Online game "RAM Pressure"

Turn-based tactical battles in recent years have once again aroused the interest of the general public. It is largely due to the fact that the ancient XCOM series, which is the ancestor of the genre, has been successfully revived, became more dynamic, convenient and modern. What to talk about, if recently even the cult action game Gears of War has its own tactical game in the same spirit - Gears Tactics. The reasons for its popularity are clear - managing a squad of professional fighters, here you can not hurry, think through your actions calmly, to plan interesting and competent tactical moves. However, the above-mentioned projects are paid, plus the enemies there control computer, and it still can not compare with the human intellect. But a domestic turn-based tactics RAM Pressure, already called "Russian XCOM" is free, and here you can fight with other players. We tell you more about it in our review.

To begin, let's clarify that the titular RAM Pressure is a physics term for the pressure wave that is produced in front of a body moving rapidly through a fluid medium or gas. For example, when a meteorite flies through Earth's atmosphere at supersonic speeds, it produces a shock wave because of the very rapid compression of the air in front of it. Therefore, it heats up and a glow forms around the meteorite.

And so in the game the plot just tells about how during a strange meteor storm powerful artifacts fell to Earth, among which were found the damaged parts of space stations and ships of an unknown civilization.

As it turns out, this is the consequence of an ancient galactic war waged by "aliens". Naturally, the authorities do not want the inhabitants to know about it and begin to panic, so the governments of different countries hide the truth from the population. And they send teams of mercenaries to the places where the wreckage fell, in order to get hold of the unknown technology faster than others.

At first, the story develops quietly enough. The player acts as the commander of one of the private military units, which are sent to the locations with artifacts to capture them and deliver them to customers. At the same time, of course, we constantly encounter competitors and fight them.

Then it gets much more interesting: here you have the secret government conspiracies, and attempts of state elites to use alien technology to establish total control over its citizens. In the end it will turn out that this is only "flowers", and we, of course, will again have to save the world from a much more serious danger, which threatens the death of all mankind ...

The gameplay, as it should be in XCOM-style games, is divided into two components: the global map and the tactical battles on rough terrain. On the global map, we choose which mission we will perform. In addition to the main, there are additional and daily missions, where we are usually offered to destroy enemies or capture an artifact. Needed such sorties to earn experience and money, as well as to collect data - the more they have accumulated, the sooner the next story chapter opens.

There, on the map, we choose the fighters who will go on a mission - at most there can be four of them. Mercenaries belong to different classes, there are 8 classes available in the game (the developers are gradually adding new ones, and eventually it will be 12), and each has its own weapon. For example, the sniper will not want to take Kalashnikov rifle, and assault rifle will not pick up a heavy machine gun. Guns can be conventional or more advanced, higher-powered. Both can be purchased in the store located on the map screen, as well as a reward for successfully completing missions.

It's the same with the rest of the outfit - armor, ammunition, consumables like a variety of grenades, of which there are many types - fragmentation, thermal, poisonous, light-emitting, plasma grenades. There are also simple versions and "elite" ones with additional effects. True, heavier and stronger armor, if not modified with special plates, reduces the range of movement of the fighter. Also allow you to improve the cannon, attaching them "bumpers" like scopes or improved triggers.

In total, RAM Pressure has more than 100 kinds of "guns" - they are divided into 10 classes, including high-tech samples. And as the plot progresses, alien armament becomes available. At the same time, all the equipment as it is used gradually wears out, reducing its quality. To fix the equipment in time, you also have to buy repair kits. Again, the latter can be ordinary, and some can be expensive and cool, and using such "premium" options, we will add bonuses to the accuracy of the shooting.

The battles themselves are done in classic XCOM style. Soldiers move in turns and in turn-based mode, where action points (AP) are spent on moving, reloading and shooting. You can use all the AP at once to get to the shelter faster, or you can reach the border marked with a light frame - this means that the character still has time to do one action - to shoot or, for instance, to reload. Sometimes, however, it is better not to attack and not even move, but switch to observation mode - in this case your ward will automatically shoot at the first enemy that will be in his field of view.

