Chivalry 2 | PS4 Review

Hot off the backs of "Chivalry I", Tripewire's 'Chivalry II" brings back cannonballs to the wall medieval madness and mayhem. With several modes of play to choose from, and a highly detailed class and character customization system players' battlefield bloodlust will be satiated if they can get past some of the game's issues. Playing like a mixture of an FPS, and a fighting game Chivalry II's mechanics, and historically mirrored confrontations between four different kingdoms is realized in the most intricately detailed fashion. 

Featuring true to the period weapon based tactics, and objectives dependent upon offensive and defensive strategies these epic skirmishes play out in a truly merciless fashion. While the combat, and carnage is mostly historically accurate the developers have taken liberties with their sometimes comical voice commands that will have you both screaming like a madman as you run forth into the fray, or hurling insults as you are taunting your adversaries as they crawl around bleeding out from their mortal wounds.

For those of you new to the series 'Chivalry II' directs you to a hands-on tutorial that will show you the ropes of medieval combat. The ins and outs of sword based combat, specifically. This combat can be broken down into offensive, and defensive categories with item usage being the last need to know mechanics. Offensive options include a basic overhead, horizontal, and piercing attack. Each with a realistically timed delay due to the weight of the sword. There's also a weapon throw to utilize while out on the battlefield. A piercing instant kill if landed. 

While offense will lead to victories, defense is even more important in that it opens up evasive maneuvers, blocking options, and ripostes/parries that will allow for avoiding an untimely death, and coming back with a returning deathblow. Defensively you can kick opponents away, hop backwards, and even side step out of harms way. After blocking with your weapon or shield you can follow up instantly with an attack that will land if timed correctly. If you happen to get injured, but can escape the flurry of flying steel med kits will offer up healing which is crucial to survival. You can even pick up, and throw damage dealing items to finish off foes.

Skirmishes or objective based modes of play are usually three stage ordeals with historical backgrounds disclosed before the fight begins. These modes or game types include a 64 man battle, a 40 man battle, a mounted battle, and a beginner's mode with bots for practice. The 64 man siege is an epic battle involving two kingdom clans from Agatha, Mason, Tonsia, or FFA. 

Soldiers from the units don their own colors and code of arms for easy identification. With these soldiers at your command you will take on one of several soldier roles or classes with their unique weapon loadouts, and skills. Whether it be melee, or ranged. Using the environmental set pieces as tug of war objectives you will either be tasked with destroying or protecting landmarks that are essential to the kingdom's survival. Be it a fort, a castle wall, or a village filled with peasants. In addition to this the soldier count is limited, and losing all soldiers via repeated respawns will end in defeat, alternatively. Same goes for the 40 man battle but to a lesser degree, and with deathmatch being the combat focus there. Mounted mode, being the more unusual mode of the lot that it is, is as it sounds. You ride a horse, and fight on the battlefield with other knighted individuals on horseback. Supported by fellow soldiers.

The Customization ...

When it comes to character customization, and classes you'll find a fully fledged head to toe list of options wherein you can unlock and equip cosmetic features with earned coin, or pay for the more prestigious items with real world money using the game's store. You can tweak everything from the characters' face to their hair and eyes as well as the armor and weapons they are sporting. Each class of character has a unique armor style, and will rotate armor accessories in battle after each respawn. Giving you access to basically the next soldier in line. Weapons and classes go hand in hand, and reflect the type of role you will be taking on. You have everything from knights to archers, and more. Some weaker than others, and others stronger in different ways. In the modes of play it is always crucial to work as an army would, and support each other rather than resort to in-fighting. This is made difficult in that there is friendly fire included, and you can be kicked for attacking your own teammates. Something to keep in mind when playing.

Should you, and your fellow swordsmen fell their enemy and best them at their objectives they'll be rewarded with customization items, currency, and XP. XP, of course, plays into the game's ranking system which comes complete with titles. The higher you rank up the more you unlock. Needless to say there is a lot to grind for given the amount of classes, and characters that are included.

The Verdict ...

In all honesty I went into this with an open mind. Getting into the tutorial though the struggle that was to be began to be realized almost immediately. Combat is not fast, and fluid. It's clunky, less than precise, and slow. Timing is of the essence. That being said the developer does give you the mechanics necessary to play offensively, and defensively. The problem is that in combat, unless your team is working as a team, you will meet your demise unfairly and often. Factor in the netcode delay, and it can become frustrating. The added fact that friendly fire is a thing is also problematic as a lot of times in trying to assist teammates you will accidentally strike said teammates. Doing this can get you kicked from the match, and potentially banned. I actually got kicked after returning friendly fire to a player who struck me first. This, in itself, was not fair. I fear there will be a lot of instances where innocent players will be baited into this same reaction by trolls looking to get players in trouble, and if the player paid for the game this makes it doubly infuriating. 

Given the clunky nature of combat, the unfair deaths, the trolling, and the kicking/banning potential I'm hard pressed to even recommend this game. It can be mindless medieval fun, but if you struggle with bad teams or teammates this can outright ruin the experience for you. I do still like how the developer tried to keep it realistic, but being as realistic as it is has kind of crippled some of the fun to be had. I think fast and fluid would have been the way to go. Both in offense and defense.