[GAME MASTER]War rock

The first-person shooting game has come a long way since it first popped up in the 1990s with Spasm and Maze War. The three-dimensional shooting genre has captivated game players around the world, particularly with games such as Rainbow Six and Counter Strike, where players get to strike down terrorists or vice versa.
The recently developed War Rock from Nexon is distinctive, with special features that can’t be found in any other games of the genre. Players have seen random shootings of monsters or Nazis since the 1990s, which really became tiresome because almost every stage seems alike. From there, the game has advanced to shooting other players, which really stimulates the brain and expands interaction with other players.
Shooting on the same team is really fun when playing with your friends on Rainbow Six. Yet War Rock offers more to players since they not only choose weapons, such as sniper rifles and even various types of grenades, but they also can drive tanks, a helicopter or even a motorcycle. The controls are not that easy, however, especially since the vehicles have to be controlled with the direction buttons on the keyboard instead of a joystick, but it spices up the game. It takes a real effort to get used to controlling the vehicles, although some seem to get the hang of it really fast.
But don’t get too attached to it, since if the player is a really bad driver and keeps hitting obstacles, or is continuously attacked by rocket launchers or grenades, you don’t want to be in the tank when it blows up. My personal favorite is the Humvee since it is much faster than the more powerful tank and it’s placed almost everywhere if carefully sought for and climbs over almost everything. You really don’t want to be facing a tank when it fires as the player dies instantly with a direct hit.
Other features are very much like Counter Strike. Players can join one of two teams and then search for the enemy for a shoot to kill. The difference in War Rock is not to eliminate all enemies in sight. Instead, within the map there are bases with either your team’s flag on it or the enemies’. The team that takes over the majority of the bases wins.
Also, players don’t have to wait until a single game ends when they are taken down like with Counter Strike and Rainbow Six. Instead of lying on the floor the player can get back in the game immediately.
The variety of movements from the usual jumping, rolling, crawling, side-stepping, back-stepping and peeking also makes the game more realistic. Yet this is not a new feature, since it is found in similar games, including Rainbow Six.
However, the game, as others, fails to solve the nausea many players experience from such mayhem, which makes it hard for players to get addicted. The only way to resolve the head spinning sickness is to get a paper bag just in case you want to throw up.
Another problem is control. It’s just too complicated, with every key from A to Z having to be memorized. Those who are used to such games may get the hang of it, but for first-time player memorizing the keys is a pain in the neck.
Verdict: War Rock may seem like another first-person shooting game similar to Counter Strike, but with its additional features it surely offers more. However, the game should be made simpler than it is now or heads will really spin.

by Lee Ho-jeong