image: Ubisoft
Time to get slashing. Ubisoft’s medieval brawler For Honor goes into open beta on Xbox One, PS4 and PC today, pitting knights, samurai and Vikings against each other in brutal close-quarters combat. Open beta began at 9AM EST this morning, and continues until Sunday, February 12th. For directions on how to load and participate, check out Ubisoft. The open beta comes quickly on the heels of a recent closed beta.
Considering the fact that the game launches a mere two days after the open beta ends, its fair to consider this as what we would call an “advertising beta.” The game is more or less complete, and this is essentially a way to boost publicity in advance of launch: a common practice in the industry these days. Basically, it’s less a traditional beta and more a demo with the slight possibility of server stress tests and balance tweaks. So don’t expect any significant improvements between now and launch.
For Honor has been an interesting title ever since it debuted at E3: it’s been called a “shooter with swords,” with elements of MOBAs and fighting games. It promises a robust system of attack, defense and weapon positioning in its combat system, going a bit beyond even what’s offered in a game like Nioh. I’ll be very curious to see how to make it work. Genuinely complex, semi-realistic melee combat has been a tough target in the gaming world for a very long time, and I’ve never quite encountered a title that’s been able to pull it off. If For Honor is the one that makes it work, I’d expect to see elements of these systems cropping up in all sorts of games with swords.
We’ll have more thoughts on the game as we get playing: I’ve been spending an awful lot of time as a samurai in Nioh, so maybe its time to give Vikings a roll. Check back for more. For Honor hits retail on Valentine’s Day, February 14th.