain problems, but improvements were made to strengthen data exchanges and ensure smoother performance in menus, matches, and adjusting ambient FX levels of detail dynamically during matches. Nevertheless, calls for dedicated servers persisted.

Moving on from our previous discussion, let me share some exciting news! Season 2 was set to debut on May 2107, introducing not one, but two fresh characters: The Centurion, a hybrid figure for the Knights, and the Shinobi, an assassin for the Samurai. In addition, two new maps – Forge and Temple Garden – were scheduled to be released. The max gear score was expected to rise, along with a new Epic rarity for gear, and a revamp of the existing gear system was imminent.

Prior to the game’s update, the developer tweaked the XP gained from matches, making it easier to advance your Reputation level more swiftly. Additionally, they decreased the price of Salvage required for enhancing equipment at every rarity tier, providing aid in leveling up new heroes.

As a dedicated follower of the game, I eagerly await June’s arrival, as it signals a series of adjustments to Guard Switch mechanics across numerous heroes. These tweaks aim to enhance the uniformity and consistency of guard break follow-ups throughout. Notable characters like Warden, Kensei, Shinobi, and Warlord will experience balance changes. In particular, the stealthy Shinobi is in for several move adjustments, primarily reductions. Furthermore, projectile feats equipped with various weapons will undergo multiple damage decreases.

As a gamer, I was thrilled when the latest update revamped the Salvage system! Instead of having three distinct types of Salvage tied to each faction, we now have one unified form that can be used across all heroes and their equipment. This means fewer hours spent grinding for upgrades – definitely a win-win situation for me!

For Honor – 7 Years Later

In August, we welcomed Season 3, titled “Grudge and Glory,” which introduced two additional characters to our roster. The Highlander, a versatile character, aligns with the Vikings and boasts a unique ability to switch between offensive and defensive roles. On the other hand, the Gladiator joins the Knights’ ranks as an Assassin. While their historical accuracy may be questionable, they certainly possess an appealing, eye-catching design.

As a gamer, I’ve got some exciting news! Two new maps, Sentinel and The Viking Village, have just entered the game. But the real buzz is about the Ranked Duel Tournament. Despite being in beta, it’s opened up the opportunity for players like me to engage in intense 1v1 battles with qualifiers and playoffs. My ranking in the game is now on the line, making each match more thrilling than ever.

In the heart of November, I found myself diving into Season 4: Order and Havoc, a fresh chapter brimming with excitement. Two new characters graced the battlefield – the bloodthirsty Shaman and the swift-footed Aramusha. Alongside them, two new battlegrounds – The Gauntlet and Marker Town – were added to our repertoire. This season also unveiled a thrilling new core game mode called Tribute, where it’s all about outsmarting opponents in 4v4 matches and amassing offerings (whether honestly or otherwise). The ultimate goal? Defeating the opposing team!

In February 2018, the game For Honor marked its first year in the market by adopting a unique strategy with Season 5, Age of Wolves. Rather than introducing new characters, it concentrated on enhancing user experience and incorporating fresh elements. The much-anticipated dedicated servers were introduced, initially available for PC and later for consoles. Additionally, existing heroes like Kensei, Berserker, and Conqueror underwent significant updates, while changes were made to the parrying mechanism to make it less intimidating.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

In March 2018, the game followed the lead of Rainbow Six Siege by introducing a Starter Edition. This version, priced at $14.99, included all base game content, but only six playable characters. The remaining characters could be unlocked using Steel – 8,000 for initial characters and 15,000 for those introduced in Seasons. It’s worth noting that these Steel Packs are still available for purchase with real money. On the plus side, the amount of Steel earned in-game has increased.

In April 2018, an excellent move was made to incorporate a fresh Training Ground, enabling players to engage in battles against AI versions of any character, customize their moves and level of difficulty, and compete fiercely. Additionally, users could observe the timing of parries and counter guard breaks, toggle gear statistics on or off, and even scrutinize the damage and stamina costs for every action. It’s hard to believe that For Honor implemented all these features as a complimentary update in 2018. The addition didn’t stop there; it also included Trials for mastering diverse mechanics across various situations and three new maps designed for training purposes, which were also incorporated into the Brawl and Duel modes.

In Season 6 of Hero’s March, known as Beachhead, two characters – Peacekeeper and Orochi – underwent changes, while a fresh map named Beachhead was introduced. Alongside the typical bug fixes and enhancements, it also refined the Change Appearance feature in a meaningful way. This update allows you to utilize any visual unlocked of the same rarity or lower on your gear without needing to keep that armor in your inventory, thereby addressing the problem of limited inventory space effectively.

