02.00AM, gunshots in the background. I was hiding behind a rusty container, desperate with my Avtomat Kalasjnikova obrazcha 1947 goda also known as AK-47 clenched in my hands. I was close to an enemy base defended by three enemies. I sneaked upon them with some moves learned from Sam Fisher himself and after a short fight there were three bodies in front of me. Though I was deadly wounded, I shouted for a medic. Sadly he was confused and thought I was the enemy. Instead of healing me he emptied his magazine into my body…Everybody has a heart of stone in this new online shooter.

War Rock is an Online Tactical First Person Shooter. It is developed by K2 Networks and uses a special business model, called Free2Play. This basically means that War Rock is completely free to play though if you want the full gaming experience you can sign up for War Rock’s premium bronze, silver or gold online subscription packages ($5.95, $9.95 and $14.95 respectively). All premium accounts include priority login, extra Dinar (in-game currency), new maps and weapons, a fifth weapon slot, exciting new battle modes and extended online stats that will enhance the War Rock experience. With the extra Dinar you can buy more weapons, actually you lease them because they are only available for a limited amount of days.

Gameplay: Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!

I always loved online shooters but sadly it seems there is no place for a story in the genre. Like all other shooters the story can be told in one word: shoot.

When you create an account and log into the game, you can choose out of three game modes: Close Quarter Combat, Urban Ops en Battle Group. In Close Quarter Combat you play on small scaled maps where teams from each side are to set or disarm explosives at strategic points on a map or completely eliminate the opposing team. Urban Ops let you play on medium scaled maps; eliminate all resistance with exciting street to street combat. Battle Group is played on large scaled maps, fight epic battles, take control of the map and eliminate opposing forces by land, by sea and by air.

There are 5 different classes to choose from: Assault, Medic, Scout (Sniper), Engineer en Heavy Weapons Expert. You can buy weapons for every class in the Item shop. There are enough toys to buy and play with, from the commonly known AK-47 to advanced Rocket Launchers and Assault Rifles. You will have 4 different slots; you can upgrade your slots by buying a premium account.

In the Room Lobby you can choose a room to play in or create one yourself. After every game you earn Dinar and experience based on your personal performances during the game. When you gather enough experience you’ll rise in level and rank. There are in total 100 levels to obtain. When you rise in rank you can unlock new weapons and you’ll earn respect from other players. The ranking system is pretty good balanced; you’ll have to work hard to reach level 100.

War Rock is supported by Punkbuster though there were a lot of players cheating. I hope K2 Networks will fight against the cheaters before War Rock evolves to a happy cheaters paradise.

War Rock combines the best of shooters like Counterstrike and Battlefield 2. But if you are looking for some new innovative game play you’ll be dissatisfied with this online shooter.

Visuals: Casual graphics combined with low system specs

War Rock is powered by the Jindo Engine. It can’t compete with games like Battlefield 2 but it does the trick. Sometimes you’ll come across some graphical bugs but it won’t really irritate you. War Rock is playable on a lot of systems due to the low system requirements. War Rock finds the perfect balance between graphics and playability.

Audio: Realistic sounds

The ingame music is good enough to draw you away from real life. All the guns sound realistic    and give you the feeling the war is going on in your own house.

Value: Free2play!?

The real fans can buy the retail edition but why buy when you can play for free? Only the basic options will be free. If you want more you’ll have to pay and upgrade to a premium account. $14.95 a month for the gold membership sounds expensive, when only occasionally new updates of the game will be released. It’s all up to you and your playing style.

Intangibles: Rush to win

It’s sad to see that I almost never experienced the tactical part of War Rock. Occasionally you are forced to rush or you’ll die early in the game...Cooperation is difficult; it’s a lot more fun with two organised teams.

Battlefield 2 and Counterstrike fans will enjoy War Rock. Although it doesn’t bring any new gaming experience it combines the best of different shooters and presents it in an original model. If you’re still not sure if this game is something for you then download the client from the official website and check it out for yourself.

http://www.warrock.net