The original Chivalry went along a path similar to Counter-Strike and Team Fortress, from modification to full-fledged game with its fans. Almost a decade later, the series returned with a sequel and a desire to dethrone Mordhau in its genre. Why Chivalry 2 can lose the battle for the throne, but is able to entertain fans of waving heavy objects – in the Cybersport.ru review.
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Chivalry 2 is bloody mass battles in a medieval setting with castle sieges, knights and fun at the level of primal instincts. The concept is so simple and effective that the developers haven’t changed it since the original, so the formula “run, chop, die and repeat” still works just fine. For at least the first couple of hours, blood and joy flow like a river – then conventions begin.
And the visor falls
The first matches in Chivalry 2 are almost carefree: deaths only help to explore classes and weapons, and defeats are not remembered at all. But somewhere by the fifth battle, you inevitably begin to notice the previously hidden details, look for the causes of defeat, and even the virtual blood from bright scarlet suddenly turns into crimson. It turns out that dying and losing is not so much fun, so the first thing you have to do is learn the combat system.
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At some stages, the defenders have a limited number of soldiers. When the last fighters are on the field, the rest of the players take on the role of not the most skillful militias
In 40-man mode, teams are more likely to pay attention to tasks, since the battles here are less massive and less protracted. For the same reason, this format is inferior in dynamics to the main one by 64 fighters, which can be a pleasant relief after an unsuccessful match in the main mode. Another good option to distract yourself from the meat grinder is to look into the “Every man for himself” format, where players sometimes arrange honest one-on-one fights instead of a mindless chopper.
So far, Chivalry 2 cannot boast of a variety of locations, so you can explore each of them in a couple of game sessions. At the same time, unlike the original, in the new game it really makes sense to look around at least a little. One of the features of the new product is the ability to interact with the environment. On the maps you can find food and restore health, catch a chicken and launch it at the enemy, or traditionally throw stones at the enemies besieging the gates. And this is not just a way to humiliate the enemy – this is a deadly weapon, everything is serious.
Once they come to a bar …
The class system in Chivalry 2 has not gone anywhere. Four classes are available to the player: archer, vanguard fighter, infantryman and knight with different basic characteristics. Each of them combines three specializations, on which the available arsenal depends, as well as active and passive skills. It remains only to choose a fighter to your liking.
Base classes in the customization menu
Unfortunately, initially only four basic roles are available. To open the rest, you will have to spend a lot of time, especially if you want to try different characters right away. Chivalry 2’s progression is stuck on the opening of specializations, and this is a terrible decision to play without a single player campaign or even daily quests.
It is difficult to imagine a modern session game without any additional incentives to launch the next match. A live service system with frequent updates has already helped Fortnite bypass the incredibly popular PUBG. Why the authors of Chivalry 2 did not use this trump card in the fight against Mordhau and got stuck in 2012 is a big mystery.
The authors’ desire to limit the choice of classes is difficult to explain with anything other than an attempt to create motivation for the player not to abandon the action after a dozen matches. Specializations that open at high ranks do not break the balance, but they could well keep the player’s interest for a couple of extra hours in Chivalry 2 – they really differ from their counterparts in gameplay.
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For example, in Chivalry 2 there are two mechanics at once that allow you to fight even after the conditional “death”. First, the fighter can fall and continue to fight back with his fists – if his attacks are successful, he will immediately rise and continue the fight. Secondly, if one hand is lost, the character will grab another auxiliary weapon and be able to deliver a couple more blows.
The most impatient ones will surely appreciate the developers’ joke in the form of a praise function for the opponent who killed you, assigned to the familiar button for rebirth in other games – X in the case of PlayStation controllers.
Considering these moments and the general comic nature of some situations on the battlefield, Chivalry 2 could become a kind of Team Fortress with hats, bright decorations and an overall atmosphere of cruel, but terribly frivolous madness. Instead, the developers, even when creating cosmetic items, for some reason chose a more realistic path and added boring customization that gets lost in blood stains along with the team’s colors.
1/5 Vanguard Warrior Base Skin
To make Chivalry 2 not seem like an unnecessary clone of Mordhau with improved graphics and console versions, the authors should think about the identity of the game outside of gameplay solutions. Now Torn Banner Studios proposes to abandon the leader of the genre in favor of the same game with a slightly simplified combat system, cut content and the ability to throw a chicken at opponents.
I must admit that outside of the context of the still fresh Mordhau, the game looks great, but so far Chivalry 2 does not really offer anything new. Now the developers are planning to implement functions like a full-fledged crossplay between PS4 and PS5, a server search system on consoles and optimizations that were supposed to become part of the release build. And all this pushed the release of cavalry, new maps, and even the “arrow camera” from the original action. And not a word about the progression – except that the ranked matches sometime in the future.
7.5
Medieval attraction
Chivalry 2 gives the impression of a game that was made with great love and a desire to surprise the user. However, the small surprises scattered throughout the first three hours of gameplay just aren’t enough to beat Mordhau. This medieval action game is still terribly fun and can sometimes make you sweat, but after a dozen matches you want something new that cannot be found in competitors, but in Chivalry 2 there is nothing like it.
Advantages
furious collisions look impressive;
large and beautiful locations with different siege scenarios;
many funny and interesting details and small mechanics;
the combat system is suitable for both massive battles and duels;
incredible satisfaction from defeating enemies.
disadvantages
terrible progression system – no service elements in the online action;
not enough cards and mechanics that significantly change the gameplay;
no originality – the emphasis on humor and general madness could have made the game much brighter.
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