As in the XCOM series, shelters can be full (giving 50% protection) or incomplete (30% protection). There is also partial destructibility of the environment, and the ability to occupy heights - however, this is done almost exclusively by snipers (they need it more!). Exactly the same chance of hitting is calculated as a percentage. Except that you can't choose in what part of the body to shoot. But, for example, the same snipers can learn a skill that allows you to accurately shoot at the head with an increase in the chance of critical damage by 30%.

Yes, after completing missions - successful or not - all of our charges gain experience. After gaining enough experience, they grow in ranks and can develop new skills. And this immediately expands the tactical component of the battles. After all, in addition to the standard things - like increasing health reserves, increasing the chance of evasion or critical damage - each class also unlocks more interesting abilities, including active ones. Importantly, many of these have an effect on marksmanship, minimizing the nerve-wracking moments when your fighter, even with a 92-percent chance of hitting the enemy, still misses.

Thus, it is very useful for snipers to learn skills that increase accuracy if you take a position above the enemy, allow you to detect enemies more effectively if you do not move, and to fire at targets in the sight of allies.

The Stormtrooper can take the ability to carry three grenades of any kind at once. With another skill, throwing a stun grenade automatically disorients an enemy.

Well, for all classes it is important that as you pump up, you get access to more advanced weapons - for example, large-caliber sniper rifles. At a certain level, when your fighter reaches the rank of pro-sergeant, you can train him and a second, additional profession, making in addition, for example, a grenadier, skillfully shooting with grenade launchers.

After completing the mission you can immediately heal the wounded fighters - if, of course, the money for this is enough. If not enough, then here in the store there are options to convert their blood money into local currency, and even expendable items, grenades and medical kits, to get on top of that. Although this so-called "donat" in RAM Pressure now is not aggressive: you want - invest your hard-earned money, want - make money doing missions. Thankfully, there are enough missions.

Either way, you have to earn, because there is always something to spend money on in the store. After all, you can buy there and more leveraged professional mercenaries, and cool guns with special properties - surely there is some profitable offers, which are also regularly updated.

RAM Pressure should appeal to fans of tactics. It may seem at first that the enemies are weak, and the maps are small and monotonous. Already on the 3rd or 4th chapter of the story you will have problems, when you will be opposed by the armored men up to your throat. Yes, on top of that attacking from different sides in groups of 4. Maps also become more interesting and larger scale - for example, in addition to the picturesque meadows appear some minefields, hangars, highways, full of machinery, and so on. There are also night and day locations.

Moreover, at some point the enemy troops will be joined by soldiers using alien technology - they will take out our trained fighters with one shot. In these situations it becomes important to competent tactical positioning. You need to stay out of trouble, take cover, heights, turn on the "observation" mode. You might get burned a couple of times on a complex mission, but then you will understand the mistakes, do everything correctly - and get a feeling of deep satisfaction when your fighters beautifully outgunned the enemy even at the approaches to their positions.

Even more difficult in PvP-battles with other players (they are opened when you pass the necessary story chapters). Everything here is implemented seriously: there are seasons, ratings, champions. Although you can train in regular, not ranked battles. In the future, there will be analogues of guilds (so often called the permanent user teams in online games) - alliances and syndicates. And in general, the authors have big plans. The game came out, but they will continue to develop in the spirit of the classic XCOM-model: want to add the construction of bases, study of alien technology, the production of equipment and items.

The conclusion is simple: if you like turn-based tactical battles in the spirit of XCOM and want to compete with other players, you should definitely try RAM Pressure. Yes, not everything has been done on the plus side, but the potential is great. Especially since access is free, the donation is not aggressive, and the project is constantly evolving, promising new interesting features.

February 2021