There's a high skill ceiling, but the difference between a pretty good player and a really good player is smaller than in a game like Mordhau, which I think is a smart decision. But executing those moves once you've committed to a decision doesn't require godlike reflexes or extremely precise mouse movements. There are just enough ways to attack, parry, riposte, dodge, and counter that it pays to be able to think on your feet and react to what your opponent is doing. Read the full Chivalry: Medieval Warfare review Like its competition, Chivalry hasn't quite perfected the formula for medieval warfare, but it's a violent, fun time nonetheless. Though the lack of complexity sometimes works both for and against it, getting caught up in the flow of battle yields many hours of man-stabbing amusement. Lopping off appendages in gory displays of warrior aggression makes Chivalry: Medieval Warfare's up-close and personal melee combat a gritty and fulfilling on a primal level. What We Said About Chivalry: Medieval Warfare

Though don't think you can easily climb to the top of the leaderboards by wildly swinging a mace around. The overall flow of it and the ways in which it limits how much an extremely skilled player can absolutely dominate the battlefield hit a sweet spot for me. It's not the most realistic medieval brawler I've ever played, but this is power fantasy, not a documentary. And with more than 30 hours under my belt, I'm loving it. The combat system is, of course, the core of everything.

And in another clever bit of design, you recharge these powers faster by doing things your class is good at and should be doing anyway, like getting kills with your charge attack as the furious raider or blocking attacks as the stalwart guardian. Even if you're not the best one-on-one fighter in the world, you can still make a world of difference in big encounters by blowing your war horn and giving a hefty area-of-effect heal to your side of the melee. I also admired that, within each class, special abilities tend to focus on supporting your team rather than simply making you better as a single combatant.

Download chivalry 2 for free