Official Site: http://www.gamersfirst.com/fallenearth/
Steam Site: http://store.steampowered.com/app/113420/
Source: Youtube Channel MMOHut
Fallen Earth looked like an interesting game when it first released. Players are dropped into a post-apocalyptic world torn asunder and are free to roam anywhere they want. The game is played like an Action game so it requires aiming and attacking in real-time rather than auto-target and auto-attack. It was like a dream MMORPG for fans of Fallout 3 and to those who like open-world RPGs. However, the game received poor reception from critics and players for its low quality in graphics with erratic animations and dated textures. Well back 2 years ago, the game was a pay-to-play game and I didn't really have the intrigue to play the trial. The game recently went free-to-play a few months ago as it has been taken up by GamerFirst and has also been added to Steam which players can use their steam accounts to log-in with. With the game so readily available for me to play, I thought I tried it out.
One thing that a lot of players and I myself find worth praising is the atmosphere and immersion with the world that the game is set in (post-apocalyptic earth). The dialogues have voice-acting, the environment is dark and grim, and the world outside is massive. The one thing that caught my attention when the game first released was that it was a First-Person Shooter in a MMORPG, much like what Borderlands did. I suppose the game had its influence from Fallout 3 (or perhaps other open-world games similar to it) with the freedom to go anywhere, the action of an FPS, the depth of an RPG, while adding the ability to play with hundreds of players in an MMO. This aspect made combat different in that players play the game like an action game and have full control of their character's attacks rather than the traditional auto-attack. Aiming for the head will grant the player more damage to the enemy and missing a shot or hit would be justified and not relied on chance. The game seemed great, but I quickly picked up on all its fallacies and made me realize what so many negative feedback was given to the game.
I was expecting the game to be played more like an FPS than anything else, but the controls were split into two different modes: combat and interaction. The game can be played in first-person or 3rd-person, it's up to the player to choose. First-person makes it easier to shoot, 3rd-person makes it easier to see around the player when wielding a melee weapon. Then the player has to switch between combat where they fight, aim, and shoot and interaction where they drag the camera around, interact with objects, and speak with NPCs. Switching between the perspectives and modes was clunky and a hindrance to the flow of the game. One moment you have to fight an enemy, another you're picking up an item, you and you don't know if you're looking around or moving your mouse cursor. This made combat incredibly aggravating. Sadly, even with an action-orientated combat system, it was still pretty boring. When you shoot an enemy, you aim and shoot. When you use a melee weapon, you stand and click. Moving does little in combat unless the enemy happens to stay where they are and there's cover nearby. With the enemies, their paths are predetermined and their AI is programed simply to hit anyone close to them. There isn't much dynamics to combat and sometimes they'll just glitch out and starting doing their own thing. I saw enemies getting stuck halfway into a wall, some running back and forth in the same area, and the smartest ones are the ones that stand there to hit or shoot you. It was already bad enough that the combat was boring and the controls cumbersome, but the graphics would spaz out or lag, animations would be rigid or erratic and affect combat, the looting system was annoying with the way the controls are set up, and the inventory is really messy considering that it's pretty similar to all other MMORPGs. Despite having an amazing atmosphere and a life-like living, breathing town outside, the color palette combined with an insane amount of texts and UI (from player names, NPCs, skill hotbar, etc.) create a convoluted crowd of people and information that the game doesn't quite explain clearly.
The game has a lot of potential and great ideas, but like many other games with potential and great ideas, it was executed poorly and had many mechanics that just didn't work fluidly and effectively. It was a big disappointment and I highly doubt I'll revisit the game again. I couldn't stand the game anymore so I didn't continue farther, which is why I didn't write a full review as I didn't truly see all the aspects of the game. It's fine though, I rather not bite that bullet.
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