PlanetSide

Lock and load, people?we?re going PlanetSide.

The makers of EverQuest have traded in their Centi Longswords and Thurgadin armor for Infiltration Suits, rocket launchers, and hover tanks. In so doing, they?ve created one of the coolest first-person shooter experiences on the planet, one any FPS fan would be silly not to check out.

Choose a Side
The difference between PlanetSide and the other team-based FPS games out there is that this time your team consists of hundreds of other players, many online at the same time, all throwing themselves into constant battle over 10 huge continents. As you play, you level up, gaining you access to more equipment choices and combat roles. As your character gains in Battle Ranks, you may add new equipment and weapons to your repertoire.

In PlanetSide, there are no NPCs, no easy experience points. Either you?re on an attacking team or a defending team as your group tries to take over entire continents. Everyone you see is another player, trained and ready to gank you if given half the chance. This can be a very frustrating game for newbies and players who like to go it alone as loners and rookies will find themselves staring at the respawn screen as often as they?re out there fighting.

Group Up, Soldier
PlanetSide?s greatest strength lies in the squad structure. Squads of 10 soldiers (one of them designated a leader, who gains Command Experience) are the optimal and most typical units. Group-friendly players will find a wealth of teamwork and squad-level action in PlanetSide, and just about every possible role?heavy weapons, scouts, infantry, hackers, medics, vehicle pilots, etc.?is needed in the big fight.

The biggest concern about PlanetSide is that the constant battling can get old after a while. Once a base is conquered, there?s more incentive to go conquer another base than there is to defend the ones you have. While each base held grants bonuses to your other bases on the continent, those bonuses are almost unnoticeable to all but the most experienced commanders. Once the game?s been going a while, continentwide strategy should pop up, giving the game?s action more of the context it sorely needs.

Wild World
PlanetSide?s neverending conflict and rewarding squad experience should be a godsend to FPS gamers out there looking for a huge and widely varied play experience. If you?re looking for a massively multiplayer Unreal Tournament, however, you?re just going to get yourself killed.

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