REVIEW – After a very good episode in 2012, which itself was taken from a mod of Half-Life 2 called Age of Chivalry, here we are 9 years later with a sequel: Chivalry 2. The principle is still the same, an FPS (for First Person Slasher) in a fictional Middle Ages in which two camps clash: The Kingdom of Agatha and the Mason Order.

The first difference with Chivalry I is the possibility to switch on the fly between the first and third person. Clearly, this possibility is totally optional and it is not with it that you will have the advantage over the opponent. It is however a nice addition for those who are totally allergic to the FPS view. The bulk of the combat, the visceral side of the experience is obviously designed to be played in first-person unlike For Honor for example.

A quality fictional Middle Ages

You’ll understand this as soon as you go through the tutorial, which is not mandatory but is still a fundamental part of the game. Let me be clear: even a veteran of Chivalry with hundreds of hours under his belt will learn things through it. We can only strongly encourage you to do it from start to finish, otherwise, you may be in for some surprises once you’re online. Let’s not forget that Chivalry 2 is an entirely multiplayer game and if you can only play against bots, the interest is quickly limited. The main part of the experience is obviously to measure yourself against others, whether in an epic duel or in a melee where the one who strikes first is the winner.

For the moment and unlike its predecessor, the game offers a mixed objective system with a choice of 40 or 64 players on the servers. The 8 maps allow you to alternate between the classic Team Deathmatch and the objective taking which is necessarily the most interesting mode. Team Mason or Agatha starts at point A and then has to complete several objectives to move to point B and so on until they reach the final objective. Except for maybe one card, the whole thing is very balanced and both teams have a chance to win. It all depends on the players’ skills and the way they play.

Mordhau or not Mordhau?

The main difference with its “competitor” Mordhau is its combat system, more arcade on Chivalry and therefore a bit more accessible. In Chivalry 2 there is no multidirectional system but rather a vertical, horizontal and stabbing attack system. After that, it’s all about the footwork and the ability to parry and counter-attack in time. It is a style, some will prefer one or the other. What is certain is that a bigger effort has been made on the side of the maps and the general atmosphere on Chivalry contrary to Mordhau which still offers ultra-classic environments.

It’s hard to say if one has inspired the other, but it’s clear that in Chivalry II it’s now possible to throw your weapons and equipment, as well as your shield, at your opponent. A game mechanic that is particularly charming in Mordhau. It’s also possible to get weapons directly on the battlefield and thus totally change your playstyle without having to respawn. It’s quite fun to find yourself throwing an axe at your opponent’s back as he starts to flee after a lost duel.

One of the big advantages of this Chivalry 2 compared to its predecessor is the interaction with the environment. Thus, at the top of a wall, you can grab a big stone or a barrel to smash the skull of a foot soldier who tries to pass through the main gate. And as always with the universe of Chivalry, it is done… with humour. It is also possible to cross a vegetable garden and catch a cabbage to send it on the opponent and even… horse dung! Yes, it is possible to kill someone by sending shit on his face. Everything that a certain Thomas P appreciates, but shhh…

Very nice evolutions

Unlike Chivalry I, this second episode offers a wide range of customization options, from face to voice to equipment. This is an excellent point even if we would have appreciated a little more possibilities in some categories like helmets. Other items are unlocked as you level up in your class while using gold coins that you earn during your online battles. Note also the addition of a currency accessible only with real money, this is essentially cosmetic and is therefore not problematic.

Still in the row of differences, the game is now divided into 4 classes and each of them is subdivided into 3 sub-classes. This is a good point for the evolution of your character and the feeling of mastering a class little by little but it is a bad point in terms of customization and choice of weapons. For example, it is no longer possible to use certain weapons like the Maul for the Knight. This is very regrettable. The four classes are: Knight, Archer, Man-at-Arms and Vanguard.

Great qualities but also great flaws

In addition to the neat level design and the multitude of details on our armours and weapons, we must admit that the game is particularly pleasing to the eye, especially in its highest configuration (we did the Test on PC). We could see the PS5 version which is also very nice to the eye. On top of that, the visuals are accompanied by a rather crazy sound direction in terms of atmosphere, the clash of weapons against armours, the shrill screams during the fights, everything is done to make the auditory immersion total.

Despite everything, the game still suffers from some problems. Despite a large configuration, some crashes related to the Unreal Engine (“Unreal Engine is exiting due to D3D device being lost). On a group of 5 people, it happened to a particular player who had a crash every 5 minutes with this error message… Not good.

The other major problem is the impossibility to play (at the writing of this test) with a friend. Indeed, the social system of the game is totally broken and forces you to restart the game 5 or 6 times before having the chance to invite a friend to your group. This is a real problem that should be solved soon with a patch but it is unacceptable as it is, especially for a multiplayer game like this.

-Zardoz-

Publisher: Deep Silver

Developer: Torn Banner Studios

Genre: Medieval hack’n’slash multiplayer

Release date: 23 April 2021