Context is important, both personal and industry.
BF1942 as part of Battle for Europe: World at War. WaW is still going. It’s a sort of tournament over three months or so, when one finishes a new one starts. Two sides, Axis and Allies. You’ll have separate platoons (not sure that’s the term) each with different squads and a rigid chain of command. If you don’t do as you’re told, you’re kicked from the server. Do it repeatedly and you’re banned.
If you do what you’re told, if you perform well (and not necessarily in kills) you’ll be promoted. You’ll get your own squad, then company, then platoons. Eventually you’ll be in charge of an army. The game changes in complexity as you play. You’ll start off killing, then you’re ordering, then you’re coming up with strats, then you’re responsible for a chain of command.
To this day, the best MP experience I’ve had. No griefing, no stupidity, nobody stealing vehicles. Clear directions, rewards based on who you are, not just who you can kill. It’s now using a mod for Battlefield 2. It’s free to play. Donate if you want. No micropayments, no DLC. Nothing.
Shadowrun
An important game with a fucked launch. I interviewed the producer about it. Fantastically well balanced, intricate rock-paper-scissors gameplay, good UI, clever balance mechanisms.
Brink
A catastrophic launch and a waste of great potential. Best movement system I’ve used in a shooter. One button lets you parkour all over the place, so you don’t get stuck on fences or boxes. If you want to go faster, you parkour manually, at which point it turns into a sort of racing game, since you’re just rushing to the front line, you’re shaving seconds off the journey by wall running, sliding etc.
It’s also the anti-CoD. No grenade spam, no one-shot kills. Clever interplay of body types and abilities. If you’re used to CoD, this game will fuck you. It’s very punishing if you’re not smart and thinking several minutes ahead. Real shame it tanked, but the devs have themselves to blame.
