War Robots: Frontiers game review
Games about big heavy robots (sometimes also called mechs) have always been popular - and besides single-player games like MechWarrior, BattleTech and MechCommander, we can also remember online entertainment (e.g. MechWarrior Online, Mech Arena, Hawken). In 2014, War Robots from Russian studio Pixonic broke into this lineup quite loudly - it gathered an audience of 1.5 million people daily, got into the top of the most profitable mobile games in the U.S., and then came out on personal computers as well. 8 years later, in 2022, a sequel called War Robots: Frontiers was released, which also became very popular. What's the secret? Is it just the fact that the game is made on Unreal Engine 5 or the game has something else to interest the audience? We are looking for answers in our review.
About the game modes
Like in War Robots, Frontiers is set in the future, where mankind is exploring distant space, and because of that there are constant conflicts between corporations, because they actually own all the power. They defend their interests mainly with the help of mercenaries piloting combat robots. After the end of the "Walking Wars" there was a shaky truce. But when interstellar gateways were opened, allowing people to travel to unexplored parts of the galaxy to conquer new lands, the corporations were revived again and began a new race - this time for the development of worlds known as the "Wild Ten".
Writer Patrick Kindlon has released a series of books, "Tales from the Wild Ten," that chronicle the adventures and trials of robot pilots. This is the first story in a series about the world of War Robots: Frontiers.
Writer Patrick Kindlon has released a series of books, "Tales from the Wild Ten," that chronicle the adventures and trials of robot pilots. This is the first story in a series about the world of War Robots: Frontiers.
But in the game itself there is no time to read. There are no special videos or storylines. Like in War Robots, in Frontiers we are offered to join the matches, in which 2 teams of players, riding big walking robots, fight each other on even bigger maps. All battles here are team-based and take place in a six-on-six format. There are three main modes - "Lighthouse Capture", "Elimination" and "Team Battle".
"Lighthouse Capture" suggests that players must capture control points - actually, lighthouses - and hold them, turning such places into beachheads for landing, which makes the movement of the team less predictable. There are five such beacons on the map, and when a team holds more control points than the enemy, it starts to get victory points. As the authors emphasize, this mode embodies the whole essence of War Robots: Frontiers - there are tactics, territory control, and non-stop battles of "mechs". In addition, this is a very dynamic mode, where all classes of robots are involved and, in principle, you can win with any build.
"Lighthouse Capture" suggests that players must capture control points - actually, lighthouses - and hold them, turning such places into beachheads for landing, which makes the movement of the team less predictable. There are five such beacons on the map, and when a team holds more control points than the enemy, it starts to get victory points. As the authors emphasize, this mode embodies the whole essence of War Robots: Frontiers - there are tactics, territory control, and non-stop battles of "mechs". In addition, this is a very dynamic mode, where all classes of robots are involved and, in principle, you can win with any build.
Crucial to the Lighthouse Capture mode are Titans, particularly powerful robots that can be summoned when you fill up a special scale by killing enemies and capturing lighthouses. That said, only in this mode are you allowed to replace your current mech with a titan when you're standing at a lighthouse held by your team. In the other variants, you can only do this after destroying the current robot.
"For elimination" - this is a mode where you need to manage to destroy all enemy machines in the allotted time. Well, or you can wait until the end of the match, just keeping the advantage in the number of robots. That's why you don't have to always run wildly into the attack - once you get an advantage, you can focus on defense, forcing your opponents to rush forward, because time works against them. There are also beacons here, but you need to capture them only to create new beachheads, not to accumulate victory points.
"For elimination" - this is a mode where you need to manage to destroy all enemy machines in the allotted time. Well, or you can wait until the end of the match, just keeping the advantage in the number of robots. That's why you don't have to always run wildly into the attack - once you get an advantage, you can focus on defense, forcing your opponents to rush forward, because time works against them. There are also beacons here, but you need to capture them only to create new beachheads, not to accumulate victory points.
Finally, in Team Deathmatch, as in the classic Team Deathmatch, the team that accumulates the required number or simply more "frags" by the end of the match - that is, kills more enemies - wins. Destroyed robots here are left to regenerate, not eliminated by the end of the match.
