8.9

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?

 

Features: Frontline Combat System – In both single player and multiplayer, players join the forces on the frontline that result in focused combat and increased intensity while allowing player choice. Open World Environment – In both single player and multiplayer, players can create their own path to victory with non-linear mission objectives and destructible environments. The player chips away at the battle instead of standard die and redo system. Next Generation Firepower - Over 60 next generation vehicles and weapons inspired by military designs of the near future. Including Jets, helicopters, tanks, APC’s and more. Customizable Soldier System – Character customization allows you to represent your play style through character choices, weapon load out and role specialization. Advanced Team Play – Supports up to 32 players on Console and 64 players on PC via LAN or Internet with shared targeting systems, squad based VOIP and more.

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!