There's a dearth of good steampunk airship games out there, but fortunately, Guns of Icarus Online fills that void quite well. With something for everyone, this PC video game is well-made, good looking and most importantly, fun. It's airship combat unleashed.
Guns of Icarus Online features combat between two teams of one to four each fighting for kills, resources, or control points. The most popular format is, of course deathmatch, where the goal is to destroy enemy ships. Other modes include King of the Hill and Control Point, both of which focus more on controlling the map rather than destroying other airships, though destruction is often key to holding or taking a point.
Each ship has up to four crew members, with AI filling empty slots. The classes available are Pilot, Engineer, and Gunner, each which has a special ability and varying equipment slots. Equipment ranges inclues repair tools, engine/ship buffs, and ammo types. A balance of classes is needed for most ships, and a good pilot is often the difference between victory and defeat. Gunners are the most maligned class, as they are only good for shooting and carrying a variety of ammo types, a role which can be replaced by simply ensuring each Engineer carries an ammo suited to a particular weapon.
There area number of ships to choose from, ranging from heavily armed but slow Galleons to medium ships like the Junker or fast, nimble, fragile ships like the Squid. With a good team of players, each can be used effectively in combat. Some of the ships are more common than others. The Squid is generally the ship of choice for the best pilots, as it's dancing nature allows hit-and-run strikes while avoiding the firing arcs of larger, slower ships. The Goldfish is popular all-around, as it's the smallest ship to feature a heavy weapon mount.
Speaking of weapons, there are two mount types, normal and heavy. Heavy weapons can deal massive damage, but are limited to a handful of ships and typically have lower firing arcs than a normal weapon. However, used properly, they can be devastating at any range. The Hwacha Rocket Pod is by far the most popular choice, firing a salvo of up to 20+ rockets and is devastating against all ships at close range. Flamethrowers are one of the more enjoyable normal mount weapons. Lighting an entire ship on fire is a highlight of a match. My personal favorite is the Minotaur, unique in that it fires a low damage energy burst that applies a directional force on the hit ship. Specifically, if you hit a ship near the bow, the ship will turn in the direction the shot was fired. If you hit the middle of the ship, not much happens. This weapon is useful in that an experienced gunner can keep the dead-zone (no weapons) of an enemy ship pointed towards yours, keeping them from ever landing a shot on you. The more enjoyable part of the Minotaur's ability is that you can also force a ship into a mountain or building, causing more damage than the actual cannon itself.
But enough about the Minotaur. The most interesting part of the game is not the ships or the weapons, but rather the level of teamwork needed to win a match. Every part of a ship can be damaged or destroyed, whether it's the engines, weapons, balloon, or armor. Losing these can have disastrous results, and so engineers have to stay aware of damage at all times. If one of five engines is out, but the balloon is on fire and about to be destroyed, knowing which is the higher priority (the balloon) is key. Likewise, if a pilot fails to line up on target properly, the airship may end up taking a Galleon's broadside at pointblank range.
As IGN describes the ships, "Beyond their armament slots, the unique ship designs are a blast to work on and around in battle. You'll climb scaffolding to hop into a gun station, run below deck to make crucial repairs, and even precariously balance along tail rudders to reach engine propellers. Figuring out the location of key systems on each ship and the quickest ways to access them is crucial, and running around to frantically fix damage as you're bombarded by incoming fire delivers a particularly panic-stricken thrill."
Plus, a good team is fun to talk to.
If you've been looking for a competitive multiplayer game or enjoy steampunk, Guns of Icarus Online is a good game to check out. Here's a link to their website: https://gunsoficarus.com/
Played the game? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!
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