About pilots and robots
The main role in War Robots: Frontiers is played by robots, so it is worth to tell you more about them. There is no direct division into classes, but there are clear specializations. Some models are better suited for reconnaissance and quick breakthrough to control points, others are mainly engaged in support of allies. There are also classic "tanks" - powerful vehicles that deal a lot of damage and withstand serious hits thanks to strong armor and protective field.
What role your walking robot will play is largely up to you. After the player reaches the 4th level, he gets access to the hangar, where you can not only change various parts of the mech, but also assemble new ones from scratch. And here opens up great creative possibilities for your engineering and design genius. All robots consist of three main sections - the torso, which determines the main feature of the machine (for example, it can be a powerful missile salvo in a straight line, a rain of missiles over an area or launching a repair drone), the chassis (the speed of movement depends on them, but not only) and the shoulders, on which different types of weapons are attached.
In addition, there are slots for modules, which actually play the role of skills - some allow you to quickly repair the mech, others give acceleration, temporary defense or, for example, the ability to attack for a few seconds without expending ammunition. And you are free to assemble your "dream robot" from any parts from any manufacturers. They are given as a reward, bought in the store or created personally from available blueprints. The latter are mostly given for increasing the level of the account.
In addition, there are slots for modules, which actually play the role of skills - some allow you to quickly repair the mech, others give acceleration, temporary defense or, for example, the ability to attack for a few seconds without expending ammunition. And you are free to assemble your "dream robot" from any parts from any manufacturers. They are given as a reward, bought in the store or created personally from available blueprints. The latter are mostly given for increasing the level of the account.
Of course, you can't build your robot chaotically, on the principle "I made it out of what I had". Most likely, nothing good will come out of such a machine. For example, a "mech" with weapons and a torso for close combat, but with poorly protected chassis, giving high speed, will be quite vulnerable just at close range. That is, it is better to sharpen the assembly for a particular specialization, and not to mix everything in a row.
In addition, as in classic BattleTech, the flight of your design thought in War Robots: Frontiers is limited by the maximum transferable weight (determined by the sum of the weight of all parts) and the limit of energy, which is spent on weapons and skills on the principle of the cooler and more powerful equipment, the more it consumes. If you exceed the allowed values, then such a robot simply can not be used in combat. And here it is very important what chassis you put - in addition to speed, they also determine the allowable weight and amount of energy. In total, you can have five basic machines in your garage, which you are allowed to take to a match, and one titan - the latter, by the way, cannot be assembled or disassembled manually.
In addition, as in classic BattleTech, the flight of your design thought in War Robots: Frontiers is limited by the maximum transferable weight (determined by the sum of the weight of all parts) and the limit of energy, which is spent on weapons and skills on the principle of the cooler and more powerful equipment, the more it consumes. If you exceed the allowed values, then such a robot simply can not be used in combat. And here it is very important what chassis you put - in addition to speed, they also determine the allowable weight and amount of energy. In total, you can have five basic machines in your garage, which you are allowed to take to a match, and one titan - the latter, by the way, cannot be assembled or disassembled manually.
Among the main characteristics of each robot are reliability and armor. The first is an analog of health, which is determined by the sum of the characteristics of each part of the robot. That is, the entire machine takes damage, regardless of where it is hit. But the armor is destroyed gradually and exactly in the place where the enemy hit. When this protective layer will be broken, the next hits in this place cause significantly more damage. It is important to take this into account when you attack others and when you assemble your own vehicle - the weakly protected part can become the Achilles' heel. A couple of hits will destroy the entire robot.
Separately, we must talk about guns - your firepower depends on them. There are many guns in the game, and each has its own characteristics and specializations - for close, long-range or medium combat. Each one does different damage to the body and shields, and differs in the amount of ammunition, rate of fire and reloading, ballistic indicators and effective range. But most importantly, all weapons are divided into three types: kinetic weapons are more suited to damage armor; energy weapons ignore some shields; and explosive weapons hit the area.
Separately, we must talk about guns - your firepower depends on them. There are many guns in the game, and each has its own characteristics and specializations - for close, long-range or medium combat. Each one does different damage to the body and shields, and differs in the amount of ammunition, rate of fire and reloading, ballistic indicators and effective range. But most importantly, all weapons are divided into three types: kinetic weapons are more suited to damage armor; energy weapons ignore some shields; and explosive weapons hit the area.
