When a friend showed me the free-to-play, online warfare first-person shooter Combat Arms for the first time last year, I was blown away. I had been introduced to an amazing world of action and warfare that I would soon become a part of. It was developed by Doobic Studios and published by Nexon, both respectable game companies, and this time they have outdone themselves. Personally, as a complete addict of this game, I can say that it is quite possibly the best free online FPS game available. With 16 high-quality war zones, 8 enticing mission types, fully customizable avatars, well over 100 weapons and even a real-world-money “Black Market”, this game will blow practically anyone away. They regularly patch the game and keep adding more and more amazing content, so you never get bored with what they offer.
It’s hard to know where to start, but let’s begin with quality. This game is free-to-download, and yet it still has first-rate quality, from the intricate and well-thought-out maps to the realistic and high-texture weapons you use. The sounds of weapons, footsteps, explosions, bullet impacts, and hit-confirmations are all top-quality and carefully chosen. I was impressed with the wide range and variety of sounds such as gunshots and reloading noises, because all of them are different. Overall, the visual and audible quality of the game is astounding, considering that it’s a free-to-play game. Next we should look at weapons: there are about 74 standard free ones, not mentioning all the rare and real-money ones. They are fully customizable, with lots of attachments. Attachments and weapons are unlocked as a player gains experience and moves up in the ranks. There are a LOT of ranks, and no one has reached the top one yet! Players can equip themselves with any weapons they want, as long as they have the rank requirements for them. A great thing about Combat Arms that sets it apart from other games is that no weapon is perfect or “cheap.” All weapons have advantages and downsides, making them all equal to each other in the long run. Weapons may excel in one area, such as power, but lack in another, such as recoil. Even the highest ranked weapons in the game have their limitations, so it is impossible to buy a weapon that will automatically own. Overall the weapons in CA make it a great playing experience. Not only does the Shop sell weapons and mods, but it also has a huge variety of character customization options. You can buy things like helmets, vests, hats, camo, etc. with in-game money (you make the money from playing the game) that make your stats better, like more protection or stamina, and also make your character stand out. The huge variety of items is great, and I always enjoy customizing my character with all the gear I need to play my best. You may be wondering: how does this company make any money? Players not only have the option of purchasing free gear in the Shop, but can also use real-world money in the “Black Market,” an online store full of improved and special edition weapons and gear. Just go out and buy a Nexon Gift Card, and buy pretty much any item you want!
There are a few serious backdrops to this game. It’s obviously not as good quality as a store-bought game, and there is the chance that it could infect your computer (free games are always crawling with viruses). Another problem is the huge amount of hackers in the game. While Nexon is doing everything it can do stop it, hackers just keep popping up, and it ruins the game for everyone. So don’t hack! Plus, the Black Market can be a real money-waster, especially since all the items are basically replicas of free gear already in the game.
In short, Combat Arms is one of the top free online shooters out there, and is my personal favorite game of all time. Any player can design their own game room from top to bottom, including what weapons are allowed, what the mission type is, what the map is, and who is invited. With a huge variety of weapons and gear available, everyone can make their avatar function exactly the way they want it to. Every mission type you can imagine is there, including Elimination, Capture the Flag, Search and Destroy, One Man Army, a campaign-mode, and even a zombie-mode! The game is always being patched, and by next month it will probably have 10% more content than when you read this last. If you want a free-to-play, modern warfare first-person shooter with more customization than any of its rivals, choose Combat Arms. It’s unbelievable.
