War Rock

The $40 or $50 one time fee for a videogame is becoming passé. Today, publishers are trying to find ways to keep dipping into your wallet for months after the initial purchase. War Rock, which can be downloaded for free, is an experiment in alternate payment methods for games. While innovation is good, this game isn’t, particularly.

War Rock is effectively a blend of Counter-Strike-style tactical shooting with some Battlefield -style vehicular combat. The game’s 21 maps include the small, where quick eight player matches are the norm, up to expansive 32 player maps littered with vehicles ranging from olive-drab dirt bikes to F-15 strike aircraft.

Above: An MP-5 is not effective against an APC

Gameplay modes include the standard flavors of deathmatch along with a bomb mode (in which one side lays them out and the other defuses them) and a checkpoint control mode. You’re also given a choice of character types: engineer, medic, sniper, assault (normal soldier), and heavy trooper, each having slightly different weapons options and abilities. It’s all standard stuff often seen elsewhere.