America's Army Review

Uncle Sam wants YOU...

...to play his game.

In another astonishingly expensive marketing ploy, the United States Army has created an online, multiplayer FPS game to show the world exactly how much ass the U.S. Army would kick - even if it is only digital ass. The main purpose of the game is to get gamers to realize that if they can shoot a fake M16A2 rifle, they can join the Army and shoot real ones too! (And burn women, children, houses and villages all over the world while they're at it.)

Cough, cough, put that 'Havana' out!

We want... a shrubbery.

The interesting thing about this game, however, is that it is the first to use the new Unreal Warfare 3D engine, an auspicious debut for the engine to say the least. The Army knows quite a bit about waging modern warfare, but do they know about making a good FPS game? Read on, and see.

America's Army comes in two flavors - Recon (which you're reading about now), and Soldiers, which should be available in August. The differences between the two are that the Recon version plays more like a tactical shooter that most of us are already familiar with, like Ghost Recon or Rainbow Six. The Soldiers version of the game will allow you to specialize in any facet of the Army, from infantry to battlefield mechanics to medical. It will be interesting to see how they pull this off, but lets take a look at what's before us - the Recon game.

In order to play this game properly, you must do what any other soldier in today's army must do: go through basic training. After creating an online soldier profile, you're off to Basic. The Army's real Basic Training program is thirteen weeks in length, but since it would be a REALLY boring game if it lasted that long, it goes ahead and skips you off to Rifleman Training/Certification. The Drill Sergeant gives you your specific instructions to get your weapon and magazines and you're off to your station. In order to advance, you must successfully hit 23 of 40 presented targets in order to qualify as a marksman. (If you can hit 36 of the 40, you qualify as an Expert Marksman and can attend Sniper School! w00t!) After Rifleman training, it's off to the Obstacle Course (which should be a breeze for any experienced FPS gamer). Another trip to the firing range to get familiarized with the M249 SAW automatic rifle and M16A2 with M203 Grenade Launcher follows, with your single-player training completing with a run through an Urban Combat simulator, using flashbang grenades and pegging cardboard terrorists as you run through a maze of plywood and concrete.

So once that's done, it's off to the frontlines, right?

Wrong.

You still need to complete a round on one of the Army's Official MOUT servers and play a few rounds on that map with a fireteam using MILES gear before being allowed to go forth and wage war on the enemies of freedom and democracy. But once that hurdle is overcome, a bunch of new maps are open to you, typically involving assault/defense style missions. They include a desert encampment where hostages are being held, an Alaskan oil pipeline headquarters, a bridge (just like the chicken, you have to get to the other side), and several others. The interesting thing about the maps is that no matter which team you choose, you're always the U.S. Army, and the other team is always the terrorists, with skins and weapons to match. Of course, the other side thinks YOU are the terrorists as well. No matter which side you choose, both sides are firing M16A2's (or other selected weaponry), but the game shows the enemy firing AK47's or such the like - for every Army issue rifle, there is a terrorist counterpart.

The objective is dead ahead.

Right, I'm going in for a piss, cover me.

Now, with all that said, the burning question on your minds is How Does It Play?

The answer is: Very, very well.

The graphics, using the new Unreal Warfare engine, allow for a very nice level of detail on the more recent video cards, while still keeping a relatively high framerate. The models are high-poly, nicely rendered, and very detailed. The environments are life-like, realistic and very much what one would expect to see on a real-life modern battlefield. Not too much was omitted, as muzzle flashes, bullet holes and the smoke from smoke grenades are all nicely done. (Especially the smoke!) At night, moths flutter around streetlights. Small dirt clods kick up when the ground next to you is fired on. It's impressive. The drawbacks to the graphics, however, are that it only runs on Direct3D (no OpenGL support) and Kyro, Kyro II and Hercules Prophet cards will not run this game. At all. Go buy a GeForce like the rest of the world.

The sounds are good. Very accurate gunfire, but that damned drill sergeant got on my nerves during basic. It sounded as though he was barking orders with a mouthful of marbles. Other than that, a good amount of attention was paid to detail on the sounds. The radio commands sound good, the footsteps are accurate, and the flashbang grenades not only blind, but they deafen as well. An all around fine job was done on the sounds.

The gameplay in the Recon version of the game is very reminiscent of a plethora of tactical shooters out there, Rogue Spear, Ghost Recon, Operation Flashpoint, without the extras. There is no in-game map, there is no fancy radio, no real HUD to speak of other than showing your available ammo, compass, movement position (running, walking, crouching, prone) and basic health meter. Everything you've seen in America's Army you've seen before in other games, so there's really nothing new to report here. Just remember that aimed shots (using the scope) are always better than not, and going prone will almost always help you hit your intended target. Remember your Rules of Engagement and watch your breathing!

When all is said and done, this game is a stripped-down version of the other tactical shooters out there, with two very big things going for it. The first is the Unreal Warfare engine - it provides nice graphics content for every level of system. The second is the price. It's Free. Go download it. It may be one great big huge commercial for the Army, but it's also a pretty fun game to boot.