Chivalry 2

Pressure mounts thanks to player counts – 64 players at the top end, with 40-plus in other modes (and a huge free-for-all mode too). Neat DualSense features add pleasant friction, like your p guard being harder to use the less stamina you have. Not every map and mode is a winner, but it looks fab and is fun, with a nice sense of humour. [Issue#3, p.155]

I am having a ton of fun with Chivalry 2. The maps, outside of a few balance issues, are a total blast – everything from the shining armor to the soaring castle walls looks great and there are a huge range of objectives to keep things interesting. Whether I'm swinging a sword or plucking away with a bow, combat hits that elusive sweet spot between accessible dumb fun and rewarding, skill-based mechanics where the wheat is separated from the chaff. When you respawn and everyone around you is spamming the battle cry button as you rush headlong into certain death, you just know you're in for a rockin' time. I don't think I'll be putting away this sweaty coat of mail for a good while.

Chivalry 2 brings out the hero in all of us as we race towards death with our friends by our side. There’s something about the chaos and immersion that draws you in for hours. Thankfully the servers held up across matches full of battle cries and deaths at the hands of my allies. There’s never a dull moment, no matter your skill level.

Chivalrous by name, but certainly not by nature. This team-based medieval multiplayer offers a bloodbath of gore and carnage across several fun modes with tactical combat that’s brutal, fun and satisfying.

Chivalry 2 marries ridiculously violent melee combat to a tone that completely undercuts any notion that the mayhem should be taken seriously. With that out of the way, it provides accessible but ultimately challenging swordplay and the promise of nearly endless multiplayer fun. It doesn’t try to do everything, but instead picks a lane and absolutely owns it.

To be honest, I was taken off guard by how much fun I've had with Chivalry 2 so far. It scratches a very specific itch, and while I probably won't be signing on every night for the rest of the year, I have found myself loading the game up to play a few matches and hone my skills with the war club. The combat is the highlight for sure, but Chivalry 2's unique brand of slapstick and gore elevates it from being a straightforward medieval simulation game. By focusing on nailing the moment-to-moment fighting, it allows for player experimentation and roleplaying, rewarding those who want to have fun above those who take themselves too seriously.

Chivalry 2 doesn’t necessarily feel like a totally new game, but it brings a lot of little changes that make it feel like a fresh experience. While there are still a few kinks to be worked out, Chivalry 2 brings everything that I loved from the first game and takes it to the next level in an incredibly fun and addicting experience.

Chivalry II is one of the best online multiplayer games I’ve ever played, it’s as simple as that.

Chivalry 2 is a fantastic medieval multiplayer brawler created with care by the studio that first heralded the genre. Although there are a few missteps and issues here and there, you'll have an absolute blast playing whether you're a battle-hardened knight or a noob nave.

Spot rusting aside, Chivalry II's got heart, humour and has polished those combat fundamentals to a high sheen. Providing the devs can hammer out some of the launch day dents quickly, this knight's tale could become the surprise hit of 2021. Give it a shot. Because it's the attacks you don't see coming that'll bowl you over the hardest.

Chivalry 2 takes some cues to make the sword and shield combat feel a touch more accessible. I feel it's for the better with a fairly decent tutorial leading you right into the fighting. Whilst it can feel daunting, I've seen myself contributing to battles very quickly. The combat is deep with an importance on positioning and timing. It is slightly undermined by trying to keep the players together but, even if duels are harder to come by, the chaos of a full battlefield is hard to ignore. It's fascinating, fun and fluid.

Despite some uncertainty both on the playful and on the technical level, Chivalry 2 therefore proves to be able to conquer both the old-fashioned fans and the new recruits, among the jerseys of a satisfying, multifaceted and more tactical gameplay than the light-hearted nature of the production do not imply.

Chivalry 2 has achieved its goal: while not perfect, it offers a great combat system that it's easy to learn but difficult to master. The game never takes itself too seriously and really shines using its best weapons.

Chivalry 2 is a beautiful, hilarious, and surprisingly deep medieval brawler. If only it offered a few more modes or dynamic battlefield movement, this could be a classic for the ages.

The melee combat may not be as technical or strategic as some hardcore fans might like, yet it’s hard to deny the appeal of Chivalry 2’s dismembering deathmatches. Those first few sieges are truly enthralling as watch waves of red and blue troops smash against each other. Over time it may lose its edge though Chivalry 2 is still one of the most fun and unique multiplayer games out there.

Chivalry 2 is an immersive, chaotic, gory, hilarious, carnage spilling thrill ride of a game which will have you storming castles like a true knight of old one moment, before bewildering you with someone beating you down with a loaf of bread. It’s a fantastically enjoyable experience which is unfortunately held back by a light content offering and some technical as well as balance issues. While this knight may have taken an arrow to the knee, it battles on to launch a cabbage at you another day.