Cheap Gaming 101: America's Army
Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 08.23.2006
Because I am so cheap, I play free games!
Welcome to my first ever column for the games section and one of many to come. This is called "Cheap Gaming 101" and in it we will look at a great variety of titles that are free or very cheap, either because they are bargain games or because they are old games or simply because some crazy store decided to put it on sale. The basis of my column is simple, not everybody has $50-$60 for a game and are usually as fanatic and as hungry for some good gaming as "rich" people are. So without further ado, the very first game in "Cheap Gaming 101" history, America's Army!
Now, don't look at me like that. I know this is 50% game, 50% promotion tool for the US Army. But it is a FREE game. A GOOD, FREE, GAME! How rare is that this days huh? Plus, I trust my smart readers and avid gamers to enjoy the fun out of the game and ignore the publicity. Don't get me wrong, my father is in the army and I admire the men and women who have the courage to take such a risky job and put their lives on the line for the rest of us. I am sure they are all caring people who want to help, protect and serve and are not by any means, responsible for the sometimes stupid decisions their presidents make. With that out of the way, let's roll into the game itself.
America's Army is a squad-based, strategy-based and realistic online first person shooter. You can get it for free in several different places, including the Army's official site, Gamespot, Filefront and several other well known pages. But be prepared for a long download, since the file size is around 900 MB (897.4 MB to be precise).
Before you can even play online, you are required to do some offline training. Basic Training is required to play online and other offline training modes can be played to open even more classes online. For example, getting a high score in the basic marksmanship training will open up the advance marksmanship training and once completed, the sniper position opens up online. Taking Medic Training, which actually includes taking "classes" and written tests opens up the Medic class online, which is extremely valuable and respected. Taking Special Forces training, which was added in the last "upgrade" of the same name(included in the original download) opens up the special forces class and missions. This trainings are a must, since not only do they open up more classes and weapons, but also more maps, since some of them are class exclusive.
Trainings vary from entertaining, like the shoot house, in which you run around shooting targets that pop up, requiring a combination of accuracy and speed to get a high score, informative, like the medic training, which actually is a crash course on first aid and can actually help you save lives in real life(trust me, I took a First Aid class in college and all the information I learned in a semester was contained in a couple of 15 minute classes) to completely boring and unnecessary, like the special forces classes which are nothing but propaganda and technical speak of army stuff. Lucky us, the special forces class, maps and weapons are incredibly fun and it is worth the time to complete the boring training in order to get them. Like I said, you can start playing online as soon as basic training (which I think where the more fun trainings) is complete, but it is better off to do them all in order to explore and enjoy what the game has to offer.
There is no I in TEAM!
So how does the game play? Pretty good if you are into realistic shooters. The experience is sometimes described as a slower and more realistic counter strike. Weapons are real life weapons, with their own unique sights, recoil, firing and accuracy rates and so on. Weapons can even jam and you will need to fix them mid fight! Each weapon feels different and plays different, this is a difficult game that requires patience and practice to master. The sniper rifle is near impossible unless you are prone with a bipod, since everything, including your own breathing, affects your shot. Usually you carry a main weapon, complemented with frag grenades, flash bangs, incendiary grenades, smoke grenades and some secondary equipment like binoculars, night vision or med packs depending on your class and the map you are on.
To win, you need to complete a mission objective and learn to play as a team. Rambos have no place here. You need to proceed slowly, always find cover, usually crouched or prone, having teammates ready to assist you. Winning without a couple of medics and a good sniper is almost near impossible on most maps. The game has no voice communication, but it has plenty of short cuts for key stuff like reporting, which is a must to let your teammates know where you are at, calling out stuff like "enemy spotted", "frag out" or "I need medic" with just a key or two. Some leased servers, usually clans, support team speak and allow for the use of voice communication, but this is a rarity. This is something that needs to be addressed for a game that it completely based on tactics and communication.
The learning curve is steep. The trainings do nothing to teach you the basic of tactics and team play, but usually just sticking around to one map, following your teammates and getting familiar with what they do is enough to learn. You will spend 3-4 hours dying a lot until you learn, but once you do, it is worth it. Also, there is no such thing as respawn points. Once you die, you have to wait until the round is over. Thankfully, must maps are small and rounds last roughly 10-15 minutes, although they can go on much longer when two well organized squads clash. Also the community is very friendly towards "noobs" and are willing to teach as long as you follow your role and not try to do something stupid.
Many things can be said about America's Army. But what matters is that the game is really good, better than some commercial games, with plenty of servers to play and a huge online community of rabid fans. Check it out and prepare to be immersed in it's realism.
