Load up Beyond The Wire. Join a server. Spawn in. Squad leader tells us to rally on his position. The whole team is gathered in a trench, bullets whizzing by. Whistle blows. We all go over the top and charge the enemy line. I make it 10 yards before I get blown up by artillery. Back at the respawn screen. 10/10 authentic World War I experience.
Beyond The Wire is an early access game developed by Redstone and published by Offworld Industries. If you’re a fan of immersive, realistic FPSs, you might be thinking, huh, Offworld Industries sounds familiar. Well, they’re the ones behind the popular Squad, another similar immersive, hyper-realistic FPS. Beyond The Wire takes Squad and pulls it back in time to the early 20th century, in the midst of World War I. The muddy battlefields of World War I have become quite the popular setting for FPS games ever since Battlefield I released in 2016. Beyond The Wire aims to compete with other similar shooters such as the aforementioned Battlefield I and other smaller, indie games such as Verdun or Tannenberg. But given how niche the audience for this particular style of game is, can Beyond The Wire even make a splash?
To answer the previous question: no. Beyond The Wire’s biggest flaw is, unfortunately, not the bugs that all early access games have, but the dismal player count. When I played, there was only one server active, and it only had about 40 players in it. And that’s during peak hours on a weekend. Bugs, early access status, and the usual glitches that come from not being a AAA game can be forgiven, especially if the core gameplay is worth it. However, a multiplayer game’s death knell is an empty server browser. I’ll get my own biases out of the way: I’ve always found these kinds of games really hard to get into, especially since it can feel like all you’re doing is dying to unseen adversaries. However, the feeling of grouping up with my squad, everyone on comms, calling out enemy positions, trying to figure out where artillery is landing, and the raw fun of teamwork really had me holding my breath at moments, adrenaline driving both me and my French soldier over the top and into the front lines. It’s fun and I can see why games like these have their dedicated player base. It’s just a bit underwhelming when my squad is the only one full of players.
Is Beyond The Wire technically a good game? I’d say so. The muddy trenches of the Western Front are realized in incredible fidelity and quality and the attention to detail with the weapons and uniforms demonstrate just how important historical accuracy is to the developers. However, if you’re not a fan of hyper-realistic FPSs like Squad or Arma, I’m not really sure what Beyond The Wire has that will entice you to play it. Looking for games about World War I? There are plenty of games that take place in that time period, especially strategy games. Looking for an FPS that takes place during World War I? Battlefield I averages 3,000-4,000 players on Steam and combines casual shooting fun and historical realism that will probably appeal to a broader audience. But if you love realistic shooters, are a fan of World War I, and really, really want to do a cinematic bayonet charge with your friends, Beyond The Wire is the perfect game for those 3 very specific needs. Just keep in mind that the early access bugs and the small player count will be as equally troublesome as the artillery shrieking over head and the machine guns you’ll have to face in game.
Beyond The Wire is available for PC for $34.99 via Steam Early Access.
Related: Matt Tran Reviews
My name is Matt Tran and I have been playing video games since I could remember holding a controller. I've always been a hardcore gamer growing up, from the hectic MW2 and Halo 3 lobbies, my many journeys through several Halo clans and my current exploits with my Destiny 2 clan. I love shooters and RPGs and overanalyzing every component of every game I've played, from weapon stats to ideal perks. When I have time to play other games, I currently play Genshin Impact and Star Wars Squadrons.
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