RATING:
Pros: Many different weapons to choose, fun gameplay.
Cons: Kind of out-dated, pretty much like any other title from the genre.
Graphics: 7
Gameplay 6
Sound:5
Overall: 6.5
Recently being seized by the desire to participate in some fine 1st-person shooter action, we checked out Aeria Games' MMOFPS Alliance of Valiant Arms, A.V.A. for short. As the game was initially released in 2009 already, being around since then (which is quite some time!), we were interested in finding out whether A.V.A. was still competitive with the large amount of thrilling free-to-play shooters on the market nowadays or whether it wouldn't mean anything to FPS gamers anymore.
We should first of all mention that playing the game requires a quick account registration and the usage of the Ignite launcher, which is kind of a general launcher for multiple other titles in the Aeria Games portfolio, making all of them accessible, too. The problem with this launcher is that players have to endure plenty of annoying issues to be able to play; for example, the log-in screen sometimes doesn't display some of the elements, or, even worse, it crashes completely after clicking onto the play button. It would be highly appreciated to be given direct access to the individual games, but this is nothing more than a marginal note before actually jumping to reviewing this game.
A.V.A. is essentially a pretty classic tactical, class-based and military-themed MMOFPS that incorporates each of the contemporary elements and features that enthusiasts of FPS gaming have come to appreciate. Upon stepping into the game, players are welcomed by 3-steps tutorial to complete in order to learn the ropes of in-game movement and combat. They are also taught the difference between the various character classes and introduced to the advanced aspects the available game modes make use of, e.g. destroying and repairing tanks planting and defusing explosives, and so on. The last tutorial step is a match simulation against an AI opponent to give players an initial taster of the real game.
There are 3 classes available in the game: Sniper, Rifleman and Pointman, each of which is most efficient at a certain range due to their unique weaponry. While sniper characters are masters of long-ranged combat, pointmen excel in close-up and personal fighting situations, whereas riflemen are real all-rounders. Every class furthermore possesses unique mechanics, e.g. the ability to mark a target for the entire squad, etc. Players are able to equip each of them independently and switch between classes with every respawn, allowing them to adapt their tactics and gameplay to the current circumstance, since each of the classes represents an individual style of play, which requires a distinct approach to the game. Experimenting and switching between them during the match was pretty fun. As a sniper, we defended our team-mates and tank from a vantage point, then played a balanced game with the rifleman class and finally tried to sneak behind the opponent as a pointman.
A.V.A. has a nice number of game modes and maps on offer, including classical modes like Free for All, Demolition (the traditional planting/ defusing of a bomb), etc., along with some rather rarely present and pretty intriguing ones, e.g. Infection that sees a random players turn into an infected mutant with special attacks who has to track down and attack the others in order to turn them into mutants and hunters as well. Players will have to run, hide and use their weapons in order to fend off the infected opponent(s) and stay alive (and uninfected) as long as possible. Another interesting mode is Convoy that tasks one team with escorting a tank to a set destination within a limited period of time and protecting it during the ride, repairing it when it gets damaged (the tank stops moving in case it's broken and when not having a least of member of the defending team around); the opponent team’s task is obviously to stop the escort and destroy the tank using their rocket launchers. Both modes are extremely fun und for sure allow for a varied entertainment when players long for a break from the common 2 or 3 game modes that almost any other shooter offers as well.
From participating in matches, players will earn currency and EXP, which allows them to purchase/ hire gear and weapons which can also be modified with multiple components in order to change their behaviour and/ or stats. As far as what we were able to glean, the regular in-game currency only enables players to hire weapons for a limited period of time; in case they'd like to have permanent access to a specific weapon or even want to get their hands on unique weapons, they have to pay with real-world cash for premium currency. However, there seems to be a pretty fair selection of weapons available to F2P gamers, although we have to mention that we weren't able to reach higher levels during our play-test in order to check whether A.V.A. ultimately results as pay-to-win and ends ups in a "grindfest" for those who want to be competitive without paying real-world money.
When it comes to the game's visuals, while trying to keep up with the time, they still begin to show their age. Models and textures of characters and weapons are in general ok; the environment, however, lacks in detail, just appearing a bit rougher in comparison to what we've come accustomed to these days. Unfortunately, animations aren't that appealing, often being clumsy and the entire sound aspect left us quite bored and completely disappointed. This doesn’t mean the visuals have to be considered as "bad", as this could even result as a strong point considering that the title still runs smoothly on low-end computers, an aspect not to underestimate.
CONCLUSION
In spite of its age, A.V.A. is still quite fun. Although one cannot deny the fact that there are other more recent games that offer similar gameplay but better visuals and more content, this pretty traditional old-school, team-based F2P online FPS could be the game of your choice in case you're lacking a high-end gaming machine but still like to enjoy some FPS fun. The only things we’d like the title to have would be a sound/ graphics make-over as well as an optimised client/ launcher.
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