The war has been raging on for years between the three different factions. All of them are fighting over land they can’t agree upon. It’s been this way since I remember and when peace lurks around the corner, a new event forces us to continue the never-ending war. We fight for land, we won’t stop for anything that’s in our way; we fight for honor!
Season 2
Three months ago, Ubisoft released one of its new franchises called ‘For Honor’. We gave the original an 8.5 out of 10 in our review, only wishing for more content to keep us motivated. Now, months have passed and Ubisoft finally released the first major DLC pack, simply called Season Two. This second season of For Honor brings us Shadow & Might and comes as an update instead of a separate download. If you own a Season Pass, you’ll be able to download this DLC right now, if not, it might be wise to discover what this season has to offer first.
Well, in short, this pack gives you two new playable characters, two new maps and some extra gear to make your warrior as pretty as ever. Sounds fun, right? Let’s explain everything a little better.
Enter Centurion and Shinobi
The two new playable characters are the Centurion and Shinobi, both unique and both offering some new elements to make you victorious in combat. To keep things fair for everybody, Season Pass owners are the only ones that are able to use them during the week of launch, later on, everybody can unlock them using 15.000 Steal, the in-game currency. But are they worth the trouble?
Let’s start with the Centurion, the fourth playable character of the Knights faction. He’s heavily armored which makes you think he’s another tank character. Don’t be mistaken however, this one isn’t slow and can’t inflict massive damage with just one attack. Instead, the Centurion uses a short blade to attack his opponents up close. He can’t really inflict massive damage so you’ll need to hit your opponent multiple times in order to take home the victory. It’s an interesting new character that combines a strong armor with fast, but light, attacks. The Centurion comes closest to the Peacekeeper but is a bit more difficult to bring down. An interesting new character if you ask me.
The second playable character is a Shinobi and thus joins the Samurai faction. Unlike the Centurion, which feels like a combination of other characters, this Shinobi character truly is unique. He’s extremely fast and light but doesn’t wear a lot of armor so he’s very vulnerable to attacks. The great thing about the Shinobi is that he dual-wields two Kusarigama, enabling him to attack you with devastating combos. He’s a more difficult character to master since you’ll really need to combine attack and defense in a different way than you’re used to, once you control the true power of the Shinobi, you’ll become unstoppable.
Both characters really offer something new and it’s fun to discover their skills and weaknesses. The execution moves of both are perhaps the most brutal ones of the game so it’s worth checking out for yourselves. Too bad the Vikings faction didn’t get a new character but that’s something for Season Three perhaps.
New playground
The two characters come with two new maps. Both of the maps are free for everybody so you don’t need to get the Season Pass. The first one is called Forge and takes you to a medieval forge where the Knights fabricate their weapons and armor. It’s a fun map to discover and especially the impressive waterwheel is a deadly tool for some original executions. Perhaps a bit of a dark map, but fun to fight on without a doubt.
The second map is called Temple Garden and takes you to a peaceful Japanese garden filled with Sakura trees. It’s such a peaceful map that it even feels strange killing other players there. A peaceful place such as this shouldn’t be stained with blood and death. That being said, it does offer a new a unique setting that could quickly become one of the favorite maps of the players.
Other extras
So, that’s it? Not yet! Season Two also adds some new armor and weapons you can collect. This is great for the players who are seeking for new ways to stand out of the crowd. Some of the items are extremely hard to get so once you get them, it’s fun showing them off in combat. In order to get those, you’ll need a fighter with a reputation of at least five. It’s fun, but it’s a shame this season doesn’t offer a new game mode.
Conclusion:
The Second Season of For Honor brings us two new characters and two new maps to discover. The characters feel different enough to justify giving them a go, especially the Shinobi. The maps are free for everybody and it seems like Temple Garden could quickly become one of the most favorite maps the game has to offer. It’s a shame the season doesn’t come with extra game modes or a bit more exclusive content for those willing to pay the full price of a Season Pass. That being said, For Honor is going into the right direction and I can’t wait for the start of Season Three.
