War of the Roses

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 282 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 116 out of 282
  2. Mixed: 64 out of 282
  3. Negative: 102 out of 282

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  1. CBZ
    Oct 4, 2012
    8
    Excellent game that takes the essence of the multiplayer Mount and Blade to medieval England, with much better graphics and new weapons.

    Lots of fun to play although it lacks variety. I hope they come up with new weapons, maps and armors. Its also 29.99$. I really dont like the spawning system, since you could be dueling 1v1 and 3 enemies suddenly spawn on your enemy and you are    Excellent game that takes the essence of the multiplayer Mount and Blade to medieval England, with much better graphics and new weapons.

    Lots of fun to play although it lacks variety. I hope they come up with new weapons, maps and armors.
    Its also 29.99$.

    I really dont like the spawning system, since you could be dueling 1v1 and 3 enemies suddenly spawn on your enemy and you are outnumbered all of a sudden.
    I hope they do allow mods since it has a lot of unexploited potential.    … Expand
  2. fandango89
    Oct 2, 2012
    2
    The idea of this game is great but not executed very well. Although they say it takes skill and to some degree it does, most of the time it doesn't. All it boils down to is a bunch of people fighting in a concealed area. That leads to most of the time you die it is because you got gangbanged 3 on 1. About 1 in every 4 fights is an even match and comes down to skill. There is no way toThe idea of this game is great but not executed very well. Although they say it takes skill and to some degree it does, most of the time it doesn't. All it boils down to is a bunch of people fighting in a concealed area. That leads to most of the time you die it is because you got gangbanged 3 on 1. About 1 in every 4 fights is an even match and comes down to skill. There is no way to sprint or way to get away so you always lose if ganged up on. The swinging mechanic is original but poorly performed. You have to move your mouse in the way you want to swing, but most of the time I would move it forward and it would swing left. You barely every swing where you want to. Also if you fight a higher level guy you automatically die if he is heavily armored. That is because he can only be hurt in the face and you can be hit anywhere and be hurt. With the attack system and the fact that the only way to hurt him is a jab to the face you can do nothing but die. The single player is just a few random battles to get you practicing but it literally explains nothing about fighting, game controls, or any tips to play. Also you are usually left to try and take points by yourself as your team AI doesn't know how to follow you. Most of the points you have to attack have multiple enemies and some respawn, which means you have to keep killing them as they all gang up and then respawn. I quit it after 15 minutes. A good idea but most of the execution and gameplay falls very short of the lofty aspirations. Apparently you have to play mount and blade games prior to playing this to appreciate it. I was super excited and then completely let down.… Expand
  3. H00b
    Oct 3, 2012
    5
    Great idea done badly. The melee combat is terrible. Players squad spawn on each other so combat basically amounts to people popping out of thin air until one side has enough to win, then repeat. Strategy zero, skill zero, tactics zero, zerg everything. Hand to hand combat is of the 'mount and blade' style. Run slowly forwards with your arm raised in one direction. Release, spin mouseGreat idea done badly. The melee combat is terrible. Players squad spawn on each other so combat basically amounts to people popping out of thin air until one side has enough to win, then repeat. Strategy zero, skill zero, tactics zero, zerg everything. Hand to hand combat is of the 'mount and blade' style. Run slowly forwards with your arm raised in one direction. Release, spin mouse about as you run about in a little circle, repeat. Weapons seem to pass ghost like through other players.

    Ranged combat works better, but not good enough to save this pretty, but empty game. Customization exists but you probably won't care by the time you've played enough to unlock them.    … Expand
  4. Amorebietal
    Oct 2, 2012
    5
    I think the idea is great, and the game is kinda fun to play... for 20 minutes. Then it's just the same thing over and over again. In other words, it's a game which you grow tired of really quickly. And the graphics aren't that great. worth 29 euros? no :( Might be worth to buy if it's on a discount on steam.
  5. Tyrx
    Oct 3, 2012
    3
    I could see how this game might appeal to any newbies of the genre but the facts stand that FatShark have managed to butcher what could have been an awesome game in an awful attempt to make the game appeal to the masses. The funny thing about this is that even my "casual" friends can see through the terrible gimmicks and truly retarded choices that the developers have made in accordance toI could see how this game might appeal to any newbies of the genre but the facts stand that FatShark have managed to butcher what could have been an awesome game in an awful attempt to make the game appeal to the masses. The funny thing about this is that even my "casual" friends can see through the terrible gimmicks and truly retarded choices that the developers have made in accordance to the game.

