Recent reviews by Ixidal

aimlabs is free btw

- Aim train 5 hrs
- Boot up Valorant
- Get Clapped
- Back to aim training

This is my first review so please bear with me.

With the two recent large updates (Escalation and Colossus), more new players are checking out Planetside 2 (PS2). So, I'd like to give my two cents on the game so you might know what to expect.

As an MMOFPS, this game is the only one of its kind and so, with the slew of amazing new experiences to be had, several glaring issues also exist. I'll start with some of the major issues I believe this game has.

The greatest weakness I see, is the terrible new player experience (NPE), from the lack of a tutorial (which it used to have, but was just for those who had never played an FPS game before) and any explanation for how to join battles or any of the basic UI functions. This can be somewhat remedied by watching tutorials for new players.

The second is the bad performance and optimisation. If you cannot match the recommended system requirements, don't expect to get above 40fps in large fights. In smaller skirmishes (~24-48) 60+ fps is not as hard to achieve, but any greater and performance will be an issue. PS2 is also very CPU heavy due to the sheer number of players within a base at a time, so if you run a CS:GO setup with a GTX1080 and an i3, it will be harder to run. This can also be somewhat remedied by adjusting the value for render quality in the UserOptions.ini file to 1.4. Finally, be prepared to die. A lot. The combat mechanics of PS2 are quite different from other shooters, so it may take some getting used to. There are plenty of people playing with thousands of hours which you will fight as there is no matchmaking. Get used to dying and try not to tilt. Once you get past 20 hours and have learned the basics, the real fun can begin.

Now into what makes me play this game almost daily. The battles are extremely unique, with combined arms being a key aspect of PS2, where around a single base, there can be infantry fights, esf dogfights and vehicle combat. All three happening at the same time is a rare sight though, as it will either turn into one of the three. Most bases will be relatively infantry focused. To be able to fully enjoy the game, I recommend joining an outfit which regularly runs squads/platoons which can help you learn the game faster and with more fun. You'll meet new people and get to know many of the regular players on your server.

While some people do complain about the game being Pay2Win, I see it as having a very good payment scheme. All weapons are sidegrades of each other, excelling in different scenarios, with the starter weapons usually being a "jack of all trades" (don't forget, the 1x sight is unlocked by default, so equip it). Your first certs should always be spent on class upgrades since those cannot be bought with money. The only issue is that vehicle play costs many more certs than infantry play, where you can spend zero certs on infantry, but tanking and piloting usually requires ~1000 certs to get started. The only other things you can purchase are cosmetics.

Finally, the most important part for me is the community. Once you've joined an outfit and get to know the people around, make sure you stay involved as there are plenty of events which happen (Lane Smash, Community Smash. etc). With Outfit Wars being introduced, as well as the Bastion and Colossus, the content for outfits has drastically increased. The key is finding a good outfit of people who are fun to hang out with. Don't be afraid to ask around for help either as most people are quite willing.

Hopefully, this review gave some insight into Planetside 2 and some of its charms as well as its issues and helped you decide whether or not to try the game out.

P.S you should try out the game - it's free