The fictional nation of Agatha is in a civil war, with two factions – the Agathian Knights and the Mason Order – vying for control of the region. Players pick their sides and choose from several character classes, including knights, archers, and supports, each with a different set of skills and choice of weaponry.
Developer tornbanner created a mod for counter strike source called age of chivalry, now they are the creators of a full stand alone game called Chivalry: Medieval Warfare.
Chivalry is a first-person slasher with a focus on multi-player. Featuring competitive online combat that seeks to capture the experience of truly being on a medieval battlefield.
Lets delve deeper into the game first off the combat system, the melee combat in chivalry uses a three move system holding down the left mouse button will result in a horizontal slash, flicking the mouse wheel down will result in a trust or stabbing motion while flicking the mouse wheel up will result in an overhead swing, blocking is not strictly directional but does involve aiming your cross hair in the vague direction off the incoming attack otherwise the block will fail, shields needless to say are more effective in this regard, kicks can also be used to break blocks and there is a specific button that allows you to feint out off an attack and immediately follow up with another.
The game features a combo system where a rapid set off inputs will ensure a smooth series off attacks one after another, the melee system is limited by stamina witch once exhausted must be recharged before you can attack or parry again, attacks can also be ducked under or jumped over if timed correctly, attacks have allot off weight behind them and missing is severely punished, significant friendly fire damage also discourages wild horizontal swinging, timing is extremely important.
I saw my body slump to the floor, some distance away and then the hammer-bastard was standing over me, attempting to play croquet with what remained of my face.
Chivalry features ranged combat trough bows and crossbows, the crossbow allows for a more precise aim but has a long reload time, both weapons feature large and imprecise cross hairs and there are a large variety of ranged weapons this includes javelins, knifes, axes and fire pots. But the ranged combat feels like an afterthought with their main focus on the melee combat.
Now the realism, Chivalry features varied and realistic objectives and its stamina system accounts for the fact that you cannot just keep swinging without getting tired and the precision strikes are important in 1vs1 combat.
For a medieval hack and slash multiplayer only game the brutality is fairly important and chivalry excels in all aspects off brutality, its first person nature forces players to get up close and personal and the entire game is in your face.
Chivalry features the severing off limbs aswell as full decapitations accompanied by yells of agony, the combat system is brutal and to the point there is no mercy at any time so if you dont like blood and gore this isn’t the game for you.
While this game has no singleplayer campaign except for the tutorial it does have a nice amount of multiplayer game modes; team objective, free for all and team deathmatch. The game also features ballistas, catapults, and boiling oil to use on enemies and their fortifications.
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is a unique, good and brutal game, it does everything you would expect from a Medieval hack and slash, it is easy to get into and hard to master.
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is available on steam and gamersgate for 22.99€
7/10
