Chivalry 2

This game was reviewed on Xbox Series X.

Reviewed by: Joe Cabrera

In case you were looking for a fun soaked, blood-soaked, adrenaline-soaked, PVP experience. I've got just the game for you. Chivalry 2. A medieval, multiplayer first-person slasher. Unlike the games it shares this genre with, Chivalry 2 provides a much less arduous and relentless approach to mastering its combat. Yet the game will still skill check you regularly throughout your time playing it, masterfully walking the line between arcade-style hack and slash and genuine skill. Picking Chivalry 2 up for the first time you won't feel the overwhelming sense of dread that Kingdom Come: Deliverance or Mordhau gives you at the start of the game, yet you will feel the steady include of a well-implemented learning curve, making Chivalry 2 the most balanced experience of its kind.

If you are someone who loves a medieval setting, or a medieval armour or weapon buff then this game is going to have you sweating with delight. However, if you can take or leave the Medievil aesthetic (like myself), then there is still a lot to love in Chivalry 2 because of how much focus has been put on making the gameplay an enjoyable experience. The game offers a decent array of different things to do as well to iron out any monotony. You will be expected to take checkpoints, protect NPC's, carry out sieges, take part in massive hectic battles, storm castles and slay kings but the best part about all of this is the openness of the sandbox allowing you to approach the situations to your own choosing and as such implement your own strategies to reach your desired goal.

The maps are also very intentionally designed to affect gameplay. There are choke points, battlements, medieval artillery, uneven terrain, siege towers and other weaponry all designed to sway the advantage one way or another depending on how effectively they are utilised. Honestly, at first, the large scale battles can feel very chaotic and there is a real temptation to just dive into the middle of it all and start swinging. You know what? That's ok. It's all part of the learning curve, it's a part of the Chivalry 2 experience. A few hours of gameplay though and you will find yourself naturally working with your teammates, developing strategies to reach your objectives and Chivalry 2 will reward you for doing so.

There are multiple ways to play Chivalry 2 with melee and range classes to choose from. Each one of these classes is also divided up into subclasses. For example, under the ranged class, you can select from Longbowman, Crossbowman or Skirmisher. A longbowman uses a bow and arrow, a crossbowman uses a crossbow and a skirmisher uses javelins and throwing knives. Each subclass comes with its own list of pros and cons which you will need to navigate in order to find what works for you. It gives the player a very satisfying amount of autonomy when deciding how you want to play the game.

Chivalry 2 is by no means the perfect game. But it's the best in its class. It is impressively accessible to newcomers whilst still offering a deep level of mastery for dedicated and more serious players. Ultimately the game doesn't take itself too seriously and by doing so gameplay is focused on being fun to play. Its downfalls are really only that it at times is complete and utter chaos which can feel unfair and frustrating at times but this is part and parcel of the online PVP mayhem that Chivalry 2 brings to the table. Thankfully most of the time this game is just flat out fun and playing the 32 v 32 modes will give you about as close an experience you can have to the true carnage or a medieval battlefield but without the spilling of real blood and guts. To top off the experience, the developers of Chivalry 2, Torn Banner Studios, are releasing the games biggest update yet this month! They will be adding a brand new map and raid, a new weapon, various QOL improvements to the game and over 30 new pieces of armour to the game. So with that in mind. Theres no better time to try out Chivalry 2.

Reviewed by: Joe Cabrera