As we already know that Squad is a promising networked tactical action game, released in late 2015 in Steam Early Access. At that time, this game, which grew out a modification to Battlefield 2 , was more pleasing with its prospects than it allowed to enjoy marksmanship, team interaction and control of military equipment - these must-have features of any realistic tactical shooter Squad had yet to acquire, gradually getting rid of errors and overgrown with content. The release took place at the end of September this year.
Five years in Early Access is a big deal, even if you discount the lack of experience on the development team at Off-world Industries. And by no means a fuss-free audience of serious tactical shooters who are willing to endure for the sake of a quality product. Version 1.0 is in front of us - it's time to check whether expectations have been met.
It was the word In the beginning
More precisely, two words - Project Reality . This is the name of the modification for Battlefield 2 , which appeared back in 2005. The creators of the mod radically changed the gameplay of the original, relying on realism and tactical interaction within the team. Project Reality is a separate long story that is not over yet (updates continue to be released for the mod), but we are interested in what happened in 2015. Then there were two notable events: the mod got its own version and Squad appeared in early access - a separate game from the same authors, based on the same principles.
How does it differ from many other action games on a similar topic? Literally - to everyone, despite the same genre formula "War of two teams for key points on a large map using technology."
Three whales
The foundation in Squad is the same as in PR - hardcore, realism and teamwork. There is no third-person view, you cannot find the counter of the cartridges remaining in the store, you can die from a single well-aimed hit, and the parameters of equipment and weapons are trying to match their real prototypes. The speed of movement of infantry and vehicles, simulation of recoil and ballistics, and the impressive size of the maps have also been selected so as to increase the realism of what is happening on the battlefield.
Yes, Squad falls short of the main apostle of realism in video games - the Arma series... But those conventions and simplifications, of which there are, in fact, a lot, are not at all hack, but a completely deliberate decision of the developers, made to increase the importance of team interaction.
For example, the location of each ally can be seen on the map (which, by the way, is also available to everyone), a special marker will always highlight a friendly soldier when aiming the sight, helping to avoid fire on his own, and the set of weapons and equipment is rigidly fixed and tied to a specific specialization - select from a more powerful weapon will not come out of an enemy corpse. What can we say about the medical system, thanks to which it is possible to raise any fallen soldier from the dead, there would be enough bandages and first-aid kits - even a direct hit from a tank is not a sentence.
All of the above is not very realistic, but it allows you to fully implement the tactical plans of the commanders and maintains a balance between the parties. The shooter got its name for a reason - this very squad in the realities of the game is the main tactical unit, and a loner cannot even normally arm himself, let alone have at least some influence on the course of the battle. Commands and commanders rule here, and it is worth talking about the latter in more detail.
Listen to my command!
The role of the "squad leader" can hardly be overestimated, I will even say more - this is a game about them and for them. An ordinary shooter or specialist sees the battle through the sight and remains only cogs in this military machine, operating according to laws and rules that are visible only to the commander's gaze.
This is achieved thanks to the unique features of the officer slots: they have their own radio channel, where they discuss their commander's affairs, they know how to place markers on the map and only they can build spawn points, command posts and other structures. More precisely, they mark out the place for construction, and then the privates come into action with shovels at the ready - an extra reminder that there are no loners here, even in command positions.
Controls the entire party, numbering up to fifty people, the commander is the most experienced and intelligent of the leaders. He may not fire a single shot at all during the whole battle - and without this there is enough work. Coordinating squad actions, reacting to enemy moves, calling for air support or artillery, observing the battlefield with a UAV - the commander is essentially playing RTS with real people instead of units.
The gameplay at the level of squad leaders is also much closer to strategy than to a shooter. While the subordinates are fighting, the squad leader thinks. Where is the best place to put "foba" and "rally" (yes, you will have to get used to slang too), how to make a safe route to the point indicated by the command, which of the fighters should be entrusted with an extremely important (and super boring) mission to deliver supplies to the front line? There are enough tasks, and the reward will be a completely unique experience.
The main thing is that the gameplay of his subordinates depends on the leader. An intelligent commander met - remember your nickname and try to get to him next time.
