Great game, especially for an MMO. But fantastic? Far from it right now. Read this detailed review for
The Good:
- extreme customization
- can provide some awesome "whoa, that was cool" gameplay moments
- a great game for friends who play together
- intense action
- different factions are varied in missions and looks
The Bad:
- horrible matchmaking (as of the time I write this review)
- missions are somewhat repetitive
- gameplay can go from awesome to unbelievably frusterating very fast
Now, some details.
APB is not a perfect game. It's not even an amazing game. But it is a very good one.
You start by making a character. Customization is the best, by far, than any other MMO out there. The clothing doesn't come till you progress a bit into the game. Each clothing option - scarves, shirts, jeans - are "templates". You can buy the basic clothing and than customize it totally to your liking. Well, almost. Different patterns to design have to be unlocked too.
Don't take this as a level indicator though. A more extravagantly designed character does not make a higher level. The limits are your imagination.
Speaking of levels, there are none. Sure, there is your "rank" which is a combination of most of your other skills, but levels don't really matter to APB. Skill does though, and that's both good and bad.
Good, because it COULD lead to fair matches. Bad, because matches are often woefully unbalanced (as of the time I write this review, it may be patched eventually). One versus one missions are where it is most noticable. Matching players with only the factor of similar skill may SEEM like a good idea at first. However, what if two players of equal skill get matched together but only one has a very good weapon with all the upgrades?
This leads to another good/bad idea. Pressing the default key "B" allows you to call for backup when you are outnumbered or far outskilled. However, the game fails to notice when you are extremely annoyed after dying repeatedly with still no option to call for backup. In fact, often times in a 1v1 case, you can't even call for backup at all. This is a rather weird concept, considering developer Realtime Worlds once mentioned a 50v50, all out district battle is possible. But how so if you can't even call for backup at any given time?
And when the backup button works, it doesn't always work well. Often you could be waiting a very long time while the backup button "searches" for a suitable player. This is both annoying and unnecessary. If one wants backup, one is not usually picky about the level of skill the backup is required to have. Sometimes you just want an extra player there to help a little, or to comfort you in intense, outnumbered battles. Having Backup unbalance battles may be a GOOD THING. This could lead to both sides calling for backup over and over, leading up to a huge gunfight (in theory). This brings me to my next point.
Traveling and doing missions alone instead of in a group is a no-no for this game. Sure, it's possible, but it's difficult. In fact, it's a whole other game. Where as group fights are chaotic and powerful and fun, single fights are intense, relying heavily on tactics to outmaneuver your opponent more than just rushing in and praying. This doesn't mean tactics are not needed in groups. In fact, if your team has great teamwork, you're unstoppable. However, in random groups, strong communication is often void and, therefore, the teamwork suffers. But why is it so void? Many reasons.
The chat is mostly hard to notice in a fight and a hurry, so APB's default VOIP is pretty much the only way to communicate. It's pretty simple to set up and use if you have a mic, so why doesn't everyone? There are many factors ranging from just being lazy to the lacking capability to afford a mic. Plus, some use the mic haphazardly, which could be annoying. Where am I going with this? Well, my next point: the community.
CAUTION: THIS NEXT PART MAY BE LARGELY MY OPINION INSTEAD OF FACTS AND INTERPRETATION.
The community in this game is OK at best. I am not a wussy thin-skinned guy, but the community is usually harsh and mean. 6 times out of 10, you'll get some A-hole (or multiple A-holes) who JUST want to do NOTHING but ruin your gameplay experience. The problem? There is a very thin line between "teasing and annoying the players" and "flat-out harrassing the players". Other times in that 6-out-of-10, you get people who always have a sarcastic reply ready, or the 12-year-olds who T-bag and such. Annoying. Frustrating. Irritating.
Don't get me wrong though, there are some worthwile people out there.
MY OPINION SEGMENT IS OVER.
The weapons in this game are usually the community's topic of debate. Is this gun more powerful than this gun? Is this weapon over-powered? The answer? No.
Weapons are balanced, despite what some may think. The problem is that nobody seems to realize that everyone needs multiple guns for different situations in this game. This is an MMO, and like most MMO's, you need different sets of gear for different situations. Keep long-range, short-range, and medium-range weapons around for all mission types just in case.
Weapons can also be upgraded. It takes a lot of time and money to do so though. The effects are nothing short of drastic once you have a pimped-out, all-upgraded weapon.
Your character can also have various upgrades. Stamina increases, field suppliers, etc.
There are 3 districts (as of release) - Social, Financial, Waterfront.
Social - a place to hang out, customize, sell items. No fighting.
Financial - a bustling city with many flanking routes and highways. Seems to be more popular than Waterfront.
Waterfront - a large plump of land with low buildings and lots of improvisable cover. Warehouses galore, as well.
All in all, this game is great. It could always be better, and because it is a persistent MMO, it will be with time. Worth buying? Yes. Worth subscribing? Up to you. Buy it, play it for the free 50 hours, and decide.
Thanks for reading, and check out the game.