Video Game Review: Chivalry 2- A Cacophony of Medieval Madness

If you like semi-strategy, full aggression, then this game is more than just for you- Console version!

The game offers basically three factions- Agatha Knights, Mason Order, and your own personal flavor via Free-For-All (FFA).

I don’t want to get into the lore of it all, but just know that these two, outside of the FFA obvy, dislike each other and find curious ways to represent that.

From strung up dead peeps to taking hundreds prisoner, to also just crazy shenanigans.

Overall, just constant fighting and situations uncommon to any other game!

The Three Modes- (mind-your-back is the best tip for every mode)

Team Objective-

General concept is some campaign-esque scenarios that revolve around medieval siege events, as well as ambushes, retrievals, and sabotage. A good range of battles that have timed stages of progression where the game could end in the first stage within a couple of minutes, or it can go all the way to the final stage and over thirty minutes. (Nothing more heartbreaking than the time almost running out for a stage and the enemy has a ridiculous surge to prevail and move on to the next stage.) The scale, of your choosing, is either up to forty players, or up to sixty-four players.

FFA-

It is straight forward deathmatch with no allies. A set kill count of (typically) thirty-five, first to reach it wins, otherwise the time runs out and whoever has the most then wins. Chaos, pure chaos. Also, since it seems it occurs in this mode more than the others, shovel people can go fornicate themselves and their broken mechanic. The constant swinging attack with a shovel is a nuisance.

Arena-

A three vs three, small area mode. Last team alive wins a round, and five rounds to win the match. Be careful if you don’t have good teammates- either they’ll die fast and it’ll be three vs one, or the enemy team will just rush you and it’ll be three vs one.

Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge!

Team Objective Tips-

Stop caring about K/D- focus on distracting the enemy.

I wish people would be aware that in most cases during either attacking or defended— especially on ‘Bridge Holds’ where the attackers are trying to get from one side to the other —all you need to do is NOT fight at the line (wherever the teams are actively fighting) BUT rush through the line, and fight WAY into their side of the object. You’ll act as a large planet and your gravity will pull the line with your progression! Typically, the enemy will have at least two people try to follow and stop you, thus removing them from the front line and opening it for your teammates. I’ve had five enemies follow me and completely ruin their progression over the bridge and create a huge surge for my team.

Graphics/Visual- 5/5

I’ve been pleased with every aspect. Nothing like having your helmet knocked off, during a fight, and you still continue on. The switch from First-Person to Third-Person is great. Getting to see your customized warrior ripping it up in the battlefield is amazing. Also, being covered in blood and arrows, and still cutting people down, those visuals are worth every moment to get there.

Sound/Audio- 4/5

The voice acting is great, and fluid. The clash of metal drowned out by the yelling charge of your enemy is beautiful. My main issue with sound is the orientation tended to be an issue. I’d hear someone running up behind me but turn to see no one (and the person I was fighting is now opened to slapping me in the back of the head)

Gameplay – 4/5

The fighting mechanics are awesome. The effectiveness of your blocks/attacks are based off location (who makes contact first) instead of an automatic animation. The physics play a role in this, and it does its job. It can be clunky at times, but mostly solid.

Three Likes:

Humor is peppered throughout the entirety of the game, various Easter-Eggs and of the like can be found in a match.
Visuals are very nice, the arrows remaining in you while fighting (they do eventually disappear, but it isn’t instant) makes winning a duel that much better.
Character Customization is nearly perfect. Over forty faces to select from. Face paint, scars and other markings, different styles for each helmet, armor, and weapon. You can choose your own emblem from their presets. You most definitely end up with your own unique warrior. Wacky beards and hair styles, all sorts of colors!

Three Dislikes:

The odd button use- especially when one button has more than one action. You end up doing the one action you didn’t want and getting killed for the mishap. The amount of time I have chopped/stabbed instead of throwing my weapon and being killed because of it, is QUITE numerous. (To throw your weapon, on console, you must push the chop action while pressing the stab action simultaneously) Also, a large amount of my commending opponents for their fight/kill of me was entirely me trying to dodge. The button to dodge is also commend- if you die within a second of pressing it, you’ll commend your enemy. Another reference, you are trying to pick up a weapon and you just keep ‘battle yelling’ at the damn ground while someone keeps smacking you in the face.
Kind of the same as the first but I feel like it needed its own- no customization of controller layout. I’d immediately move ‘commend’ to any other damn button, cause I don’t press any other button as much as I do DODGE. THEN, I’d switch the ‘throw’ button to probably ‘block’ plus ‘dodge’ so that if it didn’t process the throw, I wouldn’t be caught in an animation which gets me killed.
The never-ending (sarcasm) respawn time/wave respawns. Since it is a wave, it’s on a timer which runs down from fifteen seconds. It is a nightmare. I get the ten+ respawn seemingly every time. It takes me (mentally) out of the game, and just causes frustration- especially if you’re one of the few actively doing the objective. I’d suggest no wave respawns and to switch to a max of five seconds. Mostly cause when you had to endure the full fifteen seconds, then respawned where ETA to objective is twenty seconds, you’re already missed a large chunk of action- at least thirty seconds worth, which often is crucial. Fix the respawn time and place of respawn- I’ve respawned away from everything far more than I’d like. After the tenth time— in one match —of waiting thirty seconds to be useful/engage, it builds frustration.

Final Thoughts–

Despite the various bugs, and issues, most of which I didn’t address because I chose to address design flaws not errors, I heavily enjoy the game. If you enjoy playing a knight and chunking an axe at random people for the hell of it, this is the game to do it. Nothing like throwing your weapon and ruining someone’s duel. The options for strategy are great. Just all-around fun. Plus, the developer seems HEAVILY invested in perfecting the game and adding to it, so those bugs/issues are actively being worked out. Nicely done!