Tannenberg : Verdun's Generic Bastard - Early Access Watcher -

Channel:

Gateway To Gaming

Subscribers:

152

Published on November 17, 2017 5:17:44 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zafniVM6RO0

Game:

Verdun (2015)

Duration: 1:36:12

182 views

4

Disclosure: This game copy was bought by the reviewer.

Edit 1: Forgot to mention the poor state of the controls. It has a terrible rate of crouching you when you hit run, caused me to be unable to use ADS on several occasions and refused to reload when I requested it on weapons that allow it (I know one weapon won't due to the clip mechanic).

Verdun has been out for a couple of years now with an average player base between 400 to 600 players over the past month. The base game has seen some updates and added content, but still suffers from some performance issues. Now M2H and Blackmill Games are planning to expand upon the WW1 shooter with the release of Tannenberg, focusing on the battles of the Eastern Front.

The realistic atmosphere achieved in the base game carries over with great care taken to ensure weapon usage, aesthetic and design choices remain earnest. The map layouts are great and weapons do have a necessary weight to them, but the graphics haven't improved much over the original title. Music is still worth listening too and most sound effects do their job. I have an issue with the constant screaming of wounded soldiers, but it does add to the immersion factor.

The core structure is different this time around from the mainly trench based, team focused gameplay of Verdun. Instead of pushing back and forth between points depending on the situation, the squads push to take control of several points on the map and hold them to ensure they don't get cut off. You tick away at the enemy ticket count in 32 vs 32 matches, which feels like a change made to appease to the modern shooter crowd of Battlefield 1. The war of attrition is gone for something that feels more modern in execution. Squads don't really feel as important as they were in Verdun, due to the open nature of the maps and the need to constantly be moving from one point to another. It isn't a bad change in scope, but those who are coming from Verdun might not enjoy the faster pace. Weapons do feel a lot more responsive in their handling though, so it is a strange trade off. The game only has bolt action rifles and pistols as far as I can tell, which hopefully changes in the span of development.

The other major change from Verdun is the addition of AI troops, which is a godsend in terms of keeping servers full and a curse in terms of their actions. They move around in a slap dash manner while taking pot shots at players from a fair distance. I have noticed they tend to get stuck easily and run around spawn points with no clear direction. I have seen worse, but it makes staying in cover an issue when they regularly push you out of it or stop for seconds at a time in front of you. Compared to the frequent low player count in Verdun servers, it is still an improvement that at least gives you the means to play the game.

The main question: did I enjoy this drastic change? No. While this is a developing project that will be adding more content over time, the core mechanics are present and provide a clear picture to what the end result will be. There are better shooters out there that take this method of game play and do it better at the cost of authenticity. Verdun, on the other hand, still feels like a one of a kind experience with a good range of weapons and a focus on teamwork. With all of the reused assets, the disappointing graphics quality and dumb AI, I couldn't recommend this title right now. It just feels like another capture the point from Battlefield 1 with nothing special to set it apart, aside from proper looking uniforms.

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