Combat Grounds Review: Highly Addictive
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist
Browser games have become quite a fad lately, leading to numerous themed games all being played in the comfort of your web browser. Combat Grounds is a free to play massively multiplayer online (MMO) web browser game that deals with military tactics and skirmishes. This game is basically a modernized version of medieval war browser games like Mediwar and Legacy of the Holy Castle. They’re pretty fun to play and quite easy to get used to. The best part is that you can play these addictive games without worrying about computer specs or system requirements (which is the bane of playing games on your PC or Mac). Don’t dismiss it just yet though, browser games like this can be broad and can contain tons of choices to satisfy your non-linear play style.
Locked and Loaded- Let’s get this party started!
Combat Grounds run on a turn based system that is separated via turn points. You’ll be allotted 4000 turns when you start the game. Each round is capped every 10 days, and the victors are rewarded with merits, turns or even in game cash. The game is very lenient when it comes to new players. Unlike other browser games where you must heavily compete with veteran players, you’ll be supplied with everything you need to cope upon starting the game (Finally! No need to grind!). As for cash, you’ll be given $50,000,000 once you log in for the first time. What you do after that is up to you.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think you’re given the permission to SUCK after receiving that much support from the game itself. Aside from turns and money, you’ll be granted 200 recruits at your disposal. You’ll be training them and upgrading artillery to further enhance their efficiency in battle. You’ll be prompted to choose between Navy, Soldier, or Terrorist upon creating your character. After everything is set, you’re ready to go and kick your enemies’ butts.
Attitude adjustment- Why didn’t I just kill you earlier?
Aside from death, you can also lose your soldiers by overworking them. This may come off as a total drag at times, especially when you lack manpower. Luckily you’re free to recruit so go ahead and spend your money wisely. You must also remove your troops from the battlefield upon winning OR losing a war since most players are free to kill your troops if you don’t handle them correctly. Always make sure to prioritize your troops’ well being in order to progress faster while avoiding unnecessary delays.
Have No Fear
Know your worth-err I mean Networth
Aside from winning battles and conquering bases, merits and other rewards can be acquired by boosting your net worth. Net worth serves as your overall rank in the game. This is boosted by recruiting soldiers and by maintaining the continuous evolution of your troops, finance and overall strength. This may demand a lot of your time since there are various players to compete with. Since you’re going to start at the bottom of the foodchain, it’d be best to work your way up in order to fully cope with the resident players.
Yep! Definitely an MMO
Much like any other MMO out there, your characters level up in order to gain access to different features. The only difference is that instead of leveling through experience alone, you level up through the number of troops you have at your disposal. Aside from having the power to nuke other countries, a high-ranking official should have a hefty arsenal (of troops mainly) at their command. If you think about it, it does make sense at some point. You can increase your level by: Conquering enemy bases, attacking players (and winning in the process), and of course through missions (quests in the game). There is also another form of leveling called “grade” which you must satisfy to promote your character and gain access to more weapons and features.
You can also join guilds that are known in this game as “crews”. Much like joining guilds, you’ll have to receive a valid invitation from the head in order to join. After joining the said crew , you will gain access crew banks (best part) as well as a bunch of players who will aid you in your journey.
Interface – Any problems?
Some parts of the game are rather irrelevant, and I’m talking about the interface. Some features like the news page scrolls down on its own, making it hard for players to multitask while reading. Browser games are intended to be hassle-free, which is why it would’ve been better to just add a scroll bar instead of making the text scroll automatically. I know the developers are probably trying to make the experience a bit different from other browser games, but adding irrelevant features make it more troublesome than satisfying. Despite this annoying feature, everything looks dazzling and really fits the “all out war”mood.
You have got to be kidding
This game has a subscription option that lets players enter VIP status. People who pay $20 a month (ouch ripoff) will receive 10 extra turns every 10 mins… the bad part about this is that support tickets from VIP members will be prioritized regardless of how dumb their questions might be compared to your super crash problem. The game IS pretty good, but I don’t think I’m that desperate to subscribe.
The Verdict
All in all, I’d like to say that Combat Grounds is a very nice game. It has action, role-play, a bit of mind games and most of all, a healthy community. At least it makes use of the words MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER. Some of the interfaces may give you some problems but are not that important in the long run. The game is highly addictive and is good for countless hours of game play (mostly while working). There are tons of options, as well as a hefty load of custom artillery ready to beat the living crap out of your enemies. The game is very simple, but definitely not something you’d want to trash upon playing. If you’re into browser games, Combat Grounds is definitely for you!
Pros:
– Tons of options
– Guilds
– Hefty artillery
– Good community
– Lenient towards newbies
Cons:
– Some irrelevant interface addons
– Subscription whoring?! (WTH)
