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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: FPS Developer: Kaos Studios Publisher: THQ |
Today it has become apparent that games in the first-person shooter genre are a dime a dozen and must present something
spectacular in the game play to stand out. This is especially important for games on the next-generation consoles. With large numbers
of similar games being released, it is hard for any one of them to catch the attention of gamers while offering a special gaming
experience that will impress fans of the genre. While only a few games have been able to stand out from the masses, “Frontlines: Fuel
of War” offers a lot of new features that many games haven’t had before. It is a game that is rooted in the headlines of present day,
telling the story about a world that is being torn apart by nations at war, fighting for oil that has been a necessary resource. Though the
game is set in the future, the issues that it tackles are issues that are close to home for many players.
Those who have ever played any of the Battlefield titles in the past will feel right at home with the game play mechanics used in
“Frontline: Fuel of War.” Essentially, the maps are sprinkled with predetermined capture points. As players steal them from the enemy,
they advance the frontline of the battle more and more until they eventually own the map. Some points require players to stand next to a
satellite for a certain amount of time while others have players planting C4 to take down enemy installations. Working through each of
the missions never quite feels like a worthwhile campaign, it instead feels like several bot matches. This isn’t to say that there isn’t a
lot of intense moments in the game, but the 6-8 hour set of missions don’t feel as natural as the other games on the shelf.
The war that rages on throughout the frontlines is between the Western Coalition Army and the Red Star Alliance with the bulk of the
action happening throughout the Middle East. The cut scenes the take place before and after each mission are delivered from the
perspective of a journalist on the frontlines. While players don’t have a defined squad with character names and specific personalities,
players still get to hear inspirational speeches and be a part of other moments of drama, but the bar that has been set is never reached.
The real issue with the single player game play isn’t the storytelling, since “Frontline: Fuel of War” isn’t supposed to be a story driven
first person shooter, but instead the main problem is its lack of originality. If this game had been released a year sooner, it would be
known as possibly one of the best games on the market. Sadly, at this time the game doesn’t separate itself from the competition,
especially the giants that dominate the first person strategy genre. Luckily for the game, the campaign was not the main selling point of
the game. The real hook, the reason that this game will be put in the history books is because of the 50 player multiplayer. For those
that can manage to find 49 friends and have a very fast connection speed, this could be one of the best online experiences on Xbox
Live. With planes, tanks, helicopters, drones and devices at their disposal, players cannot deny that with so many choices, landscape
and action, this is a fun and fast paced game.
“Frontlines: Fuel of War” also tacks on the ability to play a certain role for the players team on top of the standard class selections of
assault, special ops and more. Players can call in air strikes to support the team or they can select to command EMP powers to
disable enemy vehicles. Each role has three levels to it and each level has a different power. With all of the different roles, character
classes and vehicles that come together to make the game great. It is also nice that the controls are well thought out and intuitive. The
jets are easily the hardest to maneuver, but tanks and hummers are easy. Weapon selection is handled with a radial menu that only
becomes a problem when they are carrying more than eight weapons which is a rare occurrence in single player more.
Though the multiplayer in the game is clearly the star of the show, it is not completely perfect. There is only one game mode which may
frustrate some players due to the repetition. Also, the 50 player matches cannot be set up from an individual system, but instead from
THQ. This isn’t a big problem, but it is something that should be noted.
“Frontlines: Fuel of War” is very dependent on its game play to make it the high quality game that it is. While its single player mode
performs well enough to get players to work their way through for the achievement points, it is the multiplayer mode that will hook many
first person shooter fans. For those that can forget about the fact that they have been playing this style of game for years with the
Battlefield franchise, then “Frontlines: Fuel of War” will be a must play, but many may think it is still a little too generic for the genre.
spectacular in the game play to stand out. This is especially important for games on the next-generation consoles. With large numbers
of similar games being released, it is hard for any one of them to catch the attention of gamers while offering a special gaming
experience that will impress fans of the genre. While only a few games have been able to stand out from the masses, “Frontlines: Fuel
of War” offers a lot of new features that many games haven’t had before. It is a game that is rooted in the headlines of present day,
telling the story about a world that is being torn apart by nations at war, fighting for oil that has been a necessary resource. Though the
game is set in the future, the issues that it tackles are issues that are close to home for many players.
Those who have ever played any of the Battlefield titles in the past will feel right at home with the game play mechanics used in
“Frontline: Fuel of War.” Essentially, the maps are sprinkled with predetermined capture points. As players steal them from the enemy,
they advance the frontline of the battle more and more until they eventually own the map. Some points require players to stand next to a
satellite for a certain amount of time while others have players planting C4 to take down enemy installations. Working through each of
the missions never quite feels like a worthwhile campaign, it instead feels like several bot matches. This isn’t to say that there isn’t a
lot of intense moments in the game, but the 6-8 hour set of missions don’t feel as natural as the other games on the shelf.
The war that rages on throughout the frontlines is between the Western Coalition Army and the Red Star Alliance with the bulk of the
action happening throughout the Middle East. The cut scenes the take place before and after each mission are delivered from the
perspective of a journalist on the frontlines. While players don’t have a defined squad with character names and specific personalities,
players still get to hear inspirational speeches and be a part of other moments of drama, but the bar that has been set is never reached.
The real issue with the single player game play isn’t the storytelling, since “Frontline: Fuel of War” isn’t supposed to be a story driven
first person shooter, but instead the main problem is its lack of originality. If this game had been released a year sooner, it would be
known as possibly one of the best games on the market. Sadly, at this time the game doesn’t separate itself from the competition,
especially the giants that dominate the first person strategy genre. Luckily for the game, the campaign was not the main selling point of
the game. The real hook, the reason that this game will be put in the history books is because of the 50 player multiplayer. For those
that can manage to find 49 friends and have a very fast connection speed, this could be one of the best online experiences on Xbox
Live. With planes, tanks, helicopters, drones and devices at their disposal, players cannot deny that with so many choices, landscape
and action, this is a fun and fast paced game.
“Frontlines: Fuel of War” also tacks on the ability to play a certain role for the players team on top of the standard class selections of
assault, special ops and more. Players can call in air strikes to support the team or they can select to command EMP powers to
disable enemy vehicles. Each role has three levels to it and each level has a different power. With all of the different roles, character
classes and vehicles that come together to make the game great. It is also nice that the controls are well thought out and intuitive. The
jets are easily the hardest to maneuver, but tanks and hummers are easy. Weapon selection is handled with a radial menu that only
becomes a problem when they are carrying more than eight weapons which is a rare occurrence in single player more.
Though the multiplayer in the game is clearly the star of the show, it is not completely perfect. There is only one game mode which may
frustrate some players due to the repetition. Also, the 50 player matches cannot be set up from an individual system, but instead from
THQ. This isn’t a big problem, but it is something that should be noted.
“Frontlines: Fuel of War” is very dependent on its game play to make it the high quality game that it is. While its single player mode
performs well enough to get players to work their way through for the achievement points, it is the multiplayer mode that will hook many
first person shooter fans. For those that can forget about the fact that they have been playing this style of game for years with the
Battlefield franchise, then “Frontlines: Fuel of War” will be a must play, but many may think it is still a little too generic for the genre.
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