HEADS UP MAGGOTS! That is one of the first, or similar phrases you will hear in boot camp during Squad’s training session, although the one that particularly got me was “No penetration, no fun!” – we are adults here speaking about armor penetrating rockets after all. Inspired by real life combat in the United States Marine Corps and other worldwide special forces, you will take on a titular squad role in an online combat arena that reminds me of the various Arma styled games that came before it.
My fellow squad mate in Squad, John Pruitt, will focus on the vehicular sections, but I am here to speak about the boots on the ground portion. Squad prides itself on realistic combat simulations, or about as real as you can get in a video game. For example, reloading saves a magazine, partially used, for later, it does not magically load into another magazine for a full stock for later use (worry not, Half-Life, I know the lore waives it by saying the HEV suit does that for you, but you are the only one getting away with it!). Similarly, for weapons such as grenade launchers and sniper rifles, you must adjust the sight to reflect the distance you are firing at – i.e., if your distance is set to 200 meters, hitting at 100 meters may prove a bit tricker due to the difference in adjusting for distance.
Multiplayer is a blast, and although it may sound critical to say that it boils down to a massive online shooter – that is a great thing. The game will not surprise you with anything innovative, but what it does is use its well-maintained realism gimmick to make you think more in an online environment. You cannot just poke out your head and gun down everything in sight, you need to adjust. If you get hit, you will bleed, you cannot just wait for a red screen to go to normal again, you will have to be treated to continue fighting optimally – suppressing fire, tactical coordination with your team, and good use of your surroundings is key. It may be an online shooter, but its basic core gameplay is enhanced by these strategic elements to give it more of a stop and think, less of a run and gun, type of experience. Plus, it is always fun to wake the neighbors by screaming at the top of your lungs to make sure your teammates hear you, just like a real firefight. You could just use discord, I guess, but where is the fun or action in that? Up next is John with the vehicle elements, or as I like to call it, how we blew millions of dollars in fictional military budgets by repeatedly crashing helicopters, tanks, and amphibious vehicles!
Good soldiers follow orders, and the best soldiers don’t forget the ordinance. Both land and air vehicles have the option to load construction and ammo and to unload it as necessary. When you approach any vehicle, you hold the F button that allows a quick select for what you need. Once inside the vehicle you need to hold the E key to literally turn the key starting the ignition. Now that we’re cooking with gas, slam your foot on the peddle. The car will get moving, but remember this isn’t a warthog from Halo; you need to balance it out. Super easy! But if you’re a glutton for punishment, just try the helicopter training. You need to maneuver like if you were flying in Planetside 2 – it’s all in the wrist. You have to be mindful of your altimeter too, you need the dash to read over 50 if you want to get off the ground. You can manage horizontal turns with the A and D keys… OR you can frantically swing the mouse. Before you know it, your world will turn upside down. Some serious landing feels more like touch-and-go, but there is a camera attached that helps with coordination. Like a backup camera in your car!
Armor is a totally different beast. All anti-armor weapons need to do more than make contact; they need penetration! There are a variety of vehicle types depending on the faction, but the most notable weak points are under the body or on the backside. Wheels are especially vulnerable. Remember how we load ordinance into the vehicles? They also make for strategic strikes if you’re taking apart the enemy strategically. The unit variety makes things a little bit more interesting, because attack vehicles can vary from country to country. A ballistic strike will only take you so far until you know you’re making the enemy hot under the armor. Grenades may be able to hit the underbelly; it is an idea I tried playing with, but I’m not sure it made a scratch. On a side note: this may be the first title to actually let me decide how I like to throw grenades. When you find the angle of attack too awkward to throw overhand, you can lob an explosive with an underhand.
Matt and I had a good time from the bootcamp to the frontlines and falling out of the skies (mostly by accident). I like how detail oriented this title is. I was half expecting an ARMA clone, but you have something really fun and immersive. After talking it over, we agreed that the audio quality is good, the visual quality is good, and the gameplay is superb. Closing quarters is really smooth in this title. The learning curve for the helicopter is a bit steep, but not impossible. It can feel like sliding on ice at times. Overall, we think Squad deserves a 9 out of 10.
For more information about Squad, please visit Steam, the official website: https://joinsquad.com/, or visit their social media channels at Twitter, Facebook, and Discord.
Related: Reviews by John Pruitt and Matthew O’Toole
I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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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