east2surf
03-17-2005, 05:23 PM
As posted on my clan forums:
Well, I bought BIA yesterday and got to play it for about a couple of hours. This is only a SP review, I will follow up with a MP review once I get to it. Here are my impressions:
Graphics: Nothing ground-breaking, but still looked very good. The graphics reminded me a lot of COD. The textures were very similar and the game ran very smooth at MAX settings. I never had a single stutter or glitch. Now, mind you, my machine is high-end, so I don't know how it will run on a lower machine. I did notice a few anomalies, like bad guys clipping through objects. You could not shoot them and they couldn't shoot you, but you could still see and elbow or knee occasionally.
Sound: I was extremely impressed with the sound. This game has the best weapon sounds of any WWII shooter I've ever played! When you fire a gun with some fire power, it sounds right. I've fired most of the weapons in the game, except heavy MGs, and they all sound authentic to me. SH and COD don't even come close in the Audio department.
Gameplay: Here is where this game stands alone from the other WWII FPS's (or ANY FPS for that matter). This game FORCES you to use authentic military tactics. It is like a combination of a FPS and a RTS game. They felt perfectly blended and balanced. Switching to the battlefield view (for the life of me, I can't remember the name for it), it is amazing. You can fly around the battlefield and see things in real time. The game goes into pause while you asses the situation. Now mind you, when in battlefield view, you can only see enemies you have already spotted. So you cannot "cheat" to find hidden enemies. You also have squad command that you are to use to control your squad mates. They are divided into rifle teams and assault teams. The rifle teams are used to lay down covering fire to suppress the enemy, while you and your assault team flank and kill the enemy. If you successfully use your suppressing fire, you can easily move about the battlefield using cover to flank the enemy. There are easy to use, on-screen indicators that tell you how effective your suppressing fire is. If it is not working properly, the enemy will flank you easily for the kill. You must move your squadmates into propper positions to cover you, and you have to use suppressing fire yourself to allow them to get into position. It sounds complicated, but the interface is VERY EASY to use. You can pick it up in about 30 minutes. It feels flawless and comfortable. I repeatedly found myself say "how cool is that?" or "Dang, that's a nice touch" about the FPS/RTS blend in this game. The one word that sums up the gameplay is "Refreshing" (or fun).
A.I.: All of you "run-and-gunners" out there (myself included) can throw all your old tactics out the window. You will die quickly if you think you can "Rambo" your way through. I could "Rambo" any game before this (including all the MOH series, COD series, and even the Rainbow series) but you will NOT do it in this game. You can only take a few rounds before you die and the enemy is too smart to be bum-rushed. Even in flanking maneuvers, they can catch you slipping. Several times, I had my squad laying down suppressing fire to keep the enemies heads down while I flanked with another guy, only to bump into a German trying to do that very thing to me. The A.I. use cover and concealment very well. The aiming system is strange, don't even bother with the crosshairs (which are off by default), the "Down the sights" view is the only way to get a kill. Even then, you shots miss often even when you swear that you had the baddie dead. It seems that it is trying to keep you from "rambo-ing it", so it forces you to have your squadmates do much of the work. Trust me, your squadmates do very well. They will tell you when an order you gave doesn't put them into postition to lay down fire. They will also yell at your dumb-behind for standing in the line of fire(I got that a lot).
Misc: You don't take a lot of damage before you die, and there are no medi-packs (at least that I've found so far). You are forced to use cover and concealment, or die easily. You have to take your time and play smart or you will be frustrated easily. The language is salty, but seemed about right for military men in the time of war. Just remember what the M rating was for.
Bottom line: This game was a total blast to me. It takes some of the best from WWII shooters and WWII RTS's, and creates a whole new expeience. Many of you run-n-gunners, may not like it, but any of you who value realism will LOVE the strategy/tactics element. I think this game is a giant step in the the genre and could possibly change the FPS for the better. The bar has been set for the AUTHENTIC WWII shooter, who wants some?
I recommend this game fully, it is more than worth the money for the SP alone. I will add my MP thoughts later.
