Warhaven Preview: Open-Beta Impressions of Nexon's 16v16 Medieval Brawler

ign.com:

Nexon’s Warhaven follows in the footsteps of games like For Honor before it in trying to carve a space out for the third person melee action gamer amidst a sea of first-person large-scale multiplayer warfare offerings. Based on the current Open Beta Playtest running until early November, there’s still a lot of work to be done to make the case. I had some fun in short bursts, but as a solo player, every clutch capture or dominant killing spree was bookended by frustrating moments of chaos where there was no great way to steer your team to objectives or to avoid getting overwhelmed by enemies, no great way to hold your own one on one.

Dropping into any of the four currently available maps first requires you to pick a class. There are six to choose from, all with their own strengths, weaknesses and quirks. The sword-wielding Blade and spear-brandishing Spike are the melee-focused choices, with the former being great for keeping foes on their toes and occasionally in the air, while the latter can piece defenses with its charged up attack and parry incoming swings to create openings for big damage. Guardian and Warhammer are the meaty ones. Guardian’s shield can bash multiple foes backwards or be used as a battering ram to make a hole through the front line. Warhammer swings his two handed bludgeon for the fences to destroy groups of foes but can also put up defenses to clog paths. Arch is the ranger who can snipe people from great distances, or can use delayed explosive arrows to great tactical use. Smoke is a trickster who can catch projectiles and launch them back at enemies and, crucially, can heal her allies at will.

You can change your character between respawns if you want to try something new or adjust to fit the team's