Frontlines: Fuel of War

Dec 10, 2007 20 years in the future there will be a global energy crisis that will result in hundreds of thousands of deaths, a possible WWIII and some sweet multiplayer matches with dedicated servers available for games with more than 16 players (up to a max of 32). At least, that's how it will be if Frontlines: Fuel of War is in any way an accurate prediction of the future. It's just a videogame, of course, but what's scary is that under the flashy respawning facade of the game is a well » Read Full Frontlines: Fuel of War preview

Nov 20, 2007 Frontlines: Fuel of War takes place in the near future, extrapolating global climate change to a point that would make Al Gore ask for a disclaimer; envisaging a time not far off when chronic fossil fuel shortage has led to societal breakdown, food and fuel riots, transport disarray and an uneasy circling of the wagons as East hoards its natural supplies and West looks on with a growing hunger. The USA and the European Union join forces, as do Russia and China and before too long » Read Full Frontlines: Fuel of War preview

Oct 18, 2007 Frontlines: Fuel of War is actually a pun. You see, the fuel of war isn't the standard issue Marine Rations; it's actual fuel - gas, like the kind you put in your car. That's what you fight for in this game. You play nameless soldiers following a reporter for the Western Coalition as he liberally covers the war against the Red Star Alliance. That way, if you get killed you just take over another of your fellow Westerners and continue the campaign. The story involves more than » Read Full Frontlines: Fuel of War preview

When Battlefield 1942 first rolled off the production lines in 2002, it came as something of a revelation. Sure, we'd played shooters with vehicles before, and yeah, we'd seen games with huge, open levels; but in BF1942 it just seemed a lot more liberating, uncomplicated and, well, fun. It was, without us really knowing it, the combined-arms action-shooter we'd been waiting for. However, as you'll know if you played the game, the popularity of the core game was soon matched and even eclipsed » Read Full Frontlines: Fuel of War preview

Listen: Frontlines is not a political statement. Yes, it takes place in a not-too-distant future. Yes, the scenario of the Caspian Seas oil reserves being plundered by rival coalitions from the West and East is actually fairly believable. And yes, its jammed with futuristic tech - including remote controlled airborne drones - thats close to actually being on the market. But this isnt some plea to save oil and recycle: its difficult to take environmental concerns seriously when youre razzing » Read Full Frontlines: Fuel of War preview

Generic but fun. It sounds a bit like an insult, but it very definitely isnt. Especially when applied to this first-person shooter, because all of the generic bits come from the periphery: the futuristic setting, superpower-vs-superpower plot and parts of the basic multiplayer mechanics. The bits that mark it out as fun are far closer to the core: 60 different drivable vehicles, 32 (unconfirmed) players online and the chance to push your soldier up the rankings as the war progresses both on and » Read Full Frontlines: Fuel of War preview