Planetside 2 is an acclaimed massively multiplayer online first person shooter (MMOFPS) with good mechanics and a lack of pay-to-win micro-transactions. Here's what's new to the game and why you should play.
The next bit is an introduction to the series and the "why to play" section. If you are a player already, skip down a bit to the bolded text for the new stuff coming. Planetside 2 is also on the PS4, so if you aren't a PC gamer, check out the console version.
Planetside 2 is one of the only successful/fun MMOFPS games I've ever found, and trust me, I've searched a lot. I like shooters such as the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises, but they've left me lacking. Yes, they have a good amounts of customization on the wide variety of weapons in each, but in other ways, they are extremely limited in the size of the maps, vehicles, and player counts. It is currently run by Daybreak, an acquisition that happened quite recently.
I've been playing Planetside 2 for about a year, including with the optional premium subscription. I didn't need it, because everything in the game minus cosmetic items can be purchased with earned in-game money. It's a bit grindy at times when you don't pay real money for in-game items, but I've acquired numerous items and weapons just with the in-game stuff. In fact, some items can only be purchased with game money that you earn. You can't actually buy it with real money.
Vehicles in PS2 have a rather wide customization array, from weapons to armor to chassis, and most of the options can be further upgraded depending on your play style. Want to play as an interceptor fighter? Pick the heat-seeker missiles or lock-on ones. If you choose lock-on, some options for it include longer lock-on range or short lock-on time. Driving a tank and hate mines? Equip an armor reducing mine damage. Hate getting hit with infantry missiles? Smoke screens jam the lock on and keep missiles from hitting. Want to fly a gunship/bomber? The Liberator is meant for you with a variety of load-outs ranging from single-shot armor piercing cannons to a semiautomatic mortar capable of slaughtering a platoon with a salvo.
Infantry can be customized just as much if not more so. There six classes, ranging from cloaking infiltrators to medics (they revive you) to mechanize armored infantry. There are a wide variety of load-out options for each class, and certain weapons can be equipped between multiple classes.
The thing that really sold the game for me was the scale. The maps are absolutely massive, and you don't need to worry about not being able to find enemies. There are three factions in the game all fighting on the same maps, and considering the maps take a few minutes to cross in a jet and there will often be around one or two thousand total players on, it adds up to some quite memorable battles. I recall one battle where I randomly popped into the game by myself and saw that a fortress called The Bastion was under siege by the alien-loving not-hippies. There were over a dozen heavy tanks bombarding the base in addition to numerous aircraft and ground transport/respawn vehicles. The game said there were 96+ enemies (that's as high as it goes for some reason). But we did it. It took a couple of hours, but The Bastion held.
And actually taking territory is important. There are points that allow your faction to acquire heavy tanks, get better hp regeneration, and faster turret cool-down for defending bases. If your faction takes about 75% of the territory on a map, you lock-down the continent and get a significant bonus based on that map, such as 50% reduced costs for deploying aircraft or 50% off MAX suits (mechanized infantry). Considering how helpful aircraft can be in neutralizing infantry, armor, and hostile aircraft, being able to throw them at the enemy is quite handy.
A good resource for new players is the Planetside 2 Wiki. It will provide you with specific information on different classes and vehicles as well as strategies and tactics you can use with them.
Enough with the review. For those who are familiar with the game, here's what's coming and why it's going to be game changing, for good or ill.
It's October, which means Halloween! The company will be running a screenshot contest until November 2nd, and winners can get a $25 game card if selected. Pumpkins can also be found around the maps (and in some strange places, I've discovered) which when collected can be turned in for new theme camos, weapons, helmets, etc.
While it's been promised since at least August, we haven't seen it yet. The ANT vehicle has been promised to us as a constructor, the first time in Planetside 2 where players will be able to gather resources for the purpose of constructing buildings. So far, only a medium sized turret tower has been promised. I'm not surprised, as being able to place structures will greatly change the way the game works. Limiting the sheer creativity of players will be critical to the success of the program. I can easily imagine some battalion (guild/group) getting together and building their own fortress in the middle of a bridge between two key points. Yeah, that would be awesome (both to defend or attack), but it could unbalance things too much. Sure, you could fly around it and land troops, but getting other players into your vehicle is like trying to kidnap adults by offering candy from the back of a windowless white van. I hope that the developers figure out a way to manage the peculiar creations bound to come up from player minds yet still make it feel like building towers is a good way to help contribute to your faction.
Other recent changes include some additional weapons for factions and an increase to projectile speed on multiple armored vehicle weapons. See here for the full update list.
So tell us what you think about PS2? How do you think Daybreak has done with the game? Does the MMOFPS genre have a future?
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