When it comes to World War 1, not many games capture the essence of the time period. Typically, most people alive today focus more on World War II rather than World War 1. This is partially due to the horrendous acts seen in WW2 that we are sadly seeing repeated today. Acts such as genocide, an increase in the wage gap, human rights violations, and war crimes are sadly reoccurring. But it is important to know what led to WW2 and those acts, so looking back at World War I is key. With less than 12 WW1 shooters out, WW1 Isonzo can potentially fill in the void.
Game Description
World War One has arrived in the mountains of the Italian Front – beautiful but deadly in equal measure. Inspired by the two year struggle for control of the Isonzo river valley and Alps during World War One, Isonzo elevates the WW1 Games Series, figuratively and literally.
The new Offensive game mode puts you right in the middle of key historical offensives on the Italian Front – lead the charge across stunning Italian landscapes on the attack, or prepare your defense on dynamic battlefields.
Everything is recreated based on research and field trips, from the uniforms to the huge arsenal of weapons. Blow your enemies away at range with mortars, artillery and air support, or finish the job at close quarters with a bayonet. Watch out for the dreaded poison gas…
You’ve never experienced WW1 action quite like this!
WW1 Isonzo Key Features
- Mountain warfare: assaulting mountain fortifications, battling through ruined towns, and fording rivers are just a few of the challenges you’ll face as you fight your way through numerous enemy positions
- Tactical multiplayer FPS: choose your role and loadout carefully to survive this high altitude combat – play a sniper to pick off the enemy engineers before they can cut your wire, use rifle grenades to clear enemy machine guns, and much more
- World War One gameplay: new historical Offensive game mode focused on the tactical challenges of Alpine warfare, including WW1 weaponry, poisonous gas attacks, and intense artillery barrages
- Authentic WW1 atmosphere: accuracy in everything from maps and weaponry to music and the uniforms you choose from – fight for the Kingdom of Italy or the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy
Hands-on Impressions
When we played WW1 Isonzo, it was a bit of a rough start. As someone who does not player shoots using a mouse and keyboard, there was a steep learning curve. Yes, you can take some aspects of other games and apply them, but when you are used to using a controller, it’s an uphill battle. Ironically, in the first match we played, we were trying to attack up the hill to secure the bunker. Sadly, there were multiple occasions enemies passed through objects unnaturally; additionally, enemies would sometimes collide with allied units making them hard to kill. When attacking directly, climbing up the hill seemed next to impossible.
After a few attempts at going up the direct path, we decided to take a different approach. Instead of running directly up the hill, we decided to go up the right side. Going up the right side was probably the easiest battle in any war. We faced very little opposition and took the bunker easily. Sadly, during our playthrough, we were locked to a single class. This class was efficient, but after watching others play, we kind of felt robbed.
Watching Others
When returning to the booth, we could see that all five classes were unlocked. For those who have played older Call of Duty or Battlefield, these five classes are similar to typical loadouts; some of the key loadouts focused on were infantry, calvary, medic, heavy, and stealth. For those who like the old style of shooters before Call of Duty 4: Modern Warefare, Isonzo gives players a realistic WWI feel with a modern open-world shooter. Other people’s demos showcased planting bombs, capturing the objective, and storming bunkers.
While watching others later in the later week, we could see how much time, M2H and Blackmill Games have put into WW1 Isonzo. The game still needs a bit of work before it’s ready for release but at least it is going in the right direction. Hopefully, within the next year, WW1 Isonzo can be the gem we hope it will be. Look for our interview with the WW1 Isonzo developer at a later date.