Each with his own
The lives of commanders are important, but this does not mean that a soldier who is not weighed down by epaulets should only shoot. Yes, it is important to kill enemies, but it is much more important to fulfill the duties of the role you have taken. Do not be alarmed, it is unlikely that you have to deal with the delivery of ammunition for the whole battle or sit in the defense of a point somewhere in the rear (although this is possible if you are not lucky with your boss).
The formula is simple: if you want to get equipment worthier than a regular rifle, and tasks are more interesting than ordinary shooting at enemies - join a squad; entered - follow orders. A sniper who fills "frags" somewhere far from allies and does not help the commander to detect the enemy is a bad sniper, and for a high personal expense he will rather be expelled from the squad rather than praise.
The tight binding of equipment to a role is made to push players to teamwork, and the more important the role, the narrower the scope it has. Yes, everyone has a hand weapon that allows them to fight off the enemy on occasion, but the medic is here primarily to heal, the driver - to control equipment, and the machine gunner - to suppress fire and destroy the enemy's manpower.
War as it is
You instantly understand the benefits of being able to fire in long bursts, as soon as you come under fire from an intelligent machine gunner - the suppression effect obscures the screen so that nothing is visible even half a meter away. What kind of organized action is there to talk about?
A useful side effect - it has a great effect on the atmosphere. The effects of explosions and shots in Squad are just a role model - just take a look at an artillery fire or get hit by an air missile and bomb attack. The sounds were just as good - the shots are very juicy, and the close breaks literally jam them, not allowing you to listen to radio communications normally.
This is also important, because a walkie-talkie is an extremely useful thing (there is nothing to do without a microphone). Not a Battlefield at all, where you can run alone, and the necessary minimum "tactic", if desired, is achieved by non-verbal means. In the intelligent detachment there is a continuous radio exchange: reports on the situation, orders of the commander and responses of subordinates; it does not do without shouts accompanying direct fire contact with the enemy. The latter is another plus sign to the atmosphere.
The richness of content also works for immersion. There are two dozen locations alone. In the presence of battles in deserts and snow-covered forests, battles in narrow streets - you will definitely not be bored of the monotony. The shootouts in urban areas in Squad were especially successful - apparently due to the good study of the maps while maintaining the impressive size of the locations. If combined arms combat in the fields is better than Arma Until now, no one shows, and the melee, familiar from more arcade shooters, is usually conducted at small levels, then in urban battles everything is in place - both tactics, and atmosphere, and scale.
With a variety of factions, everything is fine too: in addition to the usual set of the main armies of NATO countries (USA, Great Britain, Canada) and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, there are motley rebels and the Middle East Alliance added with the latest patch - a collective image of the armies of the Middle Eastern countries. Only China and Korea are missing, but they will not be offended either - the introduction of the Pan-Asian faction is expected in the first quarter of next year.
The differences between the opposing sides are not only in appearance, but also in the set of equipment and weapons. I remember that in the preview for the alpha version, I scolded the developers for not rushing to add vehicles to the game. In five years of Early Access, they have been fixed, and now in Squadwith this complete order. There is everything - from small drones to tanks, including such exotic as "shahid-mobiles" made of iron-clad jeeps.
Conclusion
I recommended postponing the purchase of Squad - they say, the shooter is promising, but still too raw to please right now. I will keep my advice to wait with the purchase of the game today. Not because Squad is bad: if performance problems are still relevant (I immediately advise you to stock up on RAM), the rest of the action movie has only gotten prettier - the content has increased, the gameplay has become much richer thanks to the variety of maps and technology, its own audience has formed.
That's just the audience and the point - the release rush and discounts have led to the fact that the number of newcomers is now off the charts on the servers, most of whom have no idea where they got to. Most of the experienced commanders do not want to mess with the "noobs" - as a result, the servers are clogged, but half of the squads are closed from outsiders, and the rest are a circus under the command of clumsy people who do not even know the basics. In such conditions, it is easy to become disillusioned with the game, without even understanding what it really is.
Wait a little more (at least a couple of weeks) and be sure to taste the real tactics. Squad is definitely worth it - five years of Early Access hasn't been in vain after all.
Pros:tactics and team interaction; unique gameplay for commanders; atmospheric graphics and sound; a variety of cards and weapons.
Cons: bugs; poor optimization; high threshold of entry.
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