    Let's break the negative and positives points of this game down; NEGATIVE: 1. **** progression system designed to hide the bland gameplay and increase the eventual short lifespan of the game. (summer flick) 2. Slow and cumbersome combat system. Two veterans will literally duel each other for upwards of 10 minutes simply because there's a very low "skill height level" compared to that of other games in the genre such as Mount & Blade.
    3. Developer is rejecting the fundamental aspects that make up PC gaming - they're refusing to post in topics asking them to release dedicated server files (even unranked files) and the devs have no plan to include mod support
    4. To rub the soreness of the lack of dedicated server files in further, the developers have decided to team up with Multiplay (Whom host **** servers, the only reason they're "big" is because they spend tonnes on marketing) to provide EXCLUSIVE server hosting. So the only way you can run a server is if you rent it. 5. Squad spawning system is so bad that I simply don't know how to sum it up in words. They might work in games such as Call Of Duty and Battlefield but THEY DON'T WORK IN THIS GENRE! 6. Game is riddled with bugs and connectivity issues, despite players warning FatShark that this was going to happen in alpha/beta.
    7. I could keep on talking about the negative aspects but why rehash content which you can find all over the 'net. The only positive aspects about this game is the graphics and excellent archer mechanics. Bascially, this game is simply an arcade game which should be priced around the $10 mark as it's really only good for wasting an hour or two on when you're completely bored. I might be being overly harsh with my review score, but FatShark have broken so many promises with this game that it's astounding that people are still defending them. I don't have any hopes for much after-release support considering FatShark's has a reputation (or lack thefore) for not creating updates for their products after launch.    … Expand
  6. Skaz
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    This is an excellent game, with a steep learning curve. If you are more used to slower-paced games, this game will throw you off. If you are used to games that require little in terms of practice and skill, this game will throw you off. This is not your average multiplayer game, this is something unique and different.

    Some claim that the controls are clunky and awkward and, you know    This is an excellent game, with a steep learning curve. If you are more used to slower-paced games, this game will throw you off. If you are used to games that require little in terms of practice and skill, this game will throw you off. This is not your average multiplayer game, this is something unique and different.

    Some claim that the controls are clunky and awkward and, you know what, they are. The point is that it's not something that takes away from the game; rather, it is just another element that you have to learn, adapt to and then master. We are all noobs to begin with and this game makes that painfully clear.

    If you're a terribad, you're going to hate this game, because no matter what you do, others will seem to instantly kill you from miles away with a crossbow, mow you down with a horse and lance, crush your face with a hammer coming down on your helmet like the wrath of a severely irked deity... but if you decide to lift yourself above the masses and actually learn the mechanics, learn when to use the dagger, when to use the poleaxe, how the arrows drop off... then you will eventually be rewarded ten-fold, when you snipe that pesky mounted knight right off his horse at 200 yards.

    This game rewards skill and, unfortunately for some, skill is not an unlock.

    The graphics quality is top-of-the-line and with all settings cranked to the max, it looks as good as any triple-A title on the market. It has some work to do in the optimization/performance department, but those are just details, minor cracks in an otherwise superb presentation. If you don't own a beastly machine, turn shadows off, and your framerate will skyrocket.

    Overall, this game is definitely worth the     … Expand
  7. DroneIV
    Oct 2, 2012
    2
    I was looking forward to a single player but after launching the game, learned that there wasn't. disappointing... Still, I decided to jump into multiplayer. I played for about 15 minutes, I killed one or two guys. One guy I fought for maybe five minutes. We both had shields and were swinging - blocking - swinging again - blocking again. It wasn't the most thrilling thing in the world. ItI was looking forward to a single player but after launching the game, learned that there wasn't. disappointing... Still, I decided to jump into multiplayer. I played for about 15 minutes, I killed one or two guys. One guy I fought for maybe five minutes. We both had shields and were swinging - blocking - swinging again - blocking again. It wasn't the most thrilling thing in the world. It ended when I got killed by a guy running up behind me. After that 15 minutes, I lost connection to the server and my list of servers was gone. I give up on this game. The 15 minutes of gameplay I experienced was barely mediocre.… Expand
  8. D04S02B04
    Sep 14, 2013
    0
    Rated 0 for a game that isn't worth your money and time at all for the following reasons:

    1. Pay to win. 2. Horrible balance in weapons & armour, only very few weapons and customisations are viable 3. Poor community (for a multiplayer game), inactive forums, foul mouthed players ingame. Even Dota 2's community is better and its a F2P without Pay To Win. 4. Poor game development    Rated 0 for a game that isn't worth your money and time at all for the following reasons:

    1. Pay to win.
    2. Horrible balance in weapons & armour, only very few weapons and customisations are viable
    3. Poor community (for a multiplayer game), inactive forums, foul mouthed players ingame. Even Dota 2's community is better and its a F2P without Pay To Win.
    4. Poor game development direction and track record (read their forums)

    You need about 20USD to buy the gears (after grinding up the levels to unlock them) to gain a level playing field. With the 4 stock classes available, with the exception of the Foot Knight, you will be mercilessly massacred non-stop by players with OP weapons, which means you can't help your team win, meaning you level very slowly and painfully and have no equipment.