In June 2018, the development team didn’t just work on balance or new content with their patches; they also introduced a Departure Player as a Raider Bot that could appear during games, along with fixing bugs and tweaking Side Dodge and Revenge Shield features. It was a thoughtful touch to the game.

In approximately two months, Season 7 debuted, introducing Storm and Fury, which updated the fighting abilities of two original characters, Valkyrie and Warden. Additionally, it introduced two new tiers in the Rankings – Master and Grandmaster. Players who ranked among the top 100 in the Master tier were promoted to the Grandmaster tier. Furthermore, all heroes received two fresh weapon appearance options, and the maximum reputation level increased from 50 to 60, granting a new outfit as a reward.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

At that moment, For Honor was experiencing a successful streak. Following this trend, it naturally moved forward by unveiling an expansion titled Marching Fire. This expansion stood out for several reasons such as introducing the game’s inaugural faction, the Wu Lin, which comprises characters like Nuxia, Shaolin, Tiandi, and Jiang Jun. It also incorporated an Arcade Mode with randomly generated enemies, modifiers, and objectives that supported cooperative play. The release of Breach Mode, a new 4v4 mode involving both attacks and defenses, coincided with Marching Fire, but was made accessible for free along with three fresh maps.

The update also changed how gear stats worked. They were replaced by Perks, which could be activated by reaching 600 points for it on any gear and there were even Perk Combinations to activate depending on the rarity.

2019 began with the start of Year 3 in January, introducing Black Prior, who could fortify himself using the Bulwark Stance for enhanced defense and unique counters. The season was marked by updates to characters such as Peacekeeper, Warlord, and Shugoki, as well as a new map called Harbor. A subsequent update in March brought a fresh map to Arcade mode and new objectives for Weekly Quests. Additionally, it adjusted Revenge Attacks, Feats like Soothing Mist, and continued to refine Perks.

In the gaming world, I recently witnessed the emergence of Hitokiri, relentless samurai executioners, who can endlessly chain heavy attacks in the Mugen-ryu stance, and a fresh map, Canopy, perfectly fitting the mythical vibe of the latest season. Guess what? Hero reworks are on their way, this time focusing on Lawbringer and Raider. Later, there’ll be changes in how fighters behave when out of stamina, while Arcade Mode rewards will receive a boost in the upcoming patch.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

A fresh hero, named Jormungandr, made his entrance among the Vikings’ ranks in August. Known for inflicting substantial damage on opponents who have exhausted their stamina, Jormungandr’s Light attacks remained unstoppable when blocked. The new map added was Storr Stronghold – a Viking fortress exclusive to Breach mode – and Ranked Duel received an adapted version of The Sanctuary specifically designed for 1v1 battles without much evasion or tricky mechanics. In addition, this update standardized the escape distance and roll distance across all areas, while limiting forward and backward strafing during combat.

In the wrap-up of this gaming year, a fresh character named Zhanhu graced the battlefield, linking dodge assaults and boasting unstoppable finishers. The newest battleground, Qiang Pass, was certainly intriguing, but what truly piqued my interest is that Steel can now unlock upcoming Materials and Embossings! To top it off, Season 12 has finally rolled out a Spectator Mode (still in its beta stage) and given the user interface a much-needed facelift.

2020’s Year 4 commenced in February, bringing an unusual event to the game – a truce, as depicted within its narrative. As always, there were bug fixes, enhancements for spectators, balance adjustments, and various other improvements. However, this tranquil period also introduced new armor and weapons, known as the Wyverndale Truce. The existing base roster and Year 3 characters received new armor variations, while the Wu Lin were given entirely new armors. Additionally, each character received a new Rare weapon set.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

In the following season, Tyranny, the Warmonger – an ally of Astrea (the main adversary) – was introduced. This powerful figure carried a two-handed Flamberge and focused on Corruption, Bleed damage, and applying pressure to opponents. At the same time, new armor sets and weapons were added, with the Centurion undergoing several adjustments.

In September 2020, The Resistance was established with a strong resolve to counter the Order of Horkos. At this stage, it was a given that new equipment and weapons would be provided. Moreover, a fresh Wu Lin map called The Belvedere was introduced for Dueling, Brawling, and Training purposes. However, the modifications made to team recognition stood out, introducing outlined teammates, colored health bars for each team, and granting players the flexibility to choose any color palette without categorizing them into Attacker, Defender, or Neutral groups.

By October 2020, the game “For Honor” unveiled compatibility with Xbox Series X/S and PS5, offering enhancements in texture sharpness, level of detail, water reflections, and 4K resolution (with Series S limited to 1080p). The support for 60 FPS on these consoles was scheduled for December, coinciding with the release of the next season. Cross-generational play and progression were already available across the same console families, but unfortunately, cross-platform play was not included at that time, although it may be added in the future.

