The Aesthetics and Feel of For Honor

For Honor is a recent controversial game from Ubisoft, who have been ridiculed in recent years for pulling cheap marketing stunts and having poor consumer practices. These attributes can be found on full display in some aspects of For Honor’s micro transaction design, with cosmetics costing an absurd amount of the in-game currency compared to how much you receive per game. The connection issues that plagued the launch of another Ubisoft title rainbow six siege is in full effect, making it unplayable for some players. It can look quite damning from an outside perspective.

Despite it’s unattractive corporate shell, there is a diamond in the rough here that the talented game, sound and art designer’s should all feel very proud of. For Honor, in my opinion, features some of the most satisfying and beautiful fighting game gameplay to date. Despite some balance issues that will hopefully be resolved in the future, it continues to entertain me with it’s chunky and rich combat. There are numerous reasons why the combat is so satisfying, and I will get into that right now.

One of the reasons the games combat is so beautiful is it’s absolutely stellar animation. The game features some of the best motion capture I have seen to date, each character full of life and character.

When standing still, the characters will look about and adjust their posture, flexing their hands and shift their weapons in anticipation. It looks so natural and organic that I often find myself panning the camera to admire the idle animations and get hit by an enemy I didn’t notice. The sprinting animations are incredibly fluid and full of energy, getting you fully in the mood and atmosphere of the game. The Lawbringer, Warden and Orochi are some particular favorites of mine, but you really cant go wrong with any of them (except for the female Raider unfortunately, I just can’t get into theirsprint animation). This fluidity is found in the animation transitions as well. It looks natural and organic when your character sprints from a ledge up some stairs. It looks realistic when your character switches the direction of their guard, fully immersing you in experience. Their is weight behind each characters strikes and blows, and the opponents are sent reeling from powerful hits.

The sound design is also a reason the game feels so responsive. Armor plates shift and clang as the knights sprint through the battlefield. Their armor makes subtle sounds hinting at the underlying chain mail when they switch their guard stance. The samurai's Katana's screech through the air as they slice through foes. The Raider's huge two-handed makes a sickening thud whenever it collides with the enemy. Paired with the stellar animation, the audio instantly immerses you and connects you to your character, creating an absolutely exhilarating experience.

Overall, I think many games can draw from the beautiful design of For Honor's animation and audio. Despite it's controversial practices, there is a gem in the rough here that I believe any gamer can appreciate.