    The current state of the game 1.8 is highly unbalanced and the development direction isn't good. Multi player consists of:

    1. Ninjas in cloth armour and overpowered weapons running around, dodging hits and 1-hitting people
    2. Players using overpowered weapons (Pollaxe, Long Axe, Warhammer) in Medium/Heavy armour killing everything in 1 2 hits.
    3. Snipers with Crossbows sniping with high precision across the battlefield.

    Simply try the F2P version if you want to see how bad it is.

    Forget about trying anything "historical". They don't work.

    List of useless game features (or why the game is terrible):

    1. Heavy Armour Blunt weapons ignore armour. The 2 OP weapons commonly used are Pollaxe (Foot Knight stock class has it) and Warhammer. No knight in shining armour for you.

    2. Any Medium/Heavy Helmet other than Bascinet Pollaxe 1-hit kills if it hits your head regardless of Helmet type. The neck attachments to the helmets DO NOT WORK (Bevors, Mail Coif) but they still slow your character down. Bascinet is the only viable competitive helmet because of its protection to weight ratio as well as the vision restriction. The lack of neck protection also means that people can simply use a faster weapon and spam an attack to your head repeatedly hoping for a lucky hit to your neck (which happens rather frequently).

    3a. Any sword that isn't Imperial Style, Hollow Grind, Balanced These settings increases the damage of your weapon, penetration against heavy armour and swing speed. The majority of your opponents online wear Medium to Heavy Armour. Without Hollow Grind (which gives armour penetration buff), your sword is useless.

    b. That being said, majority of the swords are useless because they either don't attack fast enough, or don't deal enough damage.

    c. You will notice an option to pick Common Style, Imperial Style or Milanese Style of fighting with any weapon. Anything except from Imperial style, is non-competitive. You're welcome to try and frustrate yourself.

    4. Bows They take time to charge up, can only hold maximum charge for a few seconds and are difficult to shoot with. Compare this with Crossbows which can be reloaded within 4 seconds with pin point sniper accuracy and potential 1-hit headshot kills. Again, this requires you to buy all the correct unlocks.

    5. Perks Majority of the perks are uncompetitive and useless. You will only use some perks for the entire time because they are the ONLY VIABLE perks. This reduces the "options" by about 75%

    6. Majority of other weapons No matter what weapon combination you pick, if you go up against players using Medium/Heavy Armour Warhammer you will not win. Even if you're mastered the game by training in duelling scenarios non-stop, your team mates will not be as good as you and the players using OP weapons know this. They will kill them and they will drop like flies. Then you will be mobbed by a party, beaten to death and your corpse teabagged.

    Some players may say, use a Shield! Guess what? All axes in this game deals extra damage to shield (breaks them faster). Add an Offensive Perk called Shield Breaker, add Imperial Style (Extra Damage) and Convex blade (Extra Damage) your shield goes down in 2 fully charged hits. If he is a competent cloth ninja with long axe, good luck trying to hit him with anything shorter than the long axe.

    === ===
    The Good Bits
    === ===

    If you've read all that, you're undeterred you still want to play the game... Here's what's good about the game. (Aside from all the technical problems as well)

    1. Combat system is fundamentally sound If no OP customisations are used, a fight goes down to skill and very little luck. There is also a significant difference between winning duels (1v1) and winning battles (Group Fighting & Objective Game Modes).

