I am always a big proponent of more games with a World War I setting. In what is arguably the dirtiest, most brutal and hellish war due to a variety of reasons such as mustard gas, trench warfare, cavalry charges into machine guns through no man’s land, etc., it is rich to tell a variety of stories and films, such as Blackadder Goes Forth, War Horse, and 1917, as well as acting as the backdrop for video games, such as in Amensia: The Bunker, Battlefield 1, and now Isonzo. Developed by BlackMill Games, Isonzo focuses on the Austro-Hungarian/Italian front through the Alps and the plains of Northen Italy, and the brutal battles there within.
Much like a Battlefield or other similar first-person shooter, Isonzo contains numerous classes all with distinct abilities, choice of armaments, and special gear. For example, the Mountaineer is one of the most important classes as they can pull out a pair of binoculars to scout and point out enemy targets. You also have classes such as the engineer, who can construct machine guns, barbed wire, and throw down ammo crates, the sniper, who is self-evident in what he does, and the officer, who can shoot out flares to highlight areas for bombardments and make cut down the time it takes to respawn. What I truly like about Isonzo is that it has enough realism to suspend your disbelief.
For example, most classes have some form of bolt-action rifle as a start weapon or as a choice, and while there is some form of regenerative healing, most of the times, if you are badly hurt, you have to bandage yourself (or have an ally do it), to stem bleeding if you are not killed outright. Most times during my gameplay, a single bolt action shot at me was enough to send me into the next life, which is more than likely what would happen if anyone was to get shot like that in real life. It’s realistic enough to get you involved as a simulation, while still enough of a video game to not take away from the fun of the strategy or gameplay. I really enjoyed how territories worked for spawning in, and how they could change hands during the various game modes, i.e. if you fail to fend off an assault, you will give ground.
Isonzo is also just a gorgeous game as a whole. The locations, particularly the mountains Alps, are breathtaking, and the frantic, chaotic sounds and visuals of battle all around you from the look and voice work of the soldiers to the sounds of the weapons, is all done to perfection. While I love learning more about history, the Northern Italian front is not often talked about as opposed to the Western Front in World War I media, so I am so glad to have learned a bit more about it in such a fun and spectacular fashion.
If you are looking for a very solid online historical shooter, I do not think there is a better option at the moment than Isonzo. From the engaging and varied gameplay, to the care put into it by the developers, and the very inviting community and an excellent price point (currently 65% off for a promotion!), it is hard not to recommend BlackMill Game’s achievement.
Score: 10/10
Isonzo is available for PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Matt O’Toole
Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!
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