E3 may have been a month ago, but something that is still fresh in my mind are the games presented in ijji's panel. There were three FPS' and one MMORPG. I was given the chance to play two of the shooters. For you PC gamers, these could be a new favorite. There will be a separate article for the second shooter I played, but for now, check out Alliance of Valiant Arms! Before I explain much on A.V.A, I want to stress my repulsion for shooters of any kind. I've never liked them much and I've never been a big PC gamer; perhaps because I wasn't given much chance. Regardless, neither of these classifications have appealed to me much over the years. Having said that, I was impressed with Ijji's new line of games. Here's why:
Alliance of Valiant Arms (A.V.A)
AVA is set in a fictional war that takes place in 2010. Russia has invaded Europe and has defeated a large majority of their forces. That's where you come in. The US has decided to aid Europe in hopes of driving Russia out and back to their own borders. With the help of France and England, you will square off in a bloody urban battle.
As far as Gameplay goes, A.V.A is very easy to adapt to, even for people (such as myself) who have played very few shooters. Run off of Unreal Engine 3, the game is very smooth with little-to-no lag and, as always, has pleasing graphics and renderings.
There are three classes to choose from in AVA: Pointmen, Riflemen, and Snipers. All classes are given knives, pistols, and grenades, but each has a specialty weapon specifically geared towards them.
- The snipers, without a doubt, are masterfully skilled in long range battle. If you can keep a steady hand, snipers are definitely worth it, knocking your opponents to the floor in a bloody shot with one single hit.
- Riflemen carry assault rifles and are pretty proficient in long and short range battle, but definitely take some getting used to. Prolonged automatic fire will cause the gun to jump significantly, so learning to properly use controlled fire is a neccessity. Obviously, the rifleman's range is not as extended as the sniper's, but if you right-click, it will bring up a scope which proves greatly useful.
- The Pointmen excel in short range battle carrying boomsticks, which probably measures as most useful, at least for the first mission. Long range isn't completely out of the question with this category, stacking up alright at mid-range, but the short range is so powerful, it's easier to just run up to someone and shoot.
There are eight different game modes to play in, all of which earn in-game points. You can view all of the modes here. Aside from multiple game modes, there are several different maps that each have different terrains, etc. No two missions are alike, so learning new tactics for each area is vital. In addition, there is a large variety of weapons that allow players to slice, shoot, blast, and obliterate the enemies.
While there probably aren't many innovative features as opposed to other military shooters in A.V.A, the game is very balanced and has a fun feel to it. I think that if I liked it, they're doing something right. At any rate, the game is available for free download so you can try it out yourself. The only drawback is that since this game hasn't yet been released in America, the sign up sheet is still in Japanese. However, these forums show you exactly how to sign up with easy instructions and images. It takes two minutes to create an account and a short while to download.
After all that, I will say that my impression of these games could be higher because I'm unfamiliar with many shooters, but hey; Why not try for yourself and see? It's free to download and I'm not the only one who was enthused about these games. Be sure to also check out Sun (Soul of the Ultimate Nation) and Karma: Operation Barbarossa, which I had the chance to see, but not play.