    2. Armour Customisations They are quite nice, if you're willing to accept massive penalties to performing well in game.

    3. Graphics It's pretty good looking.    … Expand
  9. Chirpe
    Sep 19, 2013
    2
    The game is massively unbalanced; One large example would be that the first class that is unlocked when you start the game does extremely minimal to no damage to two of the other classes. Once the other classes are unlocked the game basically becomes a "Who can insta-kill the other other first", which I personally don't find fun. The graphics are decent, but the game suffers from poorThe game is massively unbalanced; One large example would be that the first class that is unlocked when you start the game does extremely minimal to no damage to two of the other classes. Once the other classes are unlocked the game basically becomes a "Who can insta-kill the other other first", which I personally don't find fun. The graphics are decent, but the game suffers from poor optimization. Like any free game, if you think you might like the game try it out for yourself, but many will be disappointed in doing so.… Expand
  10. Gaettusk
    Mar 1, 2013
    5
    I regret buying this game. It lacks in balance. The lance/horse combo needs to get taken down a notch, and the combat system is so silly. Let's show people what direction to block! It defeats the whole point of the system, if you show what direction to block. Also, the whole server system is a bunch of individually owned servers it looks like because I got kicked from a game for "notI regret buying this game. It lacks in balance. The lance/horse combo needs to get taken down a notch, and the combat system is so silly. Let's show people what direction to block! It defeats the whole point of the system, if you show what direction to block. Also, the whole server system is a bunch of individually owned servers it looks like because I got kicked from a game for "not dueling". I'm sorry, but when there are people shooting arrows at you, then it's on. All in all, this game isn't even worth the 5 bucks I paid on Steam for it. Go play Chivalry if this is your thing.… Expand
  11. SkiiggeBoy
    Sep 18, 2013
    3
    This game is a wasted potential. It looks fun at first, but the more you play the more you become aware of its issues. The biggest flaw with this game is weapon balance. There is a huge variety of weapons yet you're limited to 3 main weapons and 2-3 sidearms. Even the community is getting angry at devs not being willing to reduce strength of certain weapons that dominate the game. ThoseThis game is a wasted potential. It looks fun at first, but the more you play the more you become aware of its issues. The biggest flaw with this game is weapon balance. There is a huge variety of weapons yet you're limited to 3 main weapons and 2-3 sidearms. Even the community is getting angry at devs not being willing to reduce strength of certain weapons that dominate the game. Those weapons either are both fast and strong or just have broken hitbox that you can't really avoid, since you will get hit by part of the weapon that's invisible.
    Melee combat is never trying to properly punish people who spam their attacks since the weapon's speed will always put you back in advantage over enemy, even if you get hit, so perhaps if you block once or twice that's enough. Feinting doesn't help either since your enemy will ignore it and just spam attacks mindlessly.
    One of the specially annoying things are shield bashes that stun you for a brief moment so the enemy always gets a hit on you, but that wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't for the fact you can do that all the time without any sort of cool down. The only way you can counter it is if you're out of enemy's reach, but then if he notices that, he can do 180 degree turn and slide away from you.

    Arrows are broken in this game as well. 1 arrow type becomes part of metagame due to its versatility. In the past that was swallow tail, which would penetrate every type of armor without any problem. That makes me wonder what armor piercing arrows are meant for. If you take certain type of arrows they should excel in the combat aspect they are meant for and lack in other aspects. That was meant to be fixed in latest patch, but it just made the early mentioned type of arrows replaced by a new one that does almost exact same thing.

    Game is lacking in game modes. Mostly it's team deathmatch or conquest (along with those there are assault and pitched battle that are almost never played). Team deathmatch is mindless killing without any tactics. Conquest is slightly better, but the fact the teams have to advance one flag at the time is really stupid. You end up fighting for the flag in the middle so there's barely any flanking or anything since enemy knows where to expect you. Lets also not forget about the fact that devs don't want to include duel mode, while duels are actually quite enjoyable.

    Reviving and execution mechanic is pretty irritating and while you could say you can avoid it and not suffer irritation, you will always need money as a beginner and that's the biggest income of gold for you. When you get good at the game you can avoid that and get just as much gold as the newbies who stop to revive or execute. I don't really see any other reason to revive teammate or execute enemy since you risk your life by doing so and it's not even properly rewarded.

    Oh, yes. I almost forgot to mention that the game has almost no protection against cheaters, so you will run into many people who will be speedhacking and some of them will be very subtle about it. The only way to deal with it is to make sure that the person is a cheater and vote kick him. However just getting his ID to kick him and write it all down is a painful process, so most of the time you will be like, "Ahh, it!" and will leave the match.

    Only positive thing I can think of is that devs release new content in their patches instead of making it a DLC. However game has a system where you buy coins with real money. Luckily most of the things are fairly cheap so you can obtain your imbalanced weapons just by playing 2-3 matches.

    Game could be fairly fun if it gets properly balanced, but since it's been so long without any proper balance update I'm afraid it will stay like this.

