PlanetSide

"A nice change in pace."

Since the earliest days of Doom, the FPS genre has been a smashing hit. Each month some new, more powerful FPS comes out, each one with new weapons, places, play types, etc. But, after shooting monsters, aliens, and all else for hours on end, what is there left to change? Well, for me, that answer is the opponent. Computer opponents are too predictable. They WILL come to you. The computer knows where you are, so sneaking up on a monster isn't exactly anything special. Once you get within its set radius of vision, the computer will consider it a green light to react. So, then you think ''Well, ok, Ill play multiplayer mode.'' That is indeed very fun, with the exception of two problems-
1) You are usually limited to 4-18 players (unless you're playing Tribes.)
2) Whoever is running the game will most likely win, because while everyone else is pulling a ping of at 60+, their ping is 0. =-P
Still, games like Red Faction seemed well worth the while. But still, not much difference. It is the same thing over and over in a multiplayer option of an FPS- Spawn, shoot, die. Spawn, shoot, die. Gets repetitive. Well, that's where Planetside changes things. Planetside is an MMOFPS. Basically, its a first person shooter based a large world (10 continents), which contains 100+ bases to capture, 3 empires, and several hundred players. While there is still repetition, as with all FPS games, it adds some new twists to gameplay.

Video (8/10)
The video in Planetside is quite nice. Not exactly Halo quality, but it can still hold its own among other games of today. The largest problem is finding a computer that can cope with the amount of graphics. Its basically down to the fact that during a battle, you will have plenty of people on your screen. Easiest way to fix that? Set your vision distance to lowest (this, however, limits your gameplay as you will be a pretty horrible sniper and/or pilot if you cant see more than 20 meters in front of you.) At times it can get rather ridiculous. I got several upgrades over the holiday season (mainly to keep up with game requirements). On a 128 meg GForce4 and with 1.1 gig of DDR RAM, I still find myself lagging slightly during gameplay. For anyone under a 64 meg video card, I do not suggest even bothering trying to play. I tried with a 48 meg video card, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

Gameplay (7/10)
What can I say? Combine all the glory of an MMO, mixed with the gameplay of Tribes and Halo, and you get Planetside. The fact that all the characters in the game are actual people adds for a degree of entertainment in itself. While humans are far more random and spontaneous, there is also a certain satisfaction in knowing that you really did sneak up on the person, and its not just the computer letting you. Also, you will find a certain degree of humor involved with human players as well. [2 Examples- 1)I was walking in a max not too long ago. A cloaked enemy spotted me and decided to use the chance to kill me with a remote controlled mine. He placed the mine, and made a break for the other side of the room. I noticed him during this and shot at him. In a panic, he fled to the door, turning and aiming what he assumed was his gun and pressed the trigger. I only wish I could hear the things he said as the mine went off and killed his character. =-P 2) Often you will see a group of bombers attack a base. While I do feel sorry for people with lags, there is always some amusement found in watching that single bomber that passes the base completely by and suddenly unleashes a horde of destruction upon a vacant and uninhabited lake some distance past said base.] There are many different ways to play the game, as well. Just wanna go kill things? Go for it! You have the choice of bazookas, machine guns, grenade launchers, or specialty weapons unique to your empire. If you would rather go pure muscle, you can use a large suit of armor called a Max. You can also choose to go solo or in a squad of 10, or even a platoon of several squads together. Wanna run people over in a tank? Go for it. There is a large array of land vehicles, from buggies to tanks at your disposal. Want to fly? Plenty of that to go around, with 5 planes (2 attack jets, 1 bomber, and 2 transports), your guaranteed to find exactly what suits you. Or, if you don't really feel like laying holy wrath upon others, you can simply take up transporting people, as there are many different transport vehicles, and there is ALWAYS someone out there who needs a lift. And, as with any group, there must always be a leader. So, fancy yourself more of a commander than a grunt? Then form a squad and lead your troops into battle. With 5 command ranks (it sounds small, but trust me, you WONT get CR5 within the first month unless you devote all day everyday to it. =-P), each giving you some new, special ability to better lead your troops with, you'll be able to prove your worth to the world and become the greatest leader in Planetside history!(or, find out that you really aren't as good a leader as you thought, and end up being a grunt. Though, that really isn't a bad thing, since not everyone needs to be a leader. =-P)

Sounds (9/10)
The sound effects for this game are truly great. Each weapon has its own sound, often making it easy to determine the weapon used by sound alone. There are also many channels, allowing for multiple layers of noise and making the sounds very realistic. Why do I give a 9/10 then? That 1 point goes to the music. My opinion? Turn the music off, turn on a stereo, and play your own music over the stereo. Not only will you be guaranteed to like the music your playing, but it will speed up gameplay as well.

Playability (6/10)
Normally, it would be labeled ''replayability'', but since you can't necessarily beat Planetside, its impossible to ''replay'' it. For the most part, when you first get Planetside you will be hooked. However, the repetition of the game sets in after only a short time. For me, Planetside is more of a secondary game. That game I play when I need something to do with some quick action. My recommendation- when you buy Planetside, buy another game of a different genre so you can recuperate from the constant shooting of an FPS

All in all I believe that Planetside was well worth the purchase. I've been playing for a little over 7 months now, and enjoying every minute of it still to this day. There are many people out there who complain about various things. Some complain about how hard it is(yes, it really is hard. Yes, Max units really are unbelievably and ridiculously powerful. Yes, tanks can run you over without so much as a second thought. Yes, running into trees while flying a plane does do lots of damage. Yes, life is not fair. That's what skill is for. Anyone who expects to take a walking suit of armor using a hand grenade or a machine gun is going to be terribly disappointed. If that's you, I suggest buying a non-mmo FPS- one which you can download many mods and cheats for so that you can kill everything with only 1 shot.) Some complain about lag(Unfortunately, it is true. And there is little to be done about it. But, you have to understand the reason why. There are a lot of people playing. It comes with the territory. Once again, if you can't handle the lag, I suggest getting something on a smaller scale. For those with weaker computers- I feel your pain. Up until this Christmas I was there too. Somehow, though, I still played. How well I did, however, is another story. I have to admit that when I upgraded, my kill rating tripled easily.) Some complain about repetition (its a first person shooter... what did you expect?). My suggestion for all those who haven't played- Don't listen to anyone who tells to play it or not to play it. Find out for yourself. Go to get the 7 day trial and give it a try. If you like it, great. If you don't, don't sweat it- Halo 2 should be out soon.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/11/04