Recent reviews by Elaris

While it is still VERY much pre-alpha early access, this game accomplishes some really interesting and niche aspects many other mil sims never touch.

While the UX/UI leaves a lot to be desired, but there is a good starting pool of rifles, attachments, tools, kits, etc. so you forget about the bad UX. Calling in air strikes is a BLAST! There are thermal scopes, supports canted optics, some good LAMs like the NGAL.

The AI needs a lot of work but with friends, this game can be really fun. There is a lot of potential here, the game just needs time to mature and evolve.

Don't buy this game if you're looking for a completed package (it's early access ffs), but if you're a fan of milsim and willing to hop in and out as the game grows overtime, it's a great buy.

Graphically, this game looks amazing on cinematic quality and does so without a problem. Gameplay-wise, it feels like a lesser version of elden ring on semi-rails. Not a lot of options in terms of exploring, few paths to take, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that per se but it feels like a step back from elden ring while trying to *be* elden ring in new clothes.
With that said, if you enjoy souls games this can fill some of that void and give you that satisfaction when you win a hard fight.

TL;DR: I wish there were a 'mixed' rating I could give

If you are interested in a milsim that is focused on actually simulating the experience, look no further. MFG brought in special forces personnel, gained and implemented real-world experience into this game.

The ballistics follow real-world concepts like wound tract size which depends on the caliber and bullet expansion rate (bt hollow points vs black or green tip armor pen).

The map is big enough that it feels like a living world without constant random fights all over the place but at the same time that possibility is always there. That allows you to use them for distraction or maybe extra resources to fight alongside. The AI doesn't just blindly run at you or away from you, they hunt and search, working together to find and kill you. Different areas they are harder and more equipped with armor and the like, ensuring there is always different tiers of challenge. If it gets too easy, PVP is always there to kick the risk/reward pressure up a notch!

Inventory is modern and flexible to allow you to build exactly what you'd like to work with. They even included the new military M7 (previously XM-7) rifles (still missing the .277 fury caliber though) and the ability to modify your weapons to your liking, both at base and in the field. Even the different ear pro makes a difference!

This game has so much potential and it's really only just started. Great work MFG, keep going!!!

Edit: The addition of night ops has changed the game for the better in a BIG way. You can navigate by the stars as the star map at night mirrors the real one over Laos, the lights and lasers are perfect and the nods are very realistic, the PVS7 and 14s are really well simulated and the 31 dual tubes are great. Can't wait for panos!

The sunsets and sunrises are beautiful and this game has gotten many new dimensions from the day/night cycle alone. The guns and ammo have been rebalanced making everything more equally viable, and the damage calculations are also much improved, as they added a third layer (skin, tissue, bone) to wound cavitation calculation as well as reshaped the projectiles.

This game was uniquely realistic at launch, and with the first major update since said launch, they have increased this realism by a significant amount. I look forward to each milestone update to see how these things continue to evolve. I HIGHLY recommend this game to anyone who enjoys mil-sim.

Very fun, I will say though that the order of deconstruction does make sense in a technical manner but it can be annoying - for instance I have disassembled and assembled carbines before and some of the step orders can be really frustrating knowing that i absolutely CAN remove part X before part Y but I digress...

Outside of this, another frustration is you can buy furniture and such for the firearm you are building for yourself (not via a job/client) which is great! Except you can't actually use what you buy in the shop unless you have a specific configuration that includes said part you bought. Game doesn't tell you this, you can buy whatever you want if you can afford it so currently I have some handguards for the carbine I can't actually use!

If that's because the dev is trying to enforce a sense of progression, this needs to be highlighted. Personally I bought this game solely to plan my builds out before I actually tackle them IRL and I understand I may be using this slightly differently than the primary use-case but I still think these issues apply to all that play this game.


Now with those cons out of the way, I do enjoy the game, a bit repetitive but it's a sim so that's to be expected. It is a good way of getting familiarized with firearms and the variations each will have to the assembly/disassembly process, the informational pop-ups are a nice touch to help advance this concept of informational delivery.

Don't really care for the shooting range/CQB range but it is nice to test out the build. Can't really glean much outside of playing with optics imo but still a nice feature that give the game a bit more depth.

Would def recommend for anyone interested in the mechanics of firearms and/or those looking to prototype builds for IRL.

Diablo 3 but better

I have played over 3k hours at time of writing this review.

To simply become a semi-competent player takes many hours of playing. There are great guides out there that can help explain all the little details that can have a large impact on your gameplay. Jumping right in without doing any prep is a great way to get flamed and have many frustrating games. While your game-sense can grow simply by playing, you will most likely progress very slowly.

To that end, I suggest anyone interested in playing dota to try and watch some streams and videos first as the in-game tutorial does not come close to covering all the information you need. A great place to start is Purge's guide (Google Purge + welcome to dota, you suck) - written by an ex-pro, current analyst/caster, highly respected in the dota community. Also, don't play normal or ranked games for awhile. Use the play vs bots mode (5 people vs 5 bots, or you + bots vs bots, etc) to help yourself feel more comfortable playing without upsetting competitive players trying to win.

Good luck, have fun, and try not to let the toxicity ruin your experience (there are very useful mute functions in game to block any harassing players). Focus on your own gameplay and not your teammates. That alone will help you get better each and every game (especially with tools like dotabuff's site).


TL;DR: Don't expect to jump in and have any clue what all is going on and what you should be doing and when. Read some guides, focus on your own progression and you'll be carrying your team faster than you might think after your first few games. Recommended only if you have at least an hour to devote to a game (typically lasting anywhere from 20-60min.) and the will to learn.

10/10 best ARTS out there, both in gameplay and esports scene.

edit: still great, years later