Gameplay is solid, but not groundbreaking. Standard 2005 ~ 2016 cover shooter; poke your head out for more than two seconds and your character is turned into meatloaf, which makes melee and shotguns feel pretty useless. The sand mechanics are basic but add a neat layer of environment interaction to some of the proceedings. The only major bugbear is some of the controls; Walker comes off of cover or gets stuck to it at very inopportune times, running feels a bit too tank-like, and vaulting can be a hassle (on top of being bound to the melee key).
Visually, the graphics are clearly dated, but the art design is surprisingly vivid. In spite of the obviously intentional gray-brown military shooter aesthetic, there's some genuinely fun locations and engaging buildings throughout. On top of that, the emphasis on sandstorms and rolling dunes, while still brown, feels like a nice break from concrete and dingy hallways.
In spite of all of that, the main draw here is clearly the story. Signs likely appeared and went unnoticed by me earlier, but it's mostly about halfway through when things really kick up into something special. A game that expertly uses this specific medium of storytelling in a way that comments on both the nature of engaging with the artform of video games on a level not seen since probably Bioshock(?) and the dehumanizing effect of war. This would not work in any other format because you, the player, become a participant, as evidenced by loading screens referencing you directly. Character actions become increasingly grim and indefensible until you're left wondering why they, or you, for that matter, ever thought it was worth it to begin with. Thankfully, the story is not dumb and ham-fisted enough to put you on the wrong side of a good versus evil; everyone here is grotesque, to some degree, and who the good guys are (if there are even any at all) is up to you to decide. The twist came across as a tad bit goofy to me, but it does little to undercut the experience before it. This must be the definitive "war is hell" video game.
Visually, the graphics are clearly dated, but the art design is surprisingly vivid. In spite of the obviously intentional gray-brown military shooter aesthetic, there's some genuinely fun locations and engaging buildings throughout. On top of that, the emphasis on sandstorms and rolling dunes, while still brown, feels like a nice break from concrete and dingy hallways.
In spite of all of that, the main draw here is clearly the story. Signs likely appeared and went unnoticed by me earlier, but it's mostly about halfway through when things really kick up into something special. A game that expertly uses this specific medium of storytelling in a way that comments on both the nature of engaging with the artform of video games on a level not seen since probably Bioshock(?) and the dehumanizing effect of war. This would not work in any other format because you, the player, become a participant, as evidenced by loading screens referencing you directly. Character actions become increasingly grim and indefensible until you're left wondering why they, or you, for that matter, ever thought it was worth it to begin with. Thankfully, the story is not dumb and ham-fisted enough to put you on the wrong side of a good versus evil; everyone here is grotesque, to some degree, and who the good guys are (if there are even any at all) is up to you to decide. The twist came across as a tad bit goofy to me, but it does little to undercut the experience before it. This must be the definitive "war is hell" video game.