How Ubisoft game designer wants you to learn swordfighting in For Honor

For Honor, the swordfighting fantasy game coming early next year from Ubisoft, has a learning curve. It’s a unique title that requires you to master both analog and digital controls on a game controller, as I discovered while playing a preview of the title, where you get to be a samurai, viking, or medieval knight.

Jason Vandenberghe, creative director at Ubisoft Montreal and game director of For Honor, designed the game from the ground up, as if you were learning to play a first-person shooter for the first time. Except this third-person sword-wielding game will throw you for a loop first as you have to get used to the sense of timing and unique analog controls for blocking or swinging.