by Sony Online Entertainment

Member Reviews: Review PlanetSide Yourself!

Pros
•  base battles are exciting
•  the 3 faction concept works well
•  bonuses/penalties for number differences in the factions
•  instant action feature
•  first true MMOFPS

Cons
•  base battles can get laggy 
•  too much time between action
•  interface is cluttered
•  huge update to download out of the box

The Bottom Line -  Although not perfect, PlanetSide paves the way for a new exciting genre in online gaming. 

Link: Official Site

Review

Although its not even close to being the first massively multiplayer game to showcase FPS (First Person Shooter) elements, PlanetSide is the first true MMOFPS. Do not expect any swords or dragons here because you will not find any. In place of swords and sorcery, you will find three futuristic factions vying for control of one planet in a constant conflict. To use an overly simplified generalization, the concept is a little like Capture The Flag or Team Fortress where the servers don't shut off. The only RPG element is that you have to get certificates to be able use additional armor, weapons, and to even operate most vehicles. 

However, do not think of PlanetSide as an endless frag fest either. Gamers who love intense action all the time will not find that here. Fighting takes place over several continents so intervals between battles can be on the long side. To try to make up for the downtime between battles there is an instant action feature in the options menu that you can get into inside the game. You will not transport in front of a speeding bullet with this feature, but you will be placed where there is at least a skirmish going on. 

Once you are in a massive battle where land and air vehicles are used to assault a base though, it feels like you are smacked down right in middle of a sci-fi war movie. The action is extremely intense during these battles and it's a great way to bond with fellow faction members since team tactics are needed to win most battles. Like Battlefield 1942, you can man the guns on vehicles while others drive etc. 

Besides having its share of problems like the aforementioned downtime, some lag during battles, and a cluttered interface, PlanetSide stands as a trailblazer for not only the FPS genre but the MMOG genre as well. Undoubtedly, there will be many PlanetSide clones in the future because the MMOFPS genre is just beginning. The pay-to-play feature may not work completely for a large portion of gamers but massive persistent shooters are the next big step in the evolution of online gaming. The funny thing is that PlanetSide may be playing the role of a MMORPG pioneer like Ultima Online while a future game will likely be the EverQuest (another Sony game) of the MMOFPS genre. 

Game Ogre's Rating (out of 10):

8.50

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