With a severe lack of games coming out and that I have absolutely zero money right now I bring a recommendation of a Free-To-Play game. Yes, I said Free-To-Play. The game is Tribes Ascend on the PC and frankly, it's one of the best free games I've played.
The game is online team based multiplayer only except for a couple training options. The graphics are pretty decent and rendered using Unreal Engine 3. The environments are huge though fairly empty save for an occasional tree or tunnel. There are quite a few options for the quality of graphics as well so you don't have to have a top of the line video card to play. I do have the graphics maxed out and the game does look pretty good. The audio is pretty much what you would expect from a shooter.
Tribes Ascend makes several alterations to traditional shooter gameplay by adding in jetpacks and a skiing function. Jetpacks are on a limited, though regenerative fuel source and help you to fly rather high into the air. The skiing function lets you pick up ludicrous speeds going downhill (I actually said "I'm going to plaid" at one point(That's a SpaceBalls reference for you young folks who may not know(look it up))) when combined these two functions let you zoom around the map and escape or get into danger very fast. Kills are difficult to get from time to time due to the speeds of the other players so there is a lot of skill involved in lining up shots. There are a few classes for you to choose from ranging from lightweight and very fast engineers to overarmored and lumbering juggernauts. All weapons feel powerful and have an impact that you would expect them to have.
A key component to the game is the payment structure. You have absolutely zero obligation to spend money on this game and that is true this time. You will not unlock any kind of unfair advantage by spending cash and upgrading early. The game remains balanced and allows veterans and beginners to be on the same level equipment-wise. There is a nice bonus if you do spend any amount of cash and that is giving you a permanent boost to XP gained. You unlock classes and upgrades using XP or real money so the boost is a nice thing to have.
All in all, I was very surprised by this game and I think you should give it a shot. I mean, it is free to download and play so why not? I'm awarding an 8/10. I'll be working on a Diablo 3 review in a few weeks when it releases but that is the only thing I can confirm for sure right now. I'm thinking about getting Max Payne 3 and Ghost Recon Future Soldier, but I'm still on the fence with those. So, until next time, See You Online.
