"A recruting tool, not a game for entertainment."

This game is free, yet it fails in many aspects which make a video game addictive and entertaining. Essentially the game grows quite dull to those looking for a higly skilled action-orinted FPS.

Controls:
Hardly explained. There is no convienet GUI system which lets you view the controls or change them. All through basic traning (which is required before online play) I spent a considerable amount of time OUTSIDE the game trying to figure out how to switch between weaponn and such. For a "tutorial" this game greatly lacks proper instructions on how to control your character. Additionally, the game has at least 2 different buttons assigned to a specific function, leaving many PC gamers used to the WASD controls scratching their heads.

Graphics:
Nothing pretty here. The game has been created in order to be playable with those running older PCs. This game is not stressful on the system and won't impress any PC gamers who are on top of the current market.

Gameplay:
Poor to decnet. The Basic Traning exercises do not posess a learning curve at all and can be quite fun. Once you go online though you will find a lacking online presense for the game. Each game server plays only one map (which you have to qualify for the different levels) and this leads to a few problems. You will be unable to play certain maps because no one has become qualified to play. Additionally, certain maps have gained popularity and players flock to them. So you will find a lack of players on servers that run less popular maps.

Additionally, once you go online you are limited in your weapons. If you have low honor or experience you are limited to the m16, 2 frags, 2 smokes and 2 flashes. Those who have put in enough time have accessability to higher power weapons (routes to recieve such weapons I do not know). There is no convienient round summary as well. You have to pause your play to see just how many players are left on either side.

The HUD needs some major work as well. There is no kill update on the HUD, nor a radar. This will lead to some ackward situations where you shoot your teammates uprange. It is extremely hard to distinguish between friend and foe. From a distance you can only see a moving black blob and you have no radar to confirm if the blob is a threat.

Going on the earlier point of no kill HUD, all the game information apears in the console text which appears in small text which is easily hidden or unreadable due to the textures of the maps. Team communication is poor as well. I'm sure the Army has radios to communicate between soilders, yet this game does not have voice chat for some reason. I found it very hard to communicate with my team during the rounds. 1) you have to stop and type 2) the text is pretty much transparent against the maps.

The maps themselves are lacking. They are very linear, yet open on some. Meaning you tend to clash at the same points every map. After the intial skirmish, there are sure to be a few that snuck through the line of defense and you'll often see a 1v7 situation where the remaining defender/offender will be searching for an enemy.

My final note is taht this game is totally dull. Once you die you are force to spec your teammates only in a locked rotating third person. There is no way to gain map knowlege or skills from a first person view. The rounds are approximatley 5 minutes or more, and expect to have your first contact with enemies within 40 seconds the round start.

I have to give this game a poor score because the basic training, which I took to be a tuturial to the game, taught me nothing for the online experience. This game is not streamlined at all and needs quite a bit of work before it becomes a game worthy of gamer's attention

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 04/21/06