Planetside 2 with the 2 meaning that it is a sequel to a Planetside 1 that I never had the luxury of ever knowing it had existed. Apparently it is one of the rarest MMOFPS games that actually works. Literally thousands upon thousands of players slaughter eachother upon miles of land for control of huge bases and smaller control points... It really is war like we have never experienced in our mainstream games.
Planetside 2 is a free to play MMOFPS that allows you to coordinate massive sieges for control over three continents that go on for miles upon miles. It is a game of logistics meaning: how do I get this body of soldiers from here, to here in the most effective and efficient way. You will literally see huge battles take place over your head with aircraft, entire tank battalions converging on a facility full of enemy troops and armor.
The way that it all plays out with hundreds of people attacking and defending together is glorious and blows my mind that it works so well!
You start off by choosing one of three factions. There is the squishy purple dildos called the Vanu Sovereignty, the mighty and professional New Conglomerate, and the oppressive band of misfits that dawn themselves in blood red called the Terran Republic... There is limited customization to your character with only a few heads to choose from and choosing your sex. There is no total character sculpture options to speak of here. You can customize your weapon loadouts, but that would take a really long time to complete.
It would take a while due to the lack of spending points that you are given. Almost everything costs upward of 100 credits or more, even for some simple things like upgrading your characters skill tree. You do earn these credits, but it happens at a snails pace. People have even played for hundreds of hours and have still not peaked 1000 total credits.
You can be them with real world money, but it is seriously gouged to crazy heights. 500 credits will run you about $5 and considering that lots of weapons and items cost around that margin. You will probably want to slam your head into a mirror of shame, because, you have just spent $5 on a gun that looks exactly the same as every other gun... I can see that this may discourage the "PAY TO WIN" argument but come on now! You don't have to charge that much.
Also, the game does absolutely terrible to teach beginners about how to play this game. You will literally be dropped into a heated battle going "WTH DO I DO!" and them boom! You get shot in the face. They did not bother to show you how the map system really works, joining squads and clans, how to use your abilities or even grow your skills. It presents a very steep learning curve that impatient players will get frustrated with and probably keep them from playing. You're going to need to know how everything works if you plan on experiencing the game the way that it is intended.
So I suggest that you look up a "How to play" video on youtube for that info, because that is a bit much for me to try and type off of my brain.
However, once you get past the learning curve and get a basic feel for how everything works; then you are going to have a great time. As I said before, it is a game of logistics. Communication is very vital to your team. Organizing attack plans and staying in formation can mean the difference between success and failure of an attack or defense. You will see players spawning out of big trucks called the Sunderer. It is a mobile spawnpoint that can be deployed anywhere. If your team does not destroy the enemy's supply of reinforcements--then you wont hold for much longer. Finding them can be like a game of "Wheres Waldo," due to the vast pile of players shooting it out on the field. I tend to use an air attack on an enemy Sunderer when ever one is spotted.
Well, what is the point of all of this if your PC cant even run it. The game is a pretty hefty one. Trying to run it smoothly with maxed out graphics is just not going to happen. I have a 460M GTX and I have lots of options turned to high with three others turned to medium or low to get that smooth 60FPS. Even with those mixed settings, the game does not look bad! it is actually quite impressive with how the lighting works and particle effects create an uncanny atmosphere that can make you feel part of this war.
Since these battles never ever end, there is a day/night cycle that changes every few hours or so. Not really sure... Anyway, there is a pretty good attention to detail with each continent looking different for each location. It is pretty crazy how MMO technology has improved over the years.
I really love the feeling of exploration that you get when you open up a new area of battle on the map. Once, I coordinated my squad to open a new front on the Vanu that was totally absent of their presence. SOOOOO SATISFYING!
I want to stress that this game is best played with other people! Trekking alone can get a bit tedious without leadership and organisation. You are going to die a lot if you go in alone... Well, you still will either way, but you will have people at your side. It is a shame that the voice chat is pretty crappy. Some come across perfectly fine, while others sound like they are stuck in a room full of turbines that are loud enough to shatter your ear drums. It presents a negative effect of communication, which is very bad since this game requires it to the max!
Planetside 2 is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. It can and will be improved with future updates and content, which is very good to hear... Despite the problems, it is a good MMO that blends the FPS mechanics well. Taking part in massive battles is a remarkable achievement that deserves praise!
FINAL VERDICT: Planetside 2 gets a C-.
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