Frontline: Fuel of War
With the latest influx of first person
shooter titles on the XBox 360, there's only really one that stands
above the rest and that game is THQ's Frontlines: Fuel of War which is
set in the not so distant future where Earth has been town apart by
factions fighting for the last remnants of fossil fuel.
This is the last
battle of mankind and whichever faction controls the frontline will have
the upper hand on controlling this last precious resource. The title has
also been created in collaboration with real-world military advisors and
features over sixty different weapons and vehicles. How's that for
professional?
So what exactly is Frontlines: Fuel of War?
The title itself is a classic first person shooter with some immersive
gameplay which involves troops and vehicles that when matched with this
unique and understandable story, will draw the gamer into this almost
post apocalyptic world as the remaining powers hunt the last sources
of fuel.
With that said, the storyline sounds like something taken out
of Command and Conquer or Red Alert, however this story is firmly based
in the first person shooter genre. The title begins in the oil
fields of Asia as it moves the player across the globe with gamers even
going into the heart of Russia itself, Moscow. This assists in keeping
the storyline and locations quite unique and diverse and adds to the
replay value.
The single player aspect is quite
enjoyable, allowing the player to control a variety of vehicles with a
wide gamut of powerful weapons at the ready. Gamers must complete a
variety of objectives before they can proceed to the next mission.
Controlling drones in Frontline is a different twist which is also a
vital aspect of the single-player mission. Developer Kaos Studios have
also thrown in a variety of twists and interesting turns for the single
player experience which we cannot spoil here.
Although playing Frontlines: Fuel of War was one of the most satisfying
single player experience that I have played since Gears of War, the
title offers the player one of the best online experiences with up to
50-players simultaneously. There are literally a plethora of different
multiplayer options, making this one of the most diverse and addictive
online experiences to date with players having access to a variety of
vehicles as per single player which include tanks, jets, helicopters and
jeeps to name a few of vehicles available. Each team must also rely on
certain classes to ensure victory which assists in balancing the
gameplay.
Graphically, Frontlines on the 360 is a
visual treat with highly detailed gaming environment and characters.
Some of the particle effects in the title are truly awe-inspiring and
the developers make great use of this special effect which really
assists in drawing you into this universe and its almost like you are
fighting a real war. The attention to detail with explosions such as the
debris which flies in the air and the after smoke is simply amazing.
When it comes to sound, the audio aspect of Frontlines really needs a
surround sound system to truly enjoy this experience. The sound effects
are quite realistic from the bombs, machine guns and explosions that you
hear on the battle field. Match that with a great Hollywood blockbuster
sounding soundtrack and this game has it all, great graphics and equally
impressive audio.
Although the single-player campaign is extremely impressive and an
enjoyable experience, what moves this title apart from its competitors
is the detailed online experience which has successfully created an
interactive World War III experience. Brilliant from start to finish!
A must have game of 2008! |