The second item on my weekend's entertainment program was a short trip to the Middle Ages. Since childhood, I have been interested in history and am a fan of the era of chivalry and noble deeds. That is why Chivalry 2 became for me a saving breath of fresh air after the horrors of GTFO and, at the same time, exciting entertainment. It's a pity that I couldn't spend enough time in it due to my busy schedule.

Modern scientists and reenactors of historical battles know firsthand how difficult it was for an ordinary knight. In the Middle Ages, people generally did not live long due to lack of hygiene and widespread disasters, to say nothing of warriors. Battles were commonplace, and noble knights in shining armor replaced each other almost daily. Once I managed to try on a lightweight replica of knight’s armor and, to be honest, I can’t even imagine how they managed to fight and navigate while clad in heavy armor. But I still don’t take into account the horsemen with pikes who burst into the ranks of opponents at exorbitant speeds.

Chivalry 2 will not offer the player historical accuracy or complex tactical gameplay, instead we will simply be able to take part in the classic “wall to wall”. It seems like there is a single player mode with bots, but personally I decided to go into multiplayer.

Before us is a brutal slasher film in a medieval setting. From the first minutes the player is sent into the thick of things and will be able to witness large-scale battles. You shouldn’t look for real facts or famous personalities here, because everything here is impersonal, but history buffs will quickly discern which events the developers decided to “cosplay.” From the very beginning, several game classes will be available to us, such as spearman, warrior, archer and others. We can change them at any time and after revival we will be able to immediately go into battle. The principle of battles here is simple and consists of a simple combination of attack + defense with the possibility of evasion and riposte.

In addition to gameplay for various classes, the game provides the ability to select any weapon from the battlefield for its subsequent use, but it is worth remembering that captured swords and axes will not be saved after death. We will also be able to use catapults and trebuchets, which can cause serious damage to enemy personnel. The gameplay consists of thematic campaigns, where some players will act as defenders and others as besiegers. Each side will pursue certain tasks that are limited by a timer. For victory, we will be given experience and battle pass points, which will open up new skins for us. The customization here is modest, but it still adds its own nuances to the gameplay. It is also worth remembering that “friendly fire” is disabled here, which means that in the heat of battle we should carefully monitor which direction we swing our sword, because here it is quite possible to accidentally cut down your teammate.

Visually, I really liked Chivalry 2. The battlefields here delight with their diversity and setting. Somewhere we will storm massive city gates, somewhere we will fight our way into an impregnable fortress, and at one point we will even try to recapture a convoy of prisoners from superior enemy forces. All this is accompanied by beautiful decorations in a medieval style with many small details. The game is replete with scenes of cruelty, and dismemberment in the heat of battle here is perceived as something ordinary. The funny thing is that even a bleeding fighter with two severed arms has the ability to kill his opponent with headbutts. The gameplay itself does not cause any difficulties and even allows you to leisurely sip a beer. Chivalry 2 is usually criticized for the abundance of cheaters and abusers, but personally I never managed to see them. To be honest, I don’t even understand how people play here for more than 10 hours, because I managed to play enough in just 2. Yes, I agree that the process of defending or attacking can be exciting, but this is only if your team wins. Otherwise, endless deaths on enemy swords and inaction of allies, followed by whining in the chat, begins to cause boredom.

I liked Chivalry 2, but only as a temporary distraction. I think it would be interesting for me to drop by here for a couple of evenings a week, but I never saw the prospect of a permanent session. The game is full of action, bloody battles and varied campaigns that keep you glued to the screen. Online play here is high, and wall-to-wall 20v20 mode looks impressive. For myself personally, I didn’t see any significant disadvantages here, except for the rehearsal gameplay and the increased presence of whiners in the chat. Otherwise, this is an excellent medieval slasher that will appeal to fans of melee combat. It was interesting for me to look into this game world and take part in large-scale battles.