    Buy only if discounted and if you're okay with spending some money for a couple of hours of fun.    … Expand
  12. abasche
    Mar 18, 2013
    5
    The combat is certainly challenging and it takes a good deal of getting use to. The controls are basic and the fighting is typically, well, hack and slash. The gameplay is quite basic as well; you can either do team deathmatch or capture the flag. Overall, this game is really a "meh", I wouldn't pay for it if I were you.
  13. TragicShow
    Mar 2, 2013
    6
    War of the Roses is a third person game where you play in medieval times and compete against other players. It is multiplayer only and has no story of any kind. At first, you start off with a default class which is really hard to play with as you are constantly being killed by more advanced players. But over time you gain experience so you can level up and buy better weapons, armor, perks,War of the Roses is a third person game where you play in medieval times and compete against other players. It is multiplayer only and has no story of any kind. At first, you start off with a default class which is really hard to play with as you are constantly being killed by more advanced players. But over time you gain experience so you can level up and buy better weapons, armor, perks, etc. The graphics are good, not spectacular, but good. It is a step above the one-button combat, which I like. But fighting with another player can be awkward. After you kill someone, they fall down and you can preform an execution move which is pretty cool, but after you see the same move over and over, it gets pretty boring. Progression can take a while so most of the time you will be stuck on the bottom of the scoreboard because everyone else is better equipped that you. There aren't a whole lot of multiplayer modes which is unfortunate. Character customization is also pretty weak with only 4 heads to choose from, including only one female head. It isn't a great game, but it gets such a good score because it is only 20 dollars.… Expand
  14. Shnubby
    Sep 12, 2013
    1
    Oh dear god, where to begin? At first glance War of the Roses looks attractive. When I first started up the game I had the expectation that I would be experiencing some fun game play, sword fighting with other players from across the world and upgrading my character etc. Now I have a pretty good PC, i can run the new Tomb Raider on High settings but War of the Roses barely runs properly onOh dear god, where to begin? At first glance War of the Roses looks attractive. When I first started up the game I had the expectation that I would be experiencing some fun game play, sword fighting with other players from across the world and upgrading my character etc. Now I have a pretty good PC, i can run the new Tomb Raider on High settings but War of the Roses barely runs properly on medium! In fact in only runs smoothly on low! And even then there is pop-up and some damn bad textures. There is so little to do in this game, there is no single player and the maps are frankly rubbish! Everything about the game play is boring and sluggish, you move at a snails pace, your character is awkward to look at and control and the sword fighting... it seems like a great idea, allowing you to swing your sword in different directions and give yourself more control but it is executed SO badly! It takes a depressing amount of time and effort to land a single blow on an enemy. Also you will find that it is hard to tell who is your enemy and who isn't since there is no indication as to who your enemy is, you just have to look for whoever is trying to kill you. I could go on for ages about how bad this game is. Usually when I see users rating a game a low score I assume the user is just being too harsh but this is NOT the case with this game, don't be tempted by any positive reviews, this game is BAD! I'm just glad I got it in the humble origin deal for a low price otherwise I would be fuming by now. Avoid like AIDS.… Expand
  15. Bobds
    Oct 19, 2013
    0
    The game already happening limit stick, now that he is free to play and I've paid for it, I have a lil taste of in my mouth when I think (I'm totally scammed me) Personally, I would not advice for several reasons. The game is not terribly fluid and lagg and camera shots in the third person is more than doubtful. So even free, I will not play more and i have paid for that!

    I want my    The game already happening limit stick, now that he is free to play and I've paid for it, I have a lil taste of in my mouth when I think (I'm totally scammed me) Personally, I would not advice for several reasons. The game is not terribly fluid and lagg and camera shots in the third person is more than doubtful. So even free, I will not play more and i have paid for that!

    I want my money back! Serious     … Expand
  16. alexck1
    Dec 30, 2013
    8
    I am a veteran chiv:medieval warfare player with 700 hours. War of roses is definately slower paced. The hit boxes in this game are pretty solid, minus some of the broken weapons. Guys complaining about the 2h swords don't know the basic mechanics otherwise they would be saying the pitchfork is massively OP as the hit boxes on it are so broken (it just hits everything including theI am a veteran chiv:medieval warfare player with 700 hours. War of roses is definately slower paced. The hit boxes in this game are pretty solid, minus some of the broken weapons. Guys complaining about the 2h swords don't know the basic mechanics otherwise they would be saying the pitchfork is massively OP as the hit boxes on it are so broken (it just hits everything including the handle). Heavy armor can be ONE shot with a warhammer. So armor choices basically let you know what weapons will give you trouble.

    The real trouble lies in no auto-balance, respawn timers that are shorter for lancaster than for york (clear advantage when lancaster can spawn 3 times for yorks 1), hackers (easy to spot, except for archers), and the fact that most capture the point maps are also setup to make it easier for the lancaster side, and a solid grind with a lack of content. With all this negative I still enjoy taking heads off or winning a 5v1(easy to do if u know how to dance and face hug enemies to make them hit you with the weapon handle instead of the sharp part).

    All in all this game is a lot of fun once you find a custom load out you rape face with. Plus the graphics are F**king amazing. Flaming arrows and guns anyone?    … Expand
  17. wampastompa
    Nov 2, 2013
    8
    This is a great game, but not for the faint of heart. It's hard. Really hard. That's because it simulates the combat so well. It's definitely frustrating at times, but once you know what you're doing it's a very satisfying experience. Every knockdown feels so good, because it was hard earned and won with cunning, not button-mashing.

