Monday Freeview: ‘Planetside 2’ for PC

Welcome back boys and girls. Today we have a new freebie title for you which is actually the sequel to a game I played years and years ago. After seeing ads for Deuce Bigaglo: Male Gigolo 2 appear as billboards in the futuristic MMO space shooter Planetside, I respectfully backed out. Especially since back then I was paying a monthly subscription fee to play it. Now, a decade later I am giving the sequel a chance because I figure I liked the original and since it is a Free-To-Play model, if I don’t like it at least I am not stuck paying for it.

For those that don’t know, before Call of Duty implemented the RPG elements of levels and unlockables into their multiplayer, Planetside did the same years earlier. The format was a tad different though. Players were given the option to deploy over a map that three controlling factions were constantly battling over. In addition to XP from kills, players could level up by taking over opposing facilities. And there were vehicles too.

In Planetside 2, all these same elements have been brought back along with a graphical upgrade except for the subscription model. Much like I talked about last week with League of Legends, there are tons of items to unlock in Planetside 2. Players can work towards unlocking these by hitting specific goals and taking over faction buildings or by purchasing them. Like LoL, it gives players the opportunity to play as they like based off of their investment, whether that is from time or money. Also like League of Legends, purchasing powers doesn’t automatically lead to a better player since you still have to aim the shot yourself regardless if you want to get the kill.

There are two features though that separate Planetside 2 from other shooters and, depending on your play style, could be taken either as positives or negatives. First is the pacing of Planetside 2’s battles. Unlike a Call of Duty where players are put into a narrow arena and have no choice but to run into each other, the area in planetside is miles across. Traveling from one area to another takes time and even using vehicles the downtime isn’t exciting. And then all of a sudden, all hell breaks loose. That seems to be the trend with Planetside 2 and its predecessor. It takes some time to find a battle but once things start up it is a burst of chaos.

But that chaos brings out the second aspect of Planetside 2, the balance. Battles usually have one clear winning side from the start. Once a force starts taking it to a defending location, it really is just a matter of time before that location falls. It is a rarity that players are able to turn the tide and will often give up the losing effort at one place and start an assault on one of their opponents under defended locations. It ends up being a delicate balancing act in terms of fun as some players may find themselves on the losing side more than the winning which can obviously get frustrating.

Overall, it is a worthwhile experience to give Planetside 2 a shot for any PC shooter fan. While it isn’t the constant barrage of action like a game like Call of Duty would be, it has some fun moments and of course you can’t argue with the price tag.