For Honor is currently free on Steam and with Xbox Live Gold
And it's getting a new PvE Arcade mode soon.
Ubisoft has announced a brand-new solo and co-op PvE Arcade mode for its multiplayer melee fighter For Honor, alongside news that the game is currently free to keep on Steam and via Xbox Games With Gold.
For Honor's new PvE-focussed asymmetrical Arcade mode comes to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on October 16th, as part of the game's next major expansion, Marching Fire. We already knew that Marching Fire would bring the new Wu Lin faction (and its four new fighters), alongside a new 4v4 castle siege mode known as Breach - and now we've a clearer idea of what, exactly, the previously hinted at new PvE content will entail.
According to Ubisoft, Arcade mode will allow participants - either playing solo or in teams of two via online co-op - to compete in "randomly generated combat scenarios of varying difficulty". This, says the publisher, will ensure that each experience is unique. There's a smattering of Arcade mode's new PvE action in the announcement trailer above.
Arcade mode focusses on "micro-stories" within For Honor's universe, and each one begins by selecting a difficulty level that corresponds to the player's current gear. Ubisoft notes that you can opt for a higher difficulty than your gear, but the going will be extremely tough.
From there, players participate in chapters of gradually increasing difficulty, with the challenge growing in part through randomly assigned combat modifiers. These buffs and debuffs affect both players and AI enemies, and their effects can range from granting health after successfully landing a blow to disabling the ability to parry. "The possibilities and combinations", says Ubisoft, "ensure that no two quests play out the same".
Successfully besting Arcade mode's challenges unlocks rewards that can be used to enhance a Heroes' gear score and Reputation level, and progress can be transferred over to multiplayer, "making it the perfect place to test out and rank up new Heroes".
To coincide with Ubisoft's latest announcement, For Honor's Starter Edition is currently free on Steam until August 27th. Additionally, as was announced last month, Xbox Live Gold members can get the game for free on Xbox One until September 15th through Games With Gold.