WarRock Preview

WarRock is a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter game that will remind many players of the Battlefield series.  It was developed by Dream Execution, a South Korean company, and is being published by Nexon in South Korea and K2 Network here in the United States.  The aspect players will find most attractive about WarRock is that it will be released for free with the option of purchasing upgrades.

We received a couple of keys for the closed beta from K2 Network and I’ve been playing off and on trying to compound my overall thoughts on the game.  First up, I have a confession to make and that is thanks to the Rainbow Six series, I’m an arrow keys gamer; WASD just seems completely awkward to me and that’s never going to change (maybe I’ll explain why in an editorial sometime).  So, when I opened the (beta) game up to find that it’s impossible to change the controls it was quite frustrating.  However, K2 has made it clear that it plans on bringing in customizable controls and joystick compatibility for the final release.  So, I decided to stick it out and tried to get familiar with the defaults.

While the game is similar to Battlefield, it has its differences.  The most notable are the three different game modes that are available: Mission, Infantry, and Vehicle.  Apparently, K2 plans to add even more modes in the future.  In all modes, one has the option of choosing between two teams: the N.I.U. (green fatigues) and the Debaran (yellow fatigues).

• Mission Mode is close-combat fighting with only soldiers that could be compared to a game such as Counter-Strike. One team defends while the other tries to plant a bomb in pre-selected locations.  It usually goes quickly and is an expectedly intense gameplay mode.  After the round ends, players respawn. – Max 16 players.  

• Infantry Combat Mode steps it up a bit with the addition of a few ground vehicles which include Hum-Vees, trucks, dirt bikes, and a minimal number of tanks on some of the maps.  I found it a bit difficult to navigate the vehicles around the buildings that were close together; however, the vehicles do seem easy to control after a little practice.  The camera modes can be changed just like in Battlefield, although one can’t look around while still in the first-person viewpoint which might bug some people.  To win in this mode, the player’s team must capture and hold objective points and reduce the opposing team’s score to zero.  After dying, players respawn after a matter of seconds. – Max 24 Players

• Vehicle Combat Mode is the all-out warfare that is the most similar to Battlefield.  All the vehicles are available on some of these maps which include the A10 Warthog and Blackhawk helicopter.  For a full list of vehicles with pictures, head over to the official site.  I found the planes and helicopters easy to maneuver after a little practice and I can’t say the same about Battlefield.  The only thing I noticed with the aerial vehicles is that the vehicle damage doesn’t seem to be fine-tuned at this point.  I’d fly a plane and skim the bottom of a large hill and just bounce off without incurring any damage at all.  It could have been just delayed lag but it happened in training mode, too.  The objective in this mode is to also reduce the opposing team’s score to zero. – Max 32 Players

I did notice some lag while playing on some servers but never anything too bad.  One issue that I noticed in the servers was the presence of quite a lot of spawn camping in the larger maps.  The main map in particular that always seemed to be one-sided was “Emblem.”  One team would always capture the main middle building right away and keep it secured.  Then everyone would move up and camp around the opposing team’s spawn point.  Being on the team that is losing on this map can be very frustrating.  I thought it might be better if the opposing team could capture the main opposing spawn point and then the round would re-start.  Also, it might help to not allow the opposing team to sit at a spawn point where there is a supply of health kits.  Some kind of solution for this problem would be much appreciated.

The MMO part of the equation comes in through leveling and the availability of new items and weapons.  One levels up through experience points which are gained in different ways such as capturing flags, killing enemies, etc.  Every time the player levels, he/she earns five thousand “Dinar,” which is the game’s currency.  Players can then use the inventory shop to lease new weapons and equipment.  According to the WarRock site you will be able to level up all the way to the top rank and unlock all weapons and equipment without paying anything.  On the other hand, there will be an option of purchasing these things instead as I stated in the beginning.

 WarRock includes five player classes: Engineer, Medic, Scout, Combatant, and the Heavy Weapons Unit.

• Engineers have the ability to repair vehicles.

• Medics can heal injured soldiers.

• The Scout carries a sniper rifle and is supposed to provide information on enemy units.

• Combatants are the assaulting ground force.

• The Heavy Weapons Unit’s primary task is to take out enemy vehicles with RPG’s and landmines.

Another aspect that many gamers will find appealing with WarRock is it’s not necessary to own a computer with all the bells and whistles to play.  The recommended specifications are a 2GHz CPU, 512MB RAM, and an nVidia FX5700 or ATi 9200.  Yet, the game still looks good.  The graphics are good for a multiplayer game that can handle several people on large maps.  While the environments are more basic, the player, weapon, and vehicle models seemed quite realistic.  Smaller details such as the bullet hits (pictured in one of the screenshots) add a lot to the game.

I was impressed by many of the sounds in the game.  Stand near a tank while it’s firing, and the ground will shake and the assault rifle and grenades sound very convincing just to name a few.  There are some sounds, however, that I think could be improved and made to sound more powerful such as the anti-aircraft guns, pistols, and sniper rifles.

In conclusion, I have to say that WarRock is coming along very nicely and I predict that it will gather a large following.  Any FPS and War Sim genre fans should definitely give this game a try.  It’s easy to get the hang of, looks and sounds good, includes realistic vehicles and, best of all, it will be free to play.

Misc. Links:

Game Guide

Ranking System