Honor of Kings: World preview – A visual and mechanical delight

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honor-of-kings is a franchise not widely recognized in the Western world, but it’s enormously popular elsewhere. TiMi Studio Group and Tencent, the creators of this intellectual property, aim to change that with their upcoming action RPG titled “Honor of Kings: Global“.

World seems incredibly fitting. However, it’s not just the characters and setting that are shared between the original game and the spin-off; they also share other characteristics.

The combat system of this action RPG seems to draw heavily from MOBAs, as it includes three basic skills and one ultimate ability for each fighting style. There are numerous styles available for selection, with inspiration drawn from the heroes of HoK. Even if you’re not familiar with the game’s setting, the game design seamlessly introduces elements that long-time fans will appreciate, but newcomers can easily jump into without prior knowledge.

You’re able to arm your character, personalized by you, with a pair of unique combat techniques. During battle, you have the freedom to switch between these styles at will. Notably, this switching mechanism is essential as it requires strategizing around cooldowns for abilities and leveraging synergies between the different fighting styles.

This sensation is quite pleasant and it adds an element of diversity, particularly because different combat techniques are associated with unique weaponry. Consequently, one can swiftly transition from a configuration featuring dual-blades and a two-handed claymore to another with a polearm and pistol.

Hailing from Chinese cultural traditions, the combat style showcases aspects reminiscent of wuxia, similar to those observed in traditional martial arts movies. Characters are able to remain aloft during battle for a short period and continue evading even while airborne, imbuing the system with a palpable sense of flowing motion from the very beginning.

As a gamer, diving into this new adventure felt exhilarating right from the get-go. The game’s mesmerizing opening sequence didn’t just show me the ropes, but also set the stage with an intriguing narrative hook. It seemed like our old gang – I presume they were from the original game – were up against some seriously sinister villain, getting beaten black and blue in the process.

Then, one of our stunning female companions somehow managed to transport our souls back in time or something along those lines. Next thing I knew, we were splashing down into the ocean and were promptly saved by another jaw-droppingly handsome man. Every character in this world is a stunner, mind you!

After that, we found ourselves enrolled at a magical school, where the real action began. The game then opened up for exploration in its vast open world, offering plenty of opportunities to unravel the mysteries and advance the storyline.

The majority of the dialogue is already voiced in English, with high-quality voices, except for a few hiccups between voice and animation synchronization. This means that anyone can easily dive into the narrative without language barriers. However, having played over 20 games at Gamescom 2025, my memory about the specific plot points might be a bit fuzzy. I hope you’ll understand.

As a devoted admirer, I must say, it’s not only the characters that captivate with their beauty, but the game itself is a visual masterpiece. The cinematic cut-scenes in the opening sequences are nothing short of mesmerizing, and the fluid combat animations make every battle feel like a work of art. The vivid world they’ve created immerses you completely, setting an exceptionally high standard among its contemporaries.

Honor of Kings: World, set to release sometime in the future as a free-to-play game, is anticipated to be a compelling choice for strategy game enthusiasts due to its cooperative mode that allows friends to join the battle together.

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2025-09-03 15:17