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FRONTLINES: FUEL OF WAR (X360)
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Publisher: THQ.
Developer: Kaos Studios. Released: February 2008. Genre: FPS. Other versions: PC. Posted 29th April 2020. By Shane Battams © 2020 |
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By 2008, first-person shooters had become an incredibly common fixture on Xbox 360, and Frontlines: Fuel of War faced seemingly little chance of standing out, especially with the juggernaut Modern Warfare coming out mere months before. However, newcomer Kaos Studios would take inspiration from fellow FPS competitor, Battlefield, while creating a story which dips into the real-world dependence on fuel. While it’s not an absolute world-beater, its polished shooting and expansive scale make it worthwhile for genre enthusiasts who have exhausted the more well-known shooters.
It’s 2024, and a dire shortage of energy, as well as the untimely arrival of a large-scale bird flu outbreak have lead to tensions between the power players of the east and the west. Red Star Alliance, made up of Russia and China, engage a surprise assault on the Western Coalition to ensure resources are secured, leading to war on a large scale. Frontlines focuses on the Stray Dogs squad, who regularly lead assaults against the Red Star. They are accompanied by a reporter, Wayne Andrews, who films some of the horrors of war they encounter along the way. It’s a basic narrative, replete with American gung-ho speeches and clichés, while plot holes leave the narrative feeling secondary to the action.
It may borrow from other series', but Fuel of War plays well on its own merits, delivering a solid dose of military action
Fuel of War borrows significantly from Battlefield, mainly in regards to its structure. Armed with a bevy of futuristic weaponry, you’ll find yourself pushing forward through several key defensive locations, capturing them in order to both drive Red Star out and set up operation bases to replenish and respawn if you die. In single-player, lengthy missions will often be split into two sections, as you push through a warzone. Multiplayer expands this concept further, as you fight to capture bases and push back the opposing team. While the scale is impressive, and the campaign has notable moments such as a devastating nuke attack that colours the sky a blinding yellow, there’s a lack of set pieces to the game, leaving it feeling muted in comparison to the genre’s top tier.
But the handful of technology at your disposal does keep things interesting. You’ll usually be armed with a scoped assault rifle and pistol, but can often find weapons and special armaments along the way. The drones provide a good deal of anarchic fun, allowing you to control miniature vehicles and detonate them when desired, pilot helicopters armed with both rockets and assault shots, and even a tread Drone which comes with a Gatling gun. You can also control vehicles, often armed to the teeth too. Tanks, armoured vans and helicopters all can be piloted, adding to the scale of the experience and providing a nice break from standard shooting. Missions can often be flexible too, allowing for different approaches depending on your preference.
But the handful of technology at your disposal does keep things interesting. You’ll usually be armed with a scoped assault rifle and pistol, but can often find weapons and special armaments along the way. The drones provide a good deal of anarchic fun, allowing you to control miniature vehicles and detonate them when desired, pilot helicopters armed with both rockets and assault shots, and even a tread Drone which comes with a Gatling gun. You can also control vehicles, often armed to the teeth too. Tanks, armoured vans and helicopters all can be piloted, adding to the scale of the experience and providing a nice break from standard shooting. Missions can often be flexible too, allowing for different approaches depending on your preference.
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It’s clear though that, much like Battlefield, Fuel of War is geared towards multiplayer, which is both a boon and a detriment. Maps are often jaw-dropping in size, ranging from a small city block with greater intimacy to the solar array map which makes vehicle traversal a necessity. Different classes, including anti-armour and sniper, let you find a unique role in battle, and it feels like your part of a huge battle, creating a sense of satisfaction when you find a role. Sadly, time and the instability of online has taken it’s toll here, as while Xbox Live play is still accessible, the dedicated servers which upped the player count to 50 are no longer available, which is a shame. Still, even with the more modest 16 players, the chaotic simulation of war is fun with others.
Frontlines is not the most distinctive looking game, but benefits from technical polish. While everything suffers from the late 2000s tendency for grey and brown colour palettes, the action runs on a smooth clip and that’s even with a huge number of explosions, enemies and vehicles on-screen. Cut-scenes look solid, benefiting from above-average animation, though this clearly does not extend to gameplay. The sound is a hodgepodge of forgettable voicing, potent gunfire and booming detonations, and music which is often drowned out by the aforementioned. It’s hardly all a technical showcase for the console, but considering how many games of this era struggled with performance and smooth shooting, bar perhaps Call of Duty, Frontlines still stands above a fair bit of the competition.
Frontlines is not the most distinctive looking game, but benefits from technical polish. While everything suffers from the late 2000s tendency for grey and brown colour palettes, the action runs on a smooth clip and that’s even with a huge number of explosions, enemies and vehicles on-screen. Cut-scenes look solid, benefiting from above-average animation, though this clearly does not extend to gameplay. The sound is a hodgepodge of forgettable voicing, potent gunfire and booming detonations, and music which is often drowned out by the aforementioned. It’s hardly all a technical showcase for the console, but considering how many games of this era struggled with performance and smooth shooting, bar perhaps Call of Duty, Frontlines still stands above a fair bit of the competition.
A smooth game engine and interesting weaponry makes Frontlines an appetising prospect for shoot 'em up fans
And this extends to the game as a whole. Frontlines: Fuel of War won’t displace the Xbox 360’s most quintessential shooters, and it very clearly wears it’s influences on its sleeve. However, Kaos have crafted a shooter of prodigious scale, which is mechanically smooth and has some unique weaponry that lets you create your own fun. It could have perhaps benefitted from a few more noteworthy story beats and set-pieces during its campaign, but online proves more memorable for its sheer size, even if its reduced now due to the closure of dedicated servers. Shooting fans looking for a more competent break from the norm would do well to try this out.
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VERDICT
“Frontlines: Fuel of War doesn’t dethrone the Xbox 360’s most quintessential shooters, but smooth mechanics and some unique weaponry help deliver the fun." OVERALL: 7/10 |
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