The pilots assigned to the vehicles also help to raise their characteristics - they not only have different biographies, but also their own talents that give certain bonuses. Some of them increase damage by a certain percentage if an enemy appears within 100 meters, others increase protection, others activate a shield if the mech has lost some armor element, and so on. Pilots can be improved for special currency. But parts of robots and weapons we pump for alloys, which are earned also by dismantling other unnecessary items.
How it all plays out
War Robots: Frontiers is exciting from the very first matches. It's not surprising - in fact, we are facing "World of Tanks", only with big powerful robots and on Unreal Engine 5. And this is practically a win-win recipe. Moreover, this engine not only provides a spectacular picture, but also allows you to effectively and efficiently destroy both machines and many elements of the environment. Thanks to this, in some places you can simply go straight ahead, break the construction and go behind the enemy's back.
And the battles themselves are fascinating. It is necessary not just to shoot at the enemy, but to intelligently collect your park, to choose the right car at the right moment, to know all its pros and cons and correctly apply the skills that you yourself set on it. Naturally, it is especially important to act in a team, to cover others when capturing points, to put marks on enemies and interact in every possible way. By the way, since recently you can play here with friends in a squad - with a special code, which you can get or give to other players.
And the battles themselves are fascinating. It is necessary not just to shoot at the enemy, but to intelligently collect your park, to choose the right car at the right moment, to know all its pros and cons and correctly apply the skills that you yourself set on it. Naturally, it is especially important to act in a team, to cover others when capturing points, to put marks on enemies and interact in every possible way. By the way, since recently you can play here with friends in a squad - with a special code, which you can get or give to other players.
The most important thing is that you need to use the titan in time and correctly, who, thanks to his powerful abilities like orbital strike on the area, can decide the outcome of any match. All in all, it's a real smart shooter.
The shooting itself is perfectly realized - the sound, recoil and what is now called "impact" from the weapon, immerse you in the atmosphere. And this is not to mention the realization of the robots themselves - with all their power and size, they are very mobile, allow you to make jerks and even take off. And these features of movement must be used competently, and not just stand in place and shoot at enemies. That's why the game often turns into almost vertical action, when heavy robots shoot each other in flight or jump off the roofs behind the back of enemies. The main thing to remember is that the acceleration and flight costs fuel - it is an analog of stamina. Therefore, it is important to refuel tanks in time with the help of special skills.
The shooting itself is perfectly realized - the sound, recoil and what is now called "impact" from the weapon, immerse you in the atmosphere. And this is not to mention the realization of the robots themselves - with all their power and size, they are very mobile, allow you to make jerks and even take off. And these features of movement must be used competently, and not just stand in place and shoot at enemies. That's why the game often turns into almost vertical action, when heavy robots shoot each other in flight or jump off the roofs behind the back of enemies. The main thing to remember is that the acceleration and flight costs fuel - it is an analog of stamina. Therefore, it is important to refuel tanks in time with the help of special skills.
Finally, we should mention the interesting maps. They are few in number, but they are large-scale and memorable. On each there are some sights, peculiarities and favorable positions - both on the ground and at higher altitudes. On one of the maps, you can even drop heavy machinery on enemies. And in some modes, various boosts like triple damage appear in the levels.
It is also important that all available abilities and items can now be obtained by simply playing, completing daily and weekly contracts, as well as increasing the level of the combat pass. The latter gives us special tokens, for which we buy new pilots, intelligence to pump them up, rare robot parts, powerful weapons and so on.
It is also important that all available abilities and items can now be obtained by simply playing, completing daily and weekly contracts, as well as increasing the level of the combat pass. The latter gives us special tokens, for which we buy new pilots, intelligence to pump them up, rare robot parts, powerful weapons and so on.
Conclusion
Of course, the game has been released recently and there are not so many maps, robots, pilots and modes as we would like. But, first of all, the project is actively developing, and the authors regularly add and update something, and, secondly, War Robots: Frontiers already today is very addictive and gives a lot of emotions. First of all, thanks to the spectacular battles, detailed realization of robots themselves and detailed machine designer.
Zarium. April 2024
Zarium. April 2024