Released in 2017, For Honor had a fairly positive reception on launch, with critics praising the game's intuitive, yet complex melee system, claiming it to be one of the few instances of a modern video game getting sword combat right. However, most agreed that For Honor was severely lacking content, with just a handful of playable heroes to choose from, and a small selection of arenas. Thankfully, over the last five years, Ubisoft has updated For Honor quite a bit, adding a bevy of new maps, and a slew of new playable characters.
The latest character to join the For Honor roster, now putting it at 31 playable characters, is the Medjay, an Egyptian hero, belonging to the Outlander faction which is composed of warriors from a variety of civilizations, across a range of time periods. With some sleek armor and weapon options, the Medjay may just be one of the most distinct heroes in For Honor, and his place in the game serves as a neat little nod to Assassin's Creed Origins.
For Honor's New Medjay Character
In the For Honor universe, an event known as the "Cataclysm" devastated much of the world, leaving ancient civilizations in utter disarray, and open to invaders. Egypt faced the brunt of the destruction, being swallowed into the Earth as water flooded its cities' streets, killing thousands in the process. With much of its civilization destroyed, the Egyptian people were forced to become even fiercer warriors, and the Medjay went from being the protectors of their kind, to the last of their civilization, and the sole keepers of their ancient traditions and culture.
In order to become even more powerful warriors, For Honor's Medjay learned all-new fighting styles, leading to an offensive approach to combat. The Medjay hero in For Honor wields a two-sided fan axe, which can be used either as a polearm, or as dual-wielded weapons, splitting apart in the middle. The polearm variation allows the Medjay to deliver powerful blows to their opponent, while the dual-wield variation offers speed over strength. Players will be able to switch between these stances on the fly, which is a first in For Honor hero design.
For Honor's Medjay wears clothing typical of modern depictions of the ancient Egyptian era, with lightweight robes and a linen headdress. The standard costume for the Medjay sees them wearing a lightly armored chest piece, and an alternate outfit sees them kitted out in an Anubis-inspired armor set, with the jackal god's head as a helmet.
How the Medjay Relate to Assassin's Creed
In both real-world history and in the world of Assassin's Creed, the Medjay were essentially the face of the Egyptian military during the New Kingdom's Eighteenth Dynasty, and were considered to be among the highest ranking members of society, being tasked with protecting the Pharaoh's interests and royal grounds. Being the best of the best, naturally, only a few Medjay were allowed to serve at any one time, one of which is Assassin's Creed Origins' protagonist, Bayek.
Quite a bit of Assassin's Creed Origins' plot centers around the Medjay bloodline, with the elite warriors passing on their duties to their next of kin. With most of the Medjays dying out over time, Bayek quickly became one of the last living Medjays in Egypt, and he quickly became known as the protector of its people. Eventually, his reputation grew to the point where Cleopatra granted him the title of Egypt's Medjay, and gave him a golden badge of Horus. However, Bayek would eventually give up his Medjay title, deciding to instead form the Hidden Ones, the precursors to the Assassin Order.
For Honor is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