East
Well, I bought BIA yesterday and got to play it for about a couple of hours. This is only a SP review, I will follow up with a MP review once I get to it. Here are my impressions:
Graphics: Nothing ground-breaking, but still looked very good. The graphics reminded me a lot of COD. The textures were very similar and the game ran very smooth at MAX settings. I never had a single stutter or glitch. Now, mind you, my machine is high-end, so I don't know how it will run on a lower machine. I did notice a few anomalies, like bad guys clipping through objects. You could not shoot them and they couldn't shoot you, but you could still see and elbow or knee occasionally.
Sound: I was extremely impressed with the sound. This game has the best weapon sounds of any WWII shooter I've ever played! When you fire a gun with some fire power, it sounds right. I've fired most of the weapons in the game, except heavy MGs, and they all sound authentic to me. SH and COD don't even come close in the Audio department.
Gameplay: Here is where this game stands alone from the other WWII FPS's (or ANY FPS for that matter). This game FORCES you to use authentic military tactics. It is like a combination of a FPS and a RTS game. They felt perfectly blended and balanced. Switching to the battlefield view (for the life of me, I can't remember the name for it), it is amazing. You can fly around the battlefield and see things in real time. The game goes into pause while you asses the situation. Now mind you, when in battlefield view, you can only see enemies you have already spotted. So you cannot "cheat" to find hidden enemies. You also have squad command that you are to use to control your squad mates. They are divided into rifle teams and assault teams. The rifle teams are used to lay down covering fire to suppress the enemy, while you and your assault team flank and kill the enemy. If you successfully use your suppressing fire, you can easily move about the battlefield using cover to flank the enemy. There are easy to use, on-screen indicators that tell you how effective your suppressing fire is. If it is not working properly, the enemy will flank you easily for the kill. You must move your squadmates into propper positions to cover you, and you have to use suppressing fire yourself to allow them to get into position. It sounds complicated, but the interface is VERY EASY to use. You can pick it up in about 30 minutes. It feels flawless and comfortable. I repeatedly found myself say "how cool is that?" or "Dang, that's a nice touch" about the FPS/RTS blend in this game. The one word that sums up the gameplay is "Refreshing" (or fun).
A.I.: All of you "run-and-gunners" out there (myself included) can throw all your old tactics out the window. You will die quickly if you think you can "Rambo" your way through. I could "Rambo" any game before this (including all the MOH series, COD series, and even the Rainbow series) but you will NOT do it in this game. You can only take a few rounds before you die and the enemy is too smart to be bum-rushed. Even in flanking maneuvers, they can catch you slipping. Several times, I had my squad laying down suppressing fire to keep the enemies heads down while I flanked with another guy, only to bump into a German trying to do that very thing to me. The A.I. use cover and concealment very well. The aiming system is strange, don't even bother with the crosshairs (which are off by default), the "Down the sights" view is the only way to get a kill. Even then, you shots miss often even when you swear that you had the baddie dead. It seems that it is trying to keep you from "rambo-ing it", so it forces you to have your squadmates do much of the work. Trust me, your squadmates do very well. They will tell you when an order you gave doesn't put them into postition to lay down fire. They will also yell at your dumb-behind for standing in the line of fire(I got that a lot).
Misc: You don't take a lot of damage before you die, and there are no medi-packs (at least that I've found so far). You are forced to use cover and concealment, or die easily. You have to take your time and play smart or you will be frustrated easily. The language is salty, but seemed about right for military men in the time of war. Just remember what the M rating was for.
Bottom line: This game was a total blast to me. It takes some of the best from WWII shooters and WWII RTS's, and creates a whole new expeience. Many of you run-n-gunners, may not like it, but any of you who value realism will LOVE the strategy/tactics element. I think this game is a giant step in the the genre and could possibly change the FPS for the better. The bar has been set for the AUTHENTIC WWII shooter, who wants some?
I recommend this game fully, it is more than worth the money for the SP alone. I will add my MP thoughts later.
East