At long last, the following season rolled in, welcoming Gryphon among the Knights. Not only did he contribute effectively to team healing, but he also showed off his skills with Chain Finishers in unexpected combinations. Additionally, fresh customization options made their debut. Although there were adjustments to balance and other modifications, this update seemed to be one of the least bustling ones for For Honor so far. Luckily, January 2021 brought forth new additions such as a target cycling option, the chance to mark favorite outfits, patterns, and styles, and numerous alterations for Peacekeeper and Nobushi.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

In just a short while, starting in March 2021, we’ll be debuting Year 5, Season 1, known as Asunder. This season will introduce a fresh 4v4 gameplay mode called Carousel of Horkos. Unlike previous modes, this one eliminates revives, Perks, and Feats, but introduces a “Horkos Challenger” bot that attacks both teams. Additionally, it offers new customization options, updates for Wardens, and brand-new Paired Emotes – perfect for those who’ve always wanted to celebrate a victorious chest-bump with their teammates!

In June 2021, the fifth year’s second season titled “Mirage” unfolded, offering numerous updates for characters like Shugoki, Berserker, Aramusha, Hitokiri, and many others. Additionally, the Visions of Kyoshin event was another highlight, where combatants faced off against Kyoshin fighters in a Dominion-style match. Notably, Kyoshin made his entrance as a Samurai character mid-season, and fresh Lore Orders were introduced as well.

Next season, our development team introduced enhancements for the Raider and Orochi, as well as a revamp of the Shinobi character, along with various other updates. Additionally, they launched a new event called Storm Tides and an unexpected partnership with Dead by Daylight in October. In Dominion-like gameplay, players found themselves capturing Generators while facing off against The Trapper, a level 3 Centurion AI with twice the damage and unblockable attacks.

Strangely enough, the conclusion of Year 5 introduced fresh Dead by Daylight cosmetic items for players to acquire. The Frozen Shores update included a new event, Frost Wind Celebrations, as well as modifications to Orochi, Raider, Shugoki, Shinobi, and other characters. Additionally, there were hints of a new character, but it turned out to be something else: A new faction.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

In the sixth year, the group known as Lost Horizons welcomed four new members: the Ocelotl, the Afeera, the Medjay, and the Pirate. These four characters were all Hybrids and equipped with fresh weapon types to learn. However, only two of them were activated that year, beginning with the Pirate. This character had a unique ability to nullify recovery periods after attacks by dodging instead, and could also use special moves within chains.

2021 marked the introduction of cross-platform play, enabling Xbox, PlayStation, and PC gamers to team up with one another. This feature for socializing and playing together using cross-play was scheduled to be activated later on. In Season 2, the Medjay made its debut, providing a variety of fighting techniques through weapon transformations and distinctive abilities tailored specifically to them.

In the heat of Season 3, we kicked off the second phase of crossplay, introducing side dodge attacks for select heroes. Some of these heroes gained tracking breaks, while others received invincibility frames (i-frames). As the season progressed, more hero updates were rolled out, and in a mid-season update coming in February 2023, a new character, Afeera, will join our ranks. As a rushdown type, she brings unique dodging moves to the table and can even tweak her Heavy Attack speed according to the direction of my guard.

2023 marks the beginning of Year 7, titled “Swords of Injustice,” starting in March. During this year, the last Outlander, Ocelotl, was introduced. As for gameplay changes, the Lawbringer underwent a redesign, Reflex Guard was eliminated from all Assassin characters, Heavy Attacks experienced several alterations, and tweaks were made to the overall balance of every character throughout the year.

For Honor – 7 Years Later

This discussion leads us to the present content release, named “Forged in War”. It includes refurbishing and incorporating two maps into the Dominion collection, as well as introducing a new Samurai character, Sohei, who carries seven swords. New and returning events, including a 1v1v1 mode called Last Hero Standing, have been launched. Additionally, there’s the latest update, “The Serpent Sword”, which has brought Testing Grounds, General Zhi: Zhanhu Hero Skin, as well as fresh customization options, into play.

In essence, the game “For Honor” has traveled quite a distance over time. Despite having a “Mixed” rating on Steam, with 69% of reviews being positive, it continues to have players and its developer is committed to incorporating community feedback and making necessary adjustments. Although it may not outshine many other games, the fact that “For Honor” has persisted for so long while providing a unique fighting game experience sets it apart from numerous titles. As they say, there’s no better moment than now to give it a try.

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2024-12-06 22:12