As Ubisoft’s melee fighting game prepares for its sixth anniversary next week, a new For Honor hero has entered the fray. Having spent some hands-on time with The Afeera, we can say with confidence that she’s bound to be a fan favourite. Now available on all platforms, expect to see plenty of players testing her out her deadly moveset.
Styled on a club-wielding, Middle Eastern warrior, the Afeera is appropriately tagged with the key phrases “Relentless Rush Down” and “Mix-up Intensive”. She’s hard-hitting yet agile, allowing skilled players to beguile their opponents then shut them down should they try to disengage.
Her club may not look all that intimidating compared to other weapons like the Highlander’s huge double-handed claymore or the Medjay’s mesmerising bladed staff. However, when paired with a shield, this affords the new For Honor hero a varied and fun playstyle – she can move a lot, though isn’t fragile like the assassin-class characters.
So what’s her gimmick? Each new fighter to enter For Honor’s never-ending melee seems to have a trick up their sleeve. Last year we saw the arrival of the Pirate – who could follow up attacks with shots from a pistol – and the Medjay with his transforming weapon. The Afeera’s quirks are more subtle though no less deadly.
The direction of her heavy finisher will augment its properties – a left heavy will shunt your target, with the right being unblockable, and the top being undodgeable. It’s pretty cool, though nothing groundbreaking. That said, these finishers go hand-in-hand with the Afeera’s shield bash, as well as her flip kick. The latter can be used mid-combo, allowing her to dodge, then kick, then attack, with the potential to carry on looping these moves until your stamina depletes. Throw in some perfectly timed cancels, and you’ll be running rings around your opponents.
We thoroughly enjoyed sparring as the Afeera, leaving the training grounds and conquering several Breach matches back to back. As with any hero, mastery is its own reward, though comes in alongside a shower of unlockable cosmetic options. Here we see the For Honor art team absolutely nail it once again. Where For Honor previously focused on European Knights, Vikings, and Samurai, and then expand to feature Chinese Wu Lin, its new Outlanders faction has allowed the devs to draw inspiration from around the world, this time focusing on the Middle East.
With two more heroes promised for Year 7, Ubisoft has yet to run out of ideas for new fighters. At the same time, we’re seeing plenty of love for the existing roster thanks to persistent reworks from season to season. In short, we can’t wait to see what For Honor has in store for 2023.
