I’ve always been a fan of the more realistic FPS games no matter the time and setting. This of course includes games more along the lines of Insurgency and the Rising Storm series and less of things like Call of Duty and Titan Fall. I feel that Beyond The Wire follows the trend of the realistic ones the genre and excels at what it’s set out to be. There are a couple of hitches in the giddy-up for it, but given some patience, I think this game will be well worth it.
Gameplay
When talking about the gameplay, it’s important to know that because of its realistic depictions of weapons and such that the gunplay is very demanding. You really can’t just run in guns blazing because it only takes a shot most times to end you instantly. This type of WWI gunplay can’t even be found in Battlefield 1, honestly. I wouldn’t say it’s a simulation but it reminded me of the Civil War game, War of Rights. The main parts of the battlefield that you’ll be engaging in are actual trenches. This makes stalking out your enemies feel really tense at every turn. You’ll literally be either waiting around a corner in the maze-like tranches or slowly making your way through them as you peek each corner as to not get one-shotted.
Like in any war game, there are different character types for players to choose from, each with their own pieces of gear or perks that make them different from each other. You have medics, snipers, riflemen, that sort of thing. Weapons vary between them as well and luckily there aren’t too many automatic weapons in the game. This is a title that focuses on historically accurate and realistic battles. There aren’t going to be tons of machine guns or things like that. I really enjoyed the impactfulness of the weapons, not just in the rifles but pistols and grenades too. Everything feels deadly and you’re sure to push up daisies more than a few times every match.
The visuals and locations in-game are really appealing to traverse through. They’re muddy, dirty, and help to put us in the boots of the soldiers that had to endure this horrendous war. There’s plenty of treeline areas for snipers to hang out in and the trenches almost have a horror element to them. You’re always on edge because anyone could come around a corner at any time. That doesn’t even include the soldiers that could ambush you from above. It’s a claustrophobic type of setting that you feel from the first time you enter it.
As far as game modes go, the only one I seemed to play in was one where I and my enemy team would battle over flag posts and those holding them long enough would advance. If the enemies would advance, then my team would have to fall back to the next flag posts. From there we’d have to hold off long enough to then advance on them or suffer another setback. The mode was incredibly fun to play and never seemed to outstay its welcome. This is the perfect type of mode for this game and really displays the overall gameplay perfectly.
Teamwork is crucial in overcoming the enemy in Beyond The Wire and it’s something that comes naturally to it from the community. In every game that I played there was an abundance of folks using their mics to call orders, ask for help, or to shout out a nearby hostile. Because of its determined and passionate community, I see this game becoming something very strong amongst PC players as it grows. It also helps that overall I found the players very respectful and helpful too. I’m glad that I never had to deal with toxic players. Even if I team killed on accident, it never boiled over past me apologizing.
Expectations
As the game grows there will be many things that help propel this title to the greatness it is set to achieve. Right now there’s a sort of a low number of players online but when it comes to these early access games, players come and go. I don’t see this becoming a long-term problem though. I never had an issue finding a match but there’s usually an average of 6 servers going at once and not all servers are filled either. I’m sure that playing in the middle of the day during the week is a different comparison to playing on weekend nights too.
Another thing I’d personally like to see is them upgrading the graphics even more as they go along. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great looking game but I do think that these devs could push the envelope quite a bit in future updates. I’d also expect to see maybe some more game modes as well added in the future. While I love what I’ve played, variety is also a good thing to hook players in longer. I could play this game all day as it is but not everyone will enjoy the game the same way I did. Overall, I’m expecting this game to build on the great things that it’s already done to create something that will keep players interested in for years to come.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a new WWI game and are tired of the unrealistic gameplay in Battlefield 1 but you’ve also played Verdun for years now and have had enough of it, then this is the next game to try. Beyond The Wire offers a lot in terms of a full WWI experience once you get a chance to play it. The community is growing with a friendly pack of players to help you and your team succeed and I only see this becoming more evident as the game flourishes. This is just another great FPS title that does everything it can to distance itself from the mainstream ones and the outcome is fantastic!
