Chivalry 2 Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-05-20
  • Fun and engaging gameplay
  • Deep and rewarding combat system
  • Diverse combat mechanics
  • Cheating is rampant
  • Developers abandoned the game
  • Server issues and lag
Chivalry 2 header

Emotions

Archetypes

Hardware

Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAMmixedWindows 12-15GB VRAMnegative

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

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Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

Fun and engaging gameplay: The gameplay is widely praised for being fun, chaotic, and rewarding. Players enjoy the casual and party play aspects, as well as the high replay value.

Deep and rewarding combat system: The combat system is noted for being deep, skill-based, and rewarding. It offers a variety of mechanics that are both engaging and well-designed.

Unique and enjoyable mechanics: The game offers unique and engaging mechanics that are interesting and enjoyable, contributing to a memorable gaming experience.

High-quality graphics: The game features amazing, high-quality graphics that are visually impressive and realistic. The aesthetics and performance are highly rated.

Easy to learn, hard to master: The game is easy to pick up and play but offers a high skill ceiling, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive players.

Common complaints

Cheating is rampant: Many players report a high number of cheaters and hackers, making the game unplayable. The anti-cheat system is seen as ineffective.

Developers abandoned the game: Players feel that the developers have stopped supporting and updating the game, indicating a lack of care and maintenance.

Server issues and lag: Servers suffer from constant lag, disconnections, and poor performance, leading to a frustrating player experience.

Toxicity in chat: The in-game chat is reported to be toxic, with inadequate filtering of discriminatory language and a generally toxic player base.

Lack of new content: There is a noticeable absence of new content and updates, leading to a dwindling player base and lack of replayability.

Gameplay and performance

Diverse Combat Mechanics: The game features a wide range of combat mechanics, including basic and advanced techniques like feinting, parrying, and riposting. It combines swings, blocks, feints, and kicks into fluid melee encounters, offering a unique and chaotic combat experience.

Weapon and Class Variety: Players can choose from a wide range of weapons and classes, each with unique abilities and roles. The game includes different types of weapons like shields, spears, swords, and siege weapons, as well as four classes with three subclasses each.

Variety of Game Modes: The game offers a variety of game modes and objectives, including casual matches, team-based objectives, and modded gameplay modes. This variety enhances the gameplay experience and provides different challenges.

Large-Scale Battles: The game supports large-scale battles with up to 64 players on a map, allowing for epic sieges, castle defenses, and open-field brawls. It includes various large team battle modes like 32vs32 and 16v16.

Medieval Combat Setting: The game is set in a medieval environment, focusing on first-person medieval combat and large-scale medieval warfare. It includes battlefield-like gameplay and a medieval melee battlefield.

Server and connection issues: Numerous reports of server problems, including connection issues, server disconnections, high ping, and lag. Some players experience smooth performance on certain servers.

Optimization feedback mixed: Players have varying experiences with game optimization. Some report good performance and minimal FPS drops, while others encounter optimization issues and occasional FPS drops.

Game crashes and launch issues: Several players report that the game crashes, fails to launch, or has performance issues. Some encounter specific error codes preventing gameplay.

Bugs and glitches: Players frequently mention various bugs, including spawning bugs, general bugs, sound and animation bugs, collision bugs, and occasional freezes.

Anti-cheat and compatibility issues: There are reports of issues with the anti-cheat system, particularly with Proton and Windows 11. Some players also mention compatibility issues.

Recommendations

Worth buying on sale: Many players suggest that the game is worth purchasing when it is on sale, but not at full price.

Recommended for medieval combat fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of medieval combat, PvP, and large-scale battles involving city sieges, sword fights, and archers.

Fun with friends: The game is recommended for playing with friends, enhancing the fun and chaotic multiplayer experience.

More content needed: Players are requesting more game modes, maps, and seasonal content to keep the game fresh and engaging.

Unique and fun gameplay: The game offers a unique and fun gameplay experience, perfect for stress relief and enjoying chaotic combat.

Buying context

Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 200.0h.

Story completion: 30.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

Endgame: 100.0h.

Chivalry 2 has a steep initial learning curve that can be frustrating, but it becomes highly enjoyable and rewarding once players master the combat mechanics and get past the early challenges.

Reported time to anchor: 2h.

Player profiles

Overwhelmed Newcomer: Struggles with basic combat and often dies quickly. Motivation: Learning the game mechanics. Stance: deep sale.

Casual Chaos Seeker: Plays for fun, enjoys the humor and chaotic battles. Motivation: Having fun and enjoying the chaotic gameplay. Stance: sale.

Skilled Combat Veteran: Highly skilled, enjoys the strategic depth and complexity of combat. Motivation: Mastering combat and enjoying strategic depth. Stance: buy.

Platform notes

The game generally performs well on higher-end hardware but struggles with stability and performance issues on lower-end systems. Crashes and stuttering are notable problems in several cohorts.

Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM: mixed. Mostly positive performance reports, but some users experience severe crashes.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: negative. Frequent crashes reported, despite some users managing acceptable performance.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. Generally runs well, with minor lag issues reported.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant issues with the anti-cheat system, particularly on the Steam Deck and various operating systems like Linux and Windows 11. The anti-cheat system is reported to be ineffective, causing bans and preventing the game from running. Additionally, users experience mixed performance on Linux and Steam Deck, often requiring Proton to run the game. The overall user experience on Steam Deck varies, with some users facing difficulties with key mappings and playability.

Linux and Proton: The game generally works well on Linux using Proton, with some users reporting a smooth experience. However, significant issues with the anti-cheat system have been reported, which can prevent the game from running or result in bans. Minor graphical adjustments are also needed for optimal gameplay.

Extra review signals

Monetization: The game employs several monetization strategies that have been criticized by players. Key issues include battle pass and DLC paywalls, overpriced cosmetics and DLC, premium currency and editions, and grind-to-win mechanics. Despite these criticisms, the game is praised for not being pay-to-win, ensuring a fair and skill-based experience.

External guides: The primary user complaints revolve around the game's hidden mechanics and the necessity to refer to external guides for understanding and progression. Additionally, there are reports of bugs that hinder game navigation and stability. Users frequently mention the need for instructional data to improve their gaming experience.