Chivalry 2 Closed Beta Impressions

Developer – Torn Banner Studios

Publisher – Tripwire Interactive

Platform(s) – PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Beta Date(s) – April 23-27

Disclaimer: Beta Code Was Provided For These Impressions

Before I begin with my impressions, I want to make it very clear that this is not a review and will not be scored. Some of what I say in these impressions may or may not be present in the final game by the time Chivalry 2 launches in June. My impressions of the beta for Chivalry 2 will be very brief.

I will always have a soft spot for the Chivalry franchise simply because of how much fun I had with Medieval Warfare years ago. I’ve been anticipating Chivalry 2 for a while now and this beta has me engaged with what the final product will look like.

Chivalry 2 is an online multiplayer game that is set in a medieval period. Environments consist of large open fields, castles, and villages. Weapons consist of swords, axes, bows, and basically anything you’d see in a battle in this time period.

What I love about Chivalry is how different it feels and plays compared to most online multiplayer games I play such as Overwatch or Outriders. You don’t see many if any developers formulate an online multiplayer set in this time period and there’s definitely an audience based on the engagement I’ve seen.

On to the beta itself, developer, Torn Banner Studios set up a 3-day beta that was later extended to a 4-day. I’ve spent hours engrossing myself in everything Chivalry and I’ve formed my feelings on this Beta. I didn’t experience too ma bugs and glitches throughout my beta experience. There was a bit of a lag on my first day of the Chivalry 2 beta but afterward, it was gone for the remainder of it.

The only modes available for this beta were Team Deathmatch and Team Objective. Team Deathmatch is a mode where both teams fight to the death and the team that eliminates all players or the most in a certain time limit wins the game. Team Objective has one team completing multiple tasks in a time limit such as destroying trebuchets or killing an heir while the other team attempts to let time run out and stop them.

I enjoy both modes in their own right, I’m a bigger fan of Team Objective simply because it lasts much longer than Team Deathmatch. I do wish there was a free-for-all mode in this beta but I assume that will be in the full release in June, so time is a virtue.

One thing I’ve always enjoyed about Chivalry is how the environment and combat complement each other so well. The team over at Torn Banner Studios did a great job with the environments feeling like they’re set in medieval times. The combat feels tense and grating in part because of the gore and the terrific sound effects. It’s so much fun to play because of how good the controls are and the satisfying feeling you get when in battle.

I have a few gripes with the combat in a couple of areas. You have 4 classes in Chivalry 2 with Archer, Knight, Footman, and Vanguard. My problem isn’t with the classes themselves, they all feel dynamic from one another. My gripe is how you have to switch between each one if you wish. To switch classes, you’ll have to go into options and scroll over to “switch class” to change your class. It feels way too convoluted and when it could be so much more simple.

This is a nitpick albeit but I wish you could disconnect from a match at the end of a match instead of being forced to wait for a new match to start to go into options to disconnect.

There isn’t a lot more I can say about the beta since there were only two modes available, but I’ll leave with some final thoughts. The four maps available were great for what they were and I can’t wait to see the rest in the final release. Graphics have had a major improvement, it’s not the best we’ve seen in terms of online multiplayer but it’s still a major shift from their last installment. I will say there were a lot of texture pop-ins throughout my beta experience that I hope are ironed out in the next month and a half.

The battle cry is practically a staple for the Chivalry franchise and I’m happy to report they’re as loud, random, and funny as they’ve always been. I plan to review the full release of Chivalry 2 in June so until then I leave these impressions with a feeling of hopefulness and enthusiasm for what Torn Banner Studios will do with Chivalry 2.