For Honor is the newest IP from Ubisoft Montreal that aims to penetrate the fighting genre scene. The game’s unique blend of hack and slash and strategic combat is reminiscent of old classics like Age of Chivalry and Tenchu. Ubisoft’s attention to aesthetic detail, such as the weight of the weapon, contextual animations, gives a more grounded feeling to an already non-fantasy game. For Honor promises the latest, most advanced iteration of PvP sword fighting, but what will we, the fans, really pay attention to when the game is finally in our hands?

One-on-One Duels

For Honor’s appeal is the thrill of fighting against a human opponent. The duels won’t just be of pixels on the screen, but also of grey matter. One thing that the developers will have to keep in mind is how one-on-one duels will be set up. The Art of Battle system allows for more than 2 players to be locked in combat against each other. That means 2 or 3 players can double team one player, 3 players can triple team 2 and so on. While a game like Bloodborne leaves these squabbles to player discretion (given the openness of the simple hack and slash combat system), For Honor might want to encourage and emphasize honor and good sportsmanship. I’m not talking about punishing players for utilizing the numbers advantage, I don’t think people playing a certain way should be penalized, but rather a system of reputation should be in place. This system would reward honorable actions such as staying out of a fight between two combatants.

Of course this is all assuming there won’t be a dedicated one-on-one mode, but I’m talking about contextual encounters during dominion or other similar modes.

Perks

Perks are a cornerstone of any fighting game. Really, any game at this point in modern gaming. Perks offer a form of progression that makes players feel that their characters really belong to them. Healing abilities, better weapon mastery, extra dialogue options, etc. Most, if not all, of the perks in For Honor will have to be substantial for players to want to invest in them. Keeping that in mind, there would have to be a very meticulous balance. So far, the developers have crafted a very balanced combat system, where skill can trump double teaming or higher level opponents. One perk, just one, can break that whole system. Unfortunately, gamers are a naturally competitive bunch and will want to utilize just about any loop hole to gain the upper hand. The developers will have to be very careful not to break the balance that they have struck with the combat system by adding one or two perks that can be exploited.

Historical Accuracy

While For Honor never touted an extremely accurate portrayal of culture and combat styles, some players will still hold this element to deep scrutiny. For Honor takes a lot of artistic liberty with the cultures and civilizations it portrays. From the armors to the weapons to the fighting styles, players have already begun to notice some inaccuracies and while it’s not leading to an uproar, the developers will want to emphasize that their game is not portraying history, but rather taking a slice of history and presenting it as a wrapped package of strategy and cunning. This is natural as games are supposed to be engaging first and foremost (as a good friend of mine always says). If a design choice comes down to realism or engagement and artistic appeal, the latter will always win. At best, For Honor is a nod at history.

Realism

Leading from the previous point, realism is another important aspect for fans. While, again, For Honor is relatively grounded in reality, a balance is still important. Player immersion and empathy go a long way in establishing a connection between gamers and the game, the magic circle. When a game sets laws for its universe, it should always strive to stay consistent with these laws. Laws of physical space, laws of balance, and laws of aesthetics must always conform to what the player expects from the game. Realism is important, but it’s not the only factor for maintaining immersion. As with historical accuracy, the developers have taken artistic liberty to create appealing systems that are both grounded and have flair.

While Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, for example, was set in the 1720s, ships in-game travel at a whooping 60 knots, which is unrealistic as the first time a ship travelled at such a speed was in the early 1900s. Realistically, ships in Black Flag would travel at 9-12 knots. That would make for a fairly boring traveling and combat experience, so the developers opted to sacrifice realism for conventionality. In my opinion, this was a good decision.

Modes

A game like For Honor will understandably need to have lots of modes to utilize the combat system. It’s not a simple task, though. The combat system would have to be tested rigorously to be balanced across every mode, the level design would have to conform to the rules of each mode, it’s really not as simple as saying, “I want this mode! It can’t be that hard”

Also understandably, players want a diverse and unrestrictive amount of modes to delve in against each other and with their friends.