Reviewed by: Ebow
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment

With the whole SWG experience still causing me to shudder everytime I think of MMO gaming, it was with tentative steps that I downloaded the 30 day PlanetSide trial.

I was encouraged that the game had remembered me from the 7 day trial a few months back.

I was more encouraged that with the new operating system install here, my 1.4Ghz Athlon was running it with absolutely no slow down, even when it really kicked off.

And when it really kicked off I had, to quote Mr B Roka of 12, Deux Ex Cottages, "found my gaming nirvana".

PlanetSide is a MMOFPS, with a small amount of character tweakage and skill learning. The plot of the game is typical gumf that isn't entirely relevant to make the game enjoyable (there's this planet, right, and on this planet are three factions all trying to take control of the planet for their own nefarious ends. Some factions embrace the alien tech found on the planet, others tolerate it, others don't want it etc etc. I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea), but a basic understanding of how to get into the battle quickly and how to develop your character are.

The gameplay revolves around the never-ending battle for bases and the towers that surround these bases. Each base or tower must be hacked by a member of your faction (everyone comes with a basic hacking tool) and in the case of bases once the base is hacked you must defend the base for 15 mins before the base becomes yours. The bases are located on a number of continents across the planet, and these continents are linked by warpgates. There is also a shuttle that can drop you anywhere on the planet. This shuttle leaves from the faction sanctuary, a secure place where the enemy cant go and where you can train and choose character options without fear of being killed while you do it.

Training when you start the game, and combat and capturing bases/towers during the game, earns you experience points. As your XP increases you are given certification points (and Battle Ranks), and with Cert points you can learn how to operate items within the game. These items range from fast attack vehicles, aircraft, the MAX power armor, basic and advanced combat weaponry, support vehicles, hacking skills, engineering skills, medical skills etc etc. With the cert points assigned you grab your chosen vehicle/gun/armor and head into the fray. Press Escape and click instant Action to respawn right by a battle, or type /ia in the chat channel.

Et voila, let the combat commence. And what fine glorious combat it is. I have finally found an online game where the RAH factor (an oft used Alfie expression implying adrenalin gushing through the veins to near-orgasmic levels) matches that which I have experienced during LAN play. PlanetSide is that game.

Players can join a squad (or start their own) and squads can band together as platoons. With these tactical elements in play you can either lead you team and give tactical waypoints, or you can, as I prefer, be a grunt and follow orders. The camaraderie here is on a par with the glory days of Q2 CTF and LMCTF, where the leaders are not muppets but instead have plans, are willing to listen to what team members have to say, and are having as much fun as the rest of us. Being a squad leader will eventually grant you extra bonuses and extra features as your squad shares in the glory of hacking an enemy base. I've not got into the command side because I'd rather get in there and kick some, or sit anxiously by a control centre waiting for the 15 min countdown to reach zero, waiting to repel the enemy counter attack.

From a personal level, it's LAN online. You team up with like-skilled people within your squad and stick together, each watching the others back, each shouting wanrings of incoming attack (by air or ground). You jump into the bombing chair of a Liberator bomber and drop death from above before hotdropping out over an enemy base, causing grief from inside their lines so other squads can get in through the gates of the base. The tactics and camaraderie of every classic war movie can be found in this game at some moment or another (often from one moment to the next), and this is what keeps getting me going back for more. There are hundreds of players online at most times of the day (lunchtimes, UK time, it's v busy) and by adding squad leaders you've played with before to your friends list it's easy to get into a squad on return visits and enjoy all the fun that has to offer.

The cert system is easy to use, the vehicles are easy to pilot, hacking a base requires no more than "stand at control centre and use hacking tool", the voice comms are three button presses for every single voice comm you'd need in a battle - who could ask for more? What's that, it has to look purdy?

It does. With my 1.4Ghz Athlon, 1GB of RAM and my 128MB GeForce 4400 Ti, the game runs at 1024x768 with everything on with absolutely ZERO slowdown, even in massive battles. Yup, you read that right. It is a joy to watch and play in.

The sound is also spot-on, with never-dull music accompanying your actions, and the best "bomb on its way to crush your head" sound effect I've heard yet. The gunfire sounds chunky, the MAX armor running sounds like you're pounding the ground, the explosions sound beefy.

I guess all you could ask for now it get the game for free. Well, as this story mentioned, you can. It's a 1.4GB download (took about 9 hours via ADSL), and thankfully the patching required was minimal once the game started up (the in-game patcher downloads latest fixes and updates automatically when you start up). With this download you get 30 days gaming free, then just have to pay the $12.99 a month subscription fee. Which for an hours gaming a day is just sweet, especially as it's gaming and not a lot of running around dung collecting.

if you like your online gaming to be intense and furious battles with a splash of character tweakage, this is the one for you.

Presentation	10
Beautifully rendered planet environments, running seamlessly into tightly packed indoor confines, with the visuals of battle thrown in for good measure. Perfect.
Gameplay	10
Whether you want straight FPS or to explore the RPG elements, it caters for you. The battles are unlike anything you'll have been a part of before.
Value	9
Well, given that I paid nothing for the game and will only be paying the subs fee in a little under a months time, what more you want? A point off this for not giving the game away from the start - if I'd bought it and now saw it was free, I'd be mighty annoyed...
Benchmark	8
Rumour has it Tribes has done this all before, so I can't give this higher than an 8.
Score	9
Damn fine gaming with a price tag that is enticing.