Play it on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/107900/
Source: Youtube Channel WarIncBattlezone
Developer: Online Warmongers Group Inc.
Publisher: Online Warmongers Group Inc.
Distributor: Steam
Platforms: PC
Release Date: July 18, 2011
Genre: 3rd-Person Tactical Shooter
Pros:
-Gameplay is decent and can be entertaining for a Free-to-Play online game
-There are a lot of skills, perks, and equipment to customize a player's loadout and role they play in a team
-The 3rd-Person Perspective allows a player to make decisions a bit more tactically
Cons:
-The game is unpolished and has much room for improvement
-Lag isn’t as apparent as other free online shooters, but it is an issue
-The 3rd-Person Perspective can be more of a hindrance than an advantage
It seems to be a trend in shooters in the past few years that they be put in a 3rd-Person perspective to contrast the excessive amount of First-Person Shooters in the market. The skills and perk customization is unique in allowing the player to create the type of character that fits their play style and have a role in the team that they’re in. For a game launched in its first week, the gameplay is decent and provides the core gameplay that allows the player to experience the most basic of shooters; however, the game has much it can improve and add that would make the game feel more complete.
Graphics
The game boasts itself as a realistic, tactical 3rd-person shooter and tries to provide the type of environment that a real warzone would be like. The cover around each map is ample, but they’re not always situated in the most desirable areas. The textures are not too bad for a free online game, but they require a strong processor and graphics card to run smoothly as the game isn’t optimized to its maximum ability. The color palette somewhat blends the players into the environment which can be used as a way of hiding from enemy eyes. The user-interface for the main menu can be a bit confusing at first, but it’s navigable for the most part. The user-interface in game is clear and off to the sides which provides plenty of screen space to keep an eye out for enemies. The 3rd-person perspective can be a problem at times. I have experienced several times where I am trying to aim at an enemy but lose sight of them because my own character is blocking the way. The camera angle can be more of a problem when looking out for enemies and aiming at them than having the advantage of peeking through corners and over cover with the 3rd-person perspective. The decision to have the player’s screen is covered in blood and not indicating where they are being shot from makes the game more of a hide-n-seek rather than tag because of the disadvantage the player being shot at is in. So despite having decent aesthetic quality in the graphics, War Inc. Battlezone has many flaws in practical designs such as camera angles and hindrance of a player’s view. Graphics: 6/10
Audio
The sound effects aren’t exactly realistic, but at least they don’t sound like peashooters. The game is silent for the most part, and the sudden bursts of gunfire can be a bit scary if it’s very close by. The problem isn’t too much on the recording of the sound effects, but the programming of it. It was difficult to determine the location of where gunfire was coming from. The only thing that would help was the mini-map of the enemy’s position, but it wouldn’t have mattered if you were the one being shot at since it’d probably be too late. With a faulty directional indication of where gunfire is coming from in both audio and visual (mentioned above in graphics), the strategy and tactics are much more limited. Again, the aesthetic value is decent, but the practicality is lacking within the gameplay. Audio: 5/10
Gameplay
War Inc. Battlezone is a 3rd-Person Tactical Shooter where players complete objectives along with their team while utilizing various skills, perks, weapons and equipment. The game is free-to-play with the option to buy credits used to acquire additional equipment in the game. Everything can be acquired with in-game currency, but will take longer to get the amount. The business structure is similar to that of Riot Games’ “Leauge of Legends.” For Steam players, there are special packs sold for $10, $25, $40 that gives players certain weapons and credits to start off with. Going with the 3rd-Person Perspective is definitely a different experience from the First-Person Shooters I’ve played, but it was also difficult to play compared to other 3rd-Person Shooters such as Monday Night Combat, Army of Two, and Rainbox Six Vegas. For a game boasting as a realistic, tactical shooter, I find it surprising that they didn’t add the ability to hide behind cover. Being able to successfully fire at an enemy without putting yourself in danger is practically equal to playing a First-Person shooter where you have to peek out. The only difference is that you can see around corners without poking your head out. The core gameplay works like most shooters in that you play a certain mode (deathmatch, capture points, capture flag, etc.) and you can help out your team with the special perks and abilities you equipped yourself with. The game is a bit difficult to control at first since the 3rd-Person Perspective is a bit to the side and so some parts of your peripheral vision is cut