    A lot has changed since this game debuted, early on    This is a great game, but not for the faint of heart. It's hard. Really hard. That's because it simulates the combat so well. It's definitely frustrating at times, but once you know what you're doing it's a very satisfying experience. Every knockdown feels so good, because it was hard earned and won with cunning, not button-mashing.

    A lot has changed since this game debuted, early on there were no tutorials, which made the learning curve even steeper if you didn't have a friend who could help you out with it. There were a lot of balancing issues some weapons were overly powerful, bleed was a lot more annoying (although it still sucks, it doesn't happen quite as easily now). Both bleed and squad spawning are pretty annoying mechanics, but without squad spawning it would be annoying to have to traverse the map all the time.

    If you're new to the game, the best piece of advice I can give is to put $5 into your steam wallet and spend it on coins. Coins can be earned through xp, but it's very slow and while the game isn't really pay-to-win it will become a lot more enjoyable once you have some custom loadout slots and your own weapon and armor choices.

    As long as the servers stay full, I have no problem with this game receiving tepid or even bad reviews. I understand where you're coming from, but I think most probably played it in beta and did not really give it a chance to shine.    … Expand
  18. Vistance
    Sep 7, 2013
    2
    I played Chivalry before this and found it fun, but buggy and not worth the price tag for what still felt like a mod. Fast forward to now, I decided to try War of the Roses what a mistake. This game is full of people who have spent far too much time unlocking skins and weapon upgrades so you basically have no chance. Most of the players in the game kill you no matter what you do. I'veI played Chivalry before this and found it fun, but buggy and not worth the price tag for what still felt like a mod. Fast forward to now, I decided to try War of the Roses what a mistake. This game is full of people who have spent far too much time unlocking skins and weapon upgrades so you basically have no chance. Most of the players in the game kill you no matter what you do. I've tried all the tactics, faking attacks, parrying enemy attacks, it's just so badly done. The hitboxes are small and random, so you can't reliably hit someone just because your mace or sword just hit them. The third person perspective sucks for immersion and makes it hard to aim given the game has such small hitboxes. I unlocked plate armor and thought I'd try it assuming I'd be much harder to kill NOPE. Plate armor is useless, the latest patch must have rebalanced because people fussed about plate armor being OP. Now I get murdered by guys with swords and axes with my visor down. Somehow slashing a guy in plate armor just murders him.

    The realism in this game is just totally missing. No stamina, so that means everyone just spams attacks. There's no real different feel between the armor types they just look different. Honestly this game makes me think of Call of Duty far more than Chivalry did. This has ranks, crests which are like the banner thing in CoD (I have no idea what it's called anymore), ridiculous things that look stupid (Big antlers on a guy's head, really authentic there), and ridiculous skins for some of the armors and unlockable weapons. Chivalry had unlockable weapons, but at least required a player to be really good with them to get the better ones and didn't have terrible ones for starter weapons. It's hard to believe the same people who made Mount & Blade made this abomination, as M&B is a good and fun game. This is nothing like it. Avoid at all costs. Any small redeeming factors in this game get totally overshadowed by terrible balance, ridiculous learning curve, and it just feels too arcade to me.    … Expand
  19. PJReb316
    Jan 19, 2013
    0
    Had great potential but when it actually released it turned out to be worse than a beta test as far as being able to play the thing. Rather than fixing the enormous amount of problems with this game, the developers would rather make it more fun for the few hundred or so who can play it as apposed to the thousands who bought it.
  20. jjmc00
    Jan 31, 2013
    2
    Hardly any servers up, only 32 player support (I haven't seen one 64 player game), coupled with shoddy controls and the most frustrating tutorial I've ever played, which is saying a lot. There is also NO single player content besides that awful tutorial, and there's only 7 maps with 2 game modes... I'm very glad I only bought it at paradox's half-price sale, because I truly regret buyingHardly any servers up, only 32 player support (I haven't seen one 64 player game), coupled with shoddy controls and the most frustrating tutorial I've ever played, which is saying a lot. There is also NO single player content besides that awful tutorial, and there's only 7 maps with 2 game modes... I'm very glad I only bought it at paradox's half-price sale, because I truly regret buying this game, it's a joke as far as I'm concerned… Expand
  21. matter_of_fact
    Mar 4, 2013
    2
    Nice graphics but awful gameplay and animations. Even though this was heavily discounted it still feels like a waste of money. Very much doubt I'll play again.
  22. SoulLessbot
    Oct 20, 2013
    0
    Terrible game, you will probably be kicked from a server for killing someone, hits don't count half the time. Floaty, spammy combat. Griding for new classes. All around boring game. Don't waste money on it.
  23. HamSpanker
    Jan 5, 2013
    4
    War of the Roses on paper looks very interesting, and very polished. The truth is a whole other story. When you get into the game you will however start to realize this is not the perfect medieval game you wanted. The game lets you level up, and give you gold so you can unlock newa armor and better weapons and such. This means that you will in the first couple of levels (where you areWar of the Roses on paper looks very interesting, and very polished. The truth is a whole other story. When you get into the game you will however start to realize this is not the perfect medieval game you wanted. The game lets you level up, and give you gold so you can unlock newa armor and better weapons and such. This means that you will in the first couple of levels (where you are forced to used their default classes, since you cannot create your own) you will get slaughtered by higher leveled people. Sure skill is somewhat part of the game. Until some huge knight with a two handed sword comes running with full plate armor. I have trying almost everything, and I am not exaggerating, to bring a person in full plate down. I even had a friend of mine just stand still while I began to chop at him, and there was only one place he could get harmed. We then duelled and my friend just kept blocking that spot so I couldn't even hurt him.
    The good: good graphics, polished. The bad: Higher leveled people have access to better weapons, armor, etc. Most of the time people will just form a huge mass in middle of map, lack of game modes.

