Verdun (video game)
| Verdun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) |
M2H Blackmill Games |
| Publisher(s) |
M2H Blackmill Games |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux |
| Release date(s) | 28 April 2015 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
Verdun is a squad-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game set during the First World War. It was released on 28 April 2015 on the Steam computer game platform, after more than a year in Steam Early Access.[1] Verdun is inspired by the infamous 1916 Battle of Verdun in France from which it takes its name. The game includes historically accurate WW1 weapons, authentic uniforms and equipment, detailed injury and gore modeling, and maps based on the real battlefields of the Western Front.
The game runs on the Unity engine and was created by independent studios M2H and Blackmill Games.
Development
Verdun entered open beta on 9 June 2013.[2] It was Steam Greenlit on 28 June 2013 and entered Steam Early Access on 19 September 2013. After more than a year in Steam Early Access, it was released on the 28th April 2015 on the Steam computer game platform.[3]The developers have continued working on the game, releasing free expansions.
Gameplay
Verdun is a squad based game set in the trenches of the First World War that can be played with up to 32 players. There are 4 game modes in Verdun, the Frontlines, Attrition Warfare, Squad Defense and the Rifle Deathmatch game modes.
Frontlines game mode In the Frontlines game mode, players can choose to join one of the 2 historic sides of the First World War, the Central Powers and the Entente. Each side fights over a turn-based frontline map that consists of multiple sectors that can be captured by either side. Staying true to the typical attrition warfare of that time, both sides attack and counter-attack each other in turn, so you will be forced to defend each captured sector of trenches. The goal is to capture the enemy‘s HQ sector in order to win the game.
The battles fought over these sectors are fought in a FPS battle. In such a battle each player, from either the Central Powers or Entente side, is part of a 4-man squad. There are up to 12 squad types that the players can choose from, all based on historically accurate units such as the German Stosstruppen, the British Tommies or the French Poilus. Each squad has a set of abilities and perks based on its type (Line Infantry, Light Infantry or Assault Infantry). Players in a squad can then choose one of the available classes that is determined by the type of squad he joined. Each class has a different role within a squad, and each squad has in turn their own specific tactic. As a squad earns more experience, perks, equipment, uniforms and even classes become available to the squad members. Experience is divided among the squad-members, rewarding those that stick together with the same players. As a squad gains more experience, they will also visually change, getting more advanced uniforms. Players can also earn individual experience called Career Points. They can use these to unlock classes, weapons and equipment.
Attrition Warfare game mode This is a variant of a team deathmatch battle. Each team, the Entente and the Central Powers, start with a number of tickets. These represent the amount of manpower that each side has at its disposal. Every time a player is killed and respawns, a ticket is deducted from the side he belongs to. The goal of the game is to diminish the opposing side’s tickets before losing all the tickets on your side, because a player cannot respawn if there are no more tickets.
Squad Defense game mode Squad Defense game modes is a single player bot game mode where players fight off endless waves of attacks by AI controlled soldiers in a 4-man squad. This game mode is made available in the realistic WW1 forest map: Argonne.
Rifle Deathmatch game mode In Rifle Deathmatch, players fight in a free for all battle, armed only with one of the rifles they can choose from when joining the game. This is a skill-based game-mode, where marksmanship and tactical cunning are rewarded. Players can earn experience by killing other players, and with that experience can level up their rifles, gaining extra equipment for it such as a bayonet or scope.
Reception
The game has a Very Positive rating based on user reviews on Steam (87%) and a favorable user score of 7.8 on Metacritic. It received good reviews from GameWatcher,[4] Polygon,[5] Gamespot, [6] MMO hut [7]and PCWorld.[8]
The game also won several awards including: IndieDB Editors Choice; Best Multiplayer 2015, Best Economic Achievement Award 2015, Control Industry Award 2015, the NWTV award; Best Dutch game 2014 and #5 Top Upcoming Indie Games of 2014 voted by the IndieDB community.
References
- ↑ "Verdun on Steam". steampowered.com. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
- ↑ "Multiplayer WWI shooter Verdun enters open beta". PC Gamer.
- ↑ "Steam release announcement".
- ↑ http://www.gamewatcher.com/reviews/verdun-review/12231/
- ↑ http://www.polygon.com/2015/5/5/8555625/verdun-gameplay-overview/
- ↑ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/verdun-review/1900-6416130//
- ↑ http://mmohuts.com/news/verdun-launch-review/
- ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/2923080/verdun-review-a-thoughtful-squad-based-take-on-wwi.html/