PlanetSide

Reviewed by Lauri Hong
July 2005

Developer: Sony Online Entertainment Website: Click Here Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment Platform(s): PC, Mac Genre: MMO ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Well, what can I say? In its day, when it first came out, SOE did an incredible job of introducing a new idea to the world of computer gaming. They saw how well EQ did and probably thought, ‘Well, if people out there enjoyed interacting with others so much, how about if we introduce a new element into the mix?' Thus, they came out with the idea of mixing MMO with FPS.

With that in mind, PlanetSide is total PvP. In this game, there are no such things as NPCs. There are 3 empires: the New Conglomerate, Terran Republic , and the Vanu Sovereignty. The New Conglomerate is an empire that's fighting for freedom from oppression. The Terrans are those who fight for power and uphold oppression. As for the Vanu, they're those who use alien technology to “guide” the evolution of society… yeah, right. So with that in mind, it can be quite chaotic at times. Think about it… intense battles, taking over bases, making sure, or trying to get the upper hand of one continent at a time, and strategizing a defense for the areas that you have conquered from the other two that would like to posses it!

As you battle it out on various locations, you obtain a certain amount of battle experience (BEP). With this experience, you can upgrade your weapons of choice, such as different types of guns and whether or not you will use a vehicle. There are also many roles for a player. Some enjoy sniping at the opposing force that is trying to infiltrate the base, while others go for an all out frontal attack in certain types of armor. Other players take pleasure in camouflaging themselves then laying down mines and turrets to surprise people. You have a large variety of choices to make as you build your character to your needs and or wants.

So how does one act as a team player? If you have the squad lead as well as a certain amount of command experience (CEP), you can do things such as set way points and number them in order to indicate to your team which area is priority. You can even draw on the map to direct your team(s) to these locations. Once you get to a certain level in CEP, you'll be able to discuss different strategies with others of the same level within the same empire.

I mentioned vehicles earlier, and yes, it does take certain amount of BEP to obtain a vehicle. Whether it be a one person vehicle, aerial, or even a tank, the choice is yours! Don't forget; each vehicle comes with certain weaponry, depending on your needs as well. And yes, your vehicle can be jacked! So watch out for those advanced hackers!

Overall, it's been a fun game in its day. Unfortunately with patches trying to improve game-play or to stop hackers or cheaters, it has become difficult to enjoy it as it was. There has been a constant issue with lag. Not only that, but of course there are those cheaters out there who try to avoid getting caught. There's also the unavoidable fight where you get caught between two empires, and those two empires collaborate to get your empire out of the continent. Nowadays, I mainly play because of the friends that I have made through my outfit. There's also the fact that I'm guaranteed a fight and a quick death within the first 5 to 10 minutes of the game. So for those that are willing to grin and bear the lag issues that come with the game, good luck to you!