    Buy mount and blade instead it's cheaper and way more fun.    … Expand
  24. Oridiian
    Feb 5, 2013
    0
    Great idea, absolutely pathetic execution. One of the worst games I have played EVER. Terrible combat mechanics, poor system performance on a high-end gaming system, terrible game all around.

    Incredibly disappointed to have wasted the money on this steaming pile of garbage.

    DON'T BOTHER WITH IT!!!
  25. dc42
    Jan 6, 2013
    4
    This game shows promise but fails horribly. The melee combat is almost completely broken. Most of the time you get someone attacking you over and over with the same basic attack and can randomly kill you even if you have a shield. So very little skill is involved in this game. Other players say you need skill but don't listen to them. Very little skill is really needed since there is noThis game shows promise but fails horribly. The melee combat is almost completely broken. Most of the time you get someone attacking you over and over with the same basic attack and can randomly kill you even if you have a shield. So very little skill is involved in this game. Other players say you need skill but don't listen to them. Very little skill is really needed since there is no stamina or negative draw back from spam attacking someone. Since the game is meant to be a melee combat game, having it so broken seems like a total failure on behalf of the developer. However, the graphics are good. Gore is alright. If you need gore to sell you a game you should probably get your head examined anyway. Archery is pretty fun and always great feeling getting a headshot. Maps are decent but only a few are actually fun. Overall, pass on this title. Don't bother wasting your money. Although there is fun aspects to the game, most of the time you'll be pulling your hair out when your spam attacked or when you hit an opponent but it fails to register. However, if the developer fixes the basic mistakes they made then this title might be worth checking out. But in it's current state, don't bother.… Expand
  26. Sirik_Matak
    Oct 2, 2013
    2
    It looks beautiful, it sounds that way, too. Who doesn't want to swing a sword? Well, not in this game, because swords are actually peasant weapon here. Just farm through your pathetic free frag season, equip plate armour and warhammer/crossbow to even have a chance versus other plate+warhammer players. The melee combat is a mess, an absolute clusterf***, not explained and even if youIt looks beautiful, it sounds that way, too. Who doesn't want to swing a sword? Well, not in this game, because swords are actually peasant weapon here. Just farm through your pathetic free frag season, equip plate armour and warhammer/crossbow to even have a chance versus other plate+warhammer players. The melee combat is a mess, an absolute clusterf***, not explained and even if you finally know what's what, it simply doesn't work as it should. I guess that a clusterf*** defines a "refined" novadays, but don't get fooled there's not a single thing that's "refined" here.
    It's a good spamhammer simulator, though.    … Expand
  27. DudasDrakaan
    Dec 6, 2012
    5
    War of the Roses has some beautiful graphics and awesome customization, both of equipment and cosmetics. The process of unlocking both is also quite interesting. Unfortunately, this is the best that I can say for this game. While I found archery to be satisfying in this medieval game, melee feels incredibly floaty and I oftentimes do not know why I insta-kill somebody even after hoursWar of the Roses has some beautiful graphics and awesome customization, both of equipment and cosmetics. The process of unlocking both is also quite interesting. Unfortunately, this is the best that I can say for this game. While I found archery to be satisfying in this medieval game, melee feels incredibly floaty and I oftentimes do not know why I insta-kill somebody even after hours of playing; things just do not connect sometimes and I have found that that attack spammers with heavy armor often win the melee field. For a medieval game focused on melee combat, you are going to be frustrated when fully charged attacks to an opponents head do no damage when it appears perfectly aimed and timed. Once you learn the power of heavy armor, not wearing it is more of a challenge than a trade-off. Then there is the fact that not that many people play this now. On top of this, the number of play modes are limited. Conquest and Team DM are basically what you are looking at, plus a DM with no respawns even fewer people play. In short: it is a limited experience and everything that it does, I feel other games have done better: Chivalry, in melee, and Mount & Blade, in horse and game modes. It's a 5, in my opinion, because it is average and Mount & Blade -- an older game -- outperforms it, even though WOR looks nice.… Expand
  28. Necramonium
    Oct 31, 2012
    6
    I have been a mount & blade player since the first offline game game to be, so i was happy to hear the publisher of the game, with another studio started making something similar, during the beta it was fun, but lacking, thinking this probably will be fixed in the final version, i was wrong. What we now have is a game that is nothing but a blatant high res copy of the brilliant Mount &I have been a mount & blade player since the first offline game game to be, so i was happy to hear the publisher of the game, with another studio started making something similar, during the beta it was fun, but lacking, thinking this probably will be fixed in the final version, i was wrong. What we now have is a game that is nothing but a blatant high res copy of the brilliant Mount & Blade Warband but without the awesome Siege mode. All you do is either just play deathmatch or capture the flag. The fighting system needs more work seeing its way to slow and most of the time you end up against 5 enemies hacking you to pieces. 1 on 1 fights are really rare. The game was allot better in the beta, i don't know what they did to it to make it so different.