off. There is a bit of issue with lag during crossfire where hitbox contact may not have been read in accordance with the graphics. In fact, the audio isn’t playing in accordance to the graphics sometimes as seen in the video above. The game doesn’t push players to work as a team as much as other games have done in the past (Team Fortress 2, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Monday Night Combat), and so it causes many players to go off on their own. Some of the fault comes from the design of the game. Players will spawn far off from their team mates and be isolated far away from gunfire. Other times, players would spawn literally right behind an unsuspecting enemy. Weapons can be used by all classes and all players, and so players can hold to their own for the most part. This is good for those who like jumping into a game and rack up kills, but it’s difficult to coordinate teams during modes like capture point and capture flag. The controls are thankfully responsive and easy to understand for the veteran shooter gamer. Aiming takes a bit of getting used to, but players who master it do very well. The game is playable and can be enjoyable, but it can also be better. Gameplay: 6/10
War Inc. Battlezone is a 3rd-Person Tactical Shooter where players complete objectives along with their team while utilizing various skills, perks, weapons and equipment. The game is free-to-play with the option to buy credits used to acquire additional equipment in the game. Everything can be acquired with in-game currency, but will take longer to get the amount. The business structure is similar to that of Riot Games’ “Leauge of Legends.” For Steam players, there are special packs sold for $10, $25, $40 that gives players certain weapons and credits to start off with. Going with the 3rd-Person Perspective is definitely a different experience from the First-Person Shooters I’ve played, but it was also difficult to play compared to other 3rd-Person Shooters such as Monday Night Combat, Army of Two, and Rainbox Six Vegas. For a game boasting as a realistic, tactical shooter, I find it surprising that they didn’t add the ability to hide behind cover. Being able to successfully fire at an enemy without putting yourself in danger is practically equal to playing a First-Person shooter where you have to peek out. The only difference is that you can see around corners without poking your head out. The core gameplay works like most shooters in that you play a certain mode (deathmatch, capture points, capture flag, etc.) and you can help out your team with the special perks and abilities you equipped yourself with. The game is a bit difficult to control at first since the 3rd-Person Perspective is a bit to the side and so some parts of your peripheral vision is cut off. There is a bit of issue with lag during crossfire where hitbox contact may not have been read in accordance with the graphics. In fact, the audio isn’t playing in accordance to the graphics sometimes as seen in the video above. The game doesn’t push players to work as a team as much as other games have done in the past (Team Fortress 2, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Monday Night Combat), and so it causes many players to go off on their own. Some of the fault comes from the design of the game. Players will spawn far off from their team mates and be isolated far away from gunfire. Other times, players would spawn literally right behind an unsuspecting enemy. Weapons can be used by all classes and all players, and so players can hold to their own for the most part. This is good for those who like jumping into a game and rack up kills, but it’s difficult to coordinate teams during modes like capture point and capture flag. The controls are thankfully responsive and easy to understand for the veteran shooter gamer. Aiming takes a bit of getting used to, but players who master it do very well. The game is playable and can be enjoyable, but it can also be better. Gameplay: 6/10
Replay Value
The ability to focus on a build and class does give an incentive for the player to earn points and play the game. The skill building is interesting; however, it limits a player to playing one path. It is very much like an RPG where a player must stick with the role they chose to play. It’s possible to mix and match abilities and combine them for a custom loadout, but deviating to too many paths can lead to a useless soldier in the battlefield. The developers plan to continue the work on the game and add more content (as it says in the steam description, there will be 130+ Weapons to choose from). For now, it’s just fun to jump on and play a few rounds, but it’s difficult to enjoy to the fullest in its current state right now unless you play a lot or pay real money to acquire the extra equipment. Replay Value: 5/10
Overall
For the most part, I enjoyed playing the game, but felt it was also a game that would be difficult to stick to as more players decide to abandon it. Servers are already reaching down to the hundreds player count. As long as the community is kept strong and the game is continually improved, this game can have a bright future ahead. For now, it’s just an entertaining game to jump onto once in a while to take a break from my main games. Overall: 5.5/10
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