Buy Frontlines: Fuel of War For Xbox 360 : $59

by THQ

To think that a console first person shooter can survive in this day and age on multiplayer alone is a bit of a stretch..

Sure, the prospects of a Huxley- at least when we first heard about it five or so E3’s ago- sound interesting, whereby a MMO turns from RPG to FPS. We aren’t there yet, however…..

The idea of a fifty person multiplayer experience via Live is not a new one, although KAOS Studios is the first to pitch it in the HD era with Frontlines: Fuel of War- a game that looks eerily like GRAW 2 if you squint hard enough when looking at the still shots. NovaLogic, famous for their big online PC skirmishes, gave this concept a try on the Big Black Box in Delta Force - Black Hawk Down. The game worked, and was entertaining in various ways, but the whole piece de resistance- the fifty player bullet point- drew little attention due to the servers rarely being filled with enough men and women that were behind, or smart enough to tackle huge, team-oriented combat.

Frontlines is very much a game of two halves, although the gameplay across each is commendably similar. The first is this supposedly open-world single-player campaign. Set in 2024 amidst much hostility and global war over oil shortages and the depleting supply of natural gas, two alliances are formed: the Western Coalition, consisting of the United States and the European Union, and the Red Star Alliance, formed by Russia and the People’s Republic of China. You play as a solider fighting for the Western Alliance. Things open like any other FPS, with you pinned down and having to fight off a wave of enemy soldiers. What makes Frontlines different to your average FPS is how each level progresses. Essentially you have to capture control points placed around the map, moving your squad forward into a better position to take on the enemy.

It’s very similar to what has recently become popular in large scale online shooters, except this time you’re up against far more enemy soldiers than you would in multiplayer games. Capturing a control point simply requires you to stand firm in that area (handily marked by some coloured smoke) - something that’s easier said than done given the ferocity of the enemy attacks. When you’re not gaining ground you’ll be taking out marked enemy vehicles, using control panels or planting explosives. In truth it’s nothing you won’t have already done countless times in other first-person shooters, but here you can go about things in a way that suits you.

With the initial selection of eight multiplayer maps, Frontlines multiplayer is a lot closer to Battlefield than its single-player offering. Vehicles such as tanks, jets, and helicopters play a more predominant role, while the tactical element bestowed by the role that ’roles’ play compliments the blistering pace and intensity. The now customary leveling-up feature makes an effective appearance, expanding inventory and weapons for each role.

A case of style over technical achievements, Frontlines’ use of moody visuals and an emotive soundtrack help to overlook the slightly iffy visuals. Further post-processing effects, depth of field, and filters would have gone along way to softening the somewhat overly defined visuals.

For the conclusion, an engaging entry in the overcrowded shooter genre, Frontlines: Fuel of War does enough sufficiently differently to warrant interest from anybody looking for something a little complimentary to CoD and Halo. Little more than linking the traditional checkpoint structure, the frontline dynamic nonetheless instills somewhat of a sense of originality throughout the game and certainly something we’d like to see further developed in a sequel - and it only gets better in multiplayer.HOWEVER in my OPINION its only a rental.With games like COD4, RB6 Vegas 2 and Halo 3 gamers dont have to buy this one.

** Dont wait for my Rainbow Six Vegas 2 review.ITS A MUST BUY.I will however post a review soon.