Chivalry: Medieval Warfare Reviewed

By Nathaniel Liles

Free for alls are insane, with plenty of players on the map.

My mom used to take me to Renaissance Fairs, It was kinda awesome. I mean, there was jousting, people had real-ass armor on all over the place, and there were swords everywhere. I really enjoyed those times when I was a kid, and that interest in medieval times has carried over into my adult life quite a bit, and I was happy to see Chivalry: Medieval Warfare start to pick up a little steam when it was released. When developers Torn Banner Studios set out to make Chivalry, they had one goal in mind: create the finest melee combat to ever grace a video game. How did they do in that respect?

Environments are atmospheric and well suited to combat.

Well, simply put, they did a really great job. Combat so heavily based on timing and collision detection is something I would’ve never though could work so smoothly in an online game, but it definitely does. Controls are tight, they make sense, and there’s a button that just lets you scream. Just like in Goat Simulator. There are four different classes in the base game alone, and each one is flexible enough for me to have had fun with all four. You have your archer, the only ranged class, who can use a variety of bows, crossbows, javelins, and slings. There are also the Man at Arms, the most agile class. Vanguards and Knights are the two slower classes, one specializing in two-handed combat, and one specializing in sword-and-board respectively. The Vanguard is great, because if you sprint long enough, he’ll raise his weapon over his head and charge the enemy when you click to attack. All in all, an excellent experience, and I forgive the few bugs and glitches that occur. Rank progression and weapon unlocks come at a nice, steady pace, and anything you can pay cash for is purely for looks (and I barely saw any cash items).

Archery is well-balanced, but people will still complain about it being overpowered. If you want a bow, grab a bow.

Aesthetically, the game was pleasing enough, but since I’m currently playing video games on the gaming equivalent of a potato, the screenshots here aren’t representative of what the game will look like on decent system. For those of you with lower end machines, though, it’s awesome to be able to turn the graphics down this far. Everyone looks like a wall-eyed flesh monster, but the game runs smoothly. Music fits the mood, but it’s just you’re average medieval music, so it’s not worth too much comment. It does what it needs to, sets the mood, and it’s never annoying or intrusive to the experience.

Here’s your viewpoint for most of the game. You do have the option to move back into 3rd person, though.

One thing I really feel is worth noting is the quality of the community. I’ve played online games before, and people are generally really inflammatory and mean to each other, but when I played Chivalry, it was an entirely different experience. Sure, there were a few immature people, and at one point I got into a fight about My Little Pony, but overall, the community was fun to play with, encouraging to newcomers, and willing to prioritize having a good time over dominating the competition. Not only that, but every match ends with a light-hearted fist fight. People’s heads still explode (really) but it’s fun to run around punching your brothers in arms. I had a great time with Chivalry, and I’ll continue to play it for many months to come.

[author image=”http://cliqist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/nathaniel.jpg” ] Nathaniel Liles is a freelance writer, writing major, and indie musician based in Southern Indiana. While procrastinating or avoiding real-world responsibility, Nathaniel enjoys playing rhythm games, action RPGs, and very colorful games with many bright, flashing lights. You can listen to Nathaniel sing songs or download his music for free at http://nathanielliles.bandcamp.com/.  [/author]