Chivalry: Medieval Warfare Review

If fountains of blood, limb severing and decapitation are what you look for in a game then Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is the game for you. This Kickstarter-backed project is the debut title from new indie developer, Torn Banner Studios, and features multiplayer melee combat with emphasis on brutality and carnage.

Chivalry supports up to 32 players per game and pits them against each other in a variety of game modes to slice and smash their way to victory with a variety of close combat weapons, as well as a few ranged options in the form of thrown weapons and bows. Combat is fast-paced and hectic, but the emphasis is on skill and although a hack-and-slash approach will work to a degree players will need to hone their abilities to stride to the top of the leaderboards.

Four classes are available to choose from and each has access to different equipment and weapons which can be mixed and matched to find the perfect loadout for any particular situation or personal playstyle. The Man-at-arms is the lightest of the melee classes and is typically armed with a one-handed weapon and a shield. Knights and Vanguards are both heavily armoured and typically wield larger weapons; the Vanguard sacrifices some defense in favour of mobility and the Knight is tougher but slower. As for the Archer class - I'll leave that to your imagination.

There is enough variation between the abilities and weapon loadouts of each class to make each one a very different play experience. It is a credit to the developers then that despite these significant differences that they are so well balanced in combat. While all classes have their own strengths and weaknesses they are all capable at taking each other on in the field. The Knight may need only a single well-timed blow to fell the Man-at-arms, but the more dexterous fighter is more able to avoid blows and strike several times in quick succession.

The Archer class is clearly a different matter, as the focus is on taking foes out at range from behind the front line rather than toe-to-toe. There is a definite love-or-hate feeling towards this class and ranged combat in Chivalry is a difficult beast to master, with many considering the Archer to be overly-difficult to play or to be weak in comparison to the other classes. Whilst I sympathise to some degree (I was rubbish with the Archer class) clearly those who take the time to master the difficulty curve would disagree and having been on the receiving end of moving, pointy death I can confidently say that, in the right hands, a bow or crossbow can be a perfectly efficient tool of destruction.

Combat is simple on the surface, with the left mouse button activating a 'standard' attack while scrolling the mouse wheel up or down enables a thrusting move or an overhead swipe. The use of the mouse wheel is unusual but it works extremely well and becomes second nature after a while. The right mouse button executes a parry which has to be correctly timed and positioned, although it's easier if you are using a shield.

This simple and easy to use control scheme forms the basics of combat and there is plenty to learn even at this basic level in terms of timing, positioning and mobility. Add to this each weapon's unique stats in speed, damage and reach alongside advanced tactics such as shield bashing, block breakers and feints and within the chaos of battle there is scope for some extremely skillful play.

Of course skill often gets thrown to the wayside when multiple fighters are slugging it out in a close group and it's easier to hang around the outskirts and take out your opponents sneakily from behind while they are busy. It's all part of the gameplay and it's great fun to stab someone in the back or to gang up in a group on a poor lone soldier. It may run in contrast to the name of the game, but when playing to win 'chivalry' is often overrated.

Six game modes are available, chaotic Free-For-All and Team Deathmatches are available, as are Capture the Flag and King of the Hill modes. Elimination mode plays out over a number of rounds and there are no respawns; last team standing wins the round and the first team to seven wins the game.

The sixth, and most enjoyable, is Team Objective mode. In this game type the attacker must complete a number of sequential objectives such as burning down a village, moving siege engines and killing nobles. Meeting each objective within the timeframe triggers the next and moves the action to a different part of the map, but should the clock run out before the objective is met then victory goes to the defending team.

The levels themselves are well made and well balanced; with multiple pathways to explore, high ground for archers, excellent killing fields for the melee troops and the Team Objective maps are suitably large and varied. Unfortunately there are only six maps available at present, although Torn Banner promises more maps will be featured in an upcoming content update which will be free to all users.

As would be expected from an indie title, graphics are not exactly up to AAA standard. There are some awkward character animations and muddy textures present, but none of it really spoils the gameplay and I would defy anyone not to let out a chuckle or a gasp when they see someone's head come apart or a limb get hacked off - it really is quite violent! By contrast, sounds are excellent with the meaty sound of blade meeting flesh, the metallic clang of metal-on-metal and the screaming war cries of the combatants all being excellently done.

Chivalry: Medieval Combat is an enjoyable multiplayer kill-em-up romp; easy to pick up and start playing and accessible enough for casual players, but with enough depth and skill to reward a longer term investment. It's not a graphical powerhouse and it's never going to pass as a triple-A title, but it does what it sets out to do well. The current lack of maps leads to a degree of repetition and discourages longer play sessions, although more are planned for the future. As the game stands in its current form I'm giving it a 7.5 out of 10, but if the day comes when the map count is standing at the 10-12 mark feel free to add an extra 0.5 to that score.