Steam: Ravaged Weekend

Yesterday, Steam launched another promotional campaign, allowing everyone to play Ravaged for free over the weekend.

Honestly, I didn’t even know such a game existed. It turns out that back in October of last year, the developers at 2Dawn Games released a team-based post-apocalyptic shooter called “What if you crossed Battlefield and Fallout?” Or Call of Duty and Fallout; the radars get confused – to me, Ravaged is most similar to the classic BF 1942, just with smaller maps.

But yes, instead of Germans-Japanese-Italians against the USSR and someone else, we now have the fictional New California Republic against a fictional gang from the second “Mad Max” (but without homosexuality and BDSM, probably). But the rules of the game are generally the same – we have large teams and different control points to fight for, both on foot and behind the wheel of various motorized units.

My first battle started traditionally fun – I sat in a local helicopter, took off about ten meters, tilted and crashed nicely into the nearest pile of rocks. After that, the server started changing the map, and for some reason, the game refused to let me continue without a restart.

Reconsidering my views on post-apocalyptic aviation, I still managed to break back into the server and ended up on the best map, Ravaged, according to Progamer.ru. The essence is that we have two camps at the top and bottom ends of the map and an oil tower in the center, from where we have to bring fuel (read flag) home. During the match, two separate stories unfold: the first is the war for two convenient strongholds and the war in general, and the second is the actual quest for fuel.

Maybe this is a borrowed concept from somewhere else, but if that’s the case, it’s a very successful one. The other maps I got to play on are more traditional: capture and hold, steal gasoline-flag from the enemy base… Some places have good balance, especially if there are knowledgeable players on the server, but all the necessary components are in place. Snipers have plenty of opportunities, there are places to ride vehicles, you can hold defense, and it doesn’t get boring.

In general, the balance between skilled gameplay and server chaos in the shooter is quite pleasing.

Of course, in our favorite team-based shooters, a class system is essential. There are scouts, reliable assault soldiers, friends with rocket launchers against different tanks, snipers, and friends with heavy machine guns.

Why do we even need scouts, who are not immediately understood, especially when there are crowds of snipers and rocketeers running around the map? A little later, when the people who have joined the server realize that shooting with hunting rifles still requires practice, and a bazooka is not the same as a rocket launcher from Quake, the class balance is slightly restored, but the purpose of scouts remains a mystery even after several hours of gameplay.

For free shooters on the Ravaged maps, there is freedom, despite the team nature of the action.

Thanks to the fact that the developers have endowed the soldiers with climbing talents, it is possible to climb to any desired point and into any convenient crevice if desired. Plus, it is not so easy to spot a shooter, especially in the midst of a big fight. Especially when your own teammates are shooting you in the back.

There is no escaping from mentally challenged players here; you can only kick them out of the game through a general vote. Friendly fire and annoying teammates can be incredibly frustrating, so be prepared. Well, be especially well-prepared.

The main reason for my (and many others’) dislike of the last ten episodes of Call of Duty and the latest version of Battlefield was the overused and boring setting of Modern Warfare in Dust, and the best thing that Ravaged can offer is getting rid of the tiresome counter-terrorist operations.

Interestingly, the dust and oil actually remained in place, but nevertheless, the mood and style of the game differ fundamentally from its older brothers. The action, as far as one can judge from the Statue of Liberty in pieces and that bridge-wherever-it-is-standing, takes place in the ruins of the USA, and sometimes a little bit of cheerful variety is all that is needed to get rid of the sharp allergy that has developed over the past 10 years.

Subjectively, Ravaged’s trick of transferring dynamic team battles and post-apocalypse was executed better than it was in Brink.

Nowadays, there are already plenty of different shooters of all calibers to suit every taste and preference, and Ravaged couldn’t really stand out among them. What can you do, games nowadays have learned to make the best the enemy of the good, and so on. It was easy to overlook Ravaged.

The scale is not the same as Battlefield 3, yes. But since we have about 20 hours of free time together, why not? Ravaged has all the reasons to appeal to you, with only a few minor drawbacks.

And if it gets addictive, you can continue playing the game.