    The game also offers a bleed out system, even though this realistic, it ruins the gameplay, mainly because i always get a bleed out when i finally am fighting a good fight for once versus 1 guy and not 5 and just drop dead after 10 seconds. Also squad members spawning on each other is something just something straight out of Battlefield, something that is not needed in this game. Just when you are about to kill a guy, his buddies magically spawn around you and you are dead. But the game has a future if the developer listens to its community and fixes bugs and other annoyances, i am hope for a Siege mode!    … Expand
  29. Beredan
    Oct 15, 2012
    2
    This game had some massive potential, when I saw the original trailer I was hooked. Unfortunately, I was incredibly disappointed when I finally got to play it. It seems that the majority of players play as heavily armored archers or heavily armored two-handed swordsmen. Since I was getting cut up by these swordsmen, I decided that as soon as I reached the required level I would buy theThis game had some massive potential, when I saw the original trailer I was hooked. Unfortunately, I was incredibly disappointed when I finally got to play it. It seems that the majority of players play as heavily armored archers or heavily armored two-handed swordsmen. Since I was getting cut up by these swordsmen, I decided that as soon as I reached the required level I would buy the plate armor and use a sword myself. It seemed to work, but the swordsmen were still cutting through my armor as if it were made of glass. I tried carrying a shield, this time they poked through my armor until I started bleeding. Tried using riposte to parry the blows so I could get a shot in, still no dice. No matter what I tried as an infantryman, I could not swing a sword as fast as these other players. My next bet was to try playing as an archer, pretty much the same thing happened except I seemed to be more of a target this time around. I feel that I gave the game a fair chance, already playing over 24 hours worth, maybe I'm just not good at it but there definitely needs to be a drawback on swinging a two-handed sword around wildly, otherwise you run through a gauntlet to find out who's got the sharpest blade then wait for the new players to swoop in and poke your eyes out with a dagger. Item wise, this game does not offer much. Everyone gets the same armors, the only customization available is color change. There's three bow choices, one two-handed sword choice, two dagger choices, and a couple of other one handed weapons and pole-arms. I know it's a multiplayer game, but some item variety would be nice, I don't expect over 100 different choices but I'd like to maintain some level of individuality.

    Crashes seem to happen to me a lot, mostly CTD. I've had instances where I would gain entry to a server, only to be met with just a background and no menu choices. In those cases, you'll be using ALT+Tab to get to the desktop and force close the game. I still feel like there's a lot of potential for War of the Roses, I think once some rebalancing and bug-fixing is done it will be more playable for me, but as of right now, I'm hanging up my sword.    … Expand
  30. Muuvinki
    Mar 2, 2013
    2
    Complete disgrace of medieval games, broken combat system, not even good tutorial to help you, this is probably the worst game experiences ive yet had. Buy Chivarly rather than this broken piece of garbage.
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Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Dec 2, 2012
    60
    The foundation for a sophisticated swordplayer is here, but War of the Roses misses the jugular by forgetting to include the rest. [Dec 2012, p.74]
  2. CD-Action
    Nov 29, 2012
    80
    An interesting medieval action game with a very good combat system (except for a rather primitive mounted combat) which is more refined than its counterpart in Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. [CD-Action 13/2012, p.62]
  3. Games.cz
    Nov 29, 2012
    70
    A complicated game mechanics title that's obviously suited for gamers in love with medieval battles. If it is your love, you will clench your teeth and the gameplay will reward you with a fantastic atmosphere and a rich experience. The game's variations are few, so it is basically two groups of fighters slitting each others throats. Nonetheless, expanding the gameplay experience is a likelihood.
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