Enlisted game: We Hate This Pointless And Limited FPS

Enlisted is a game you may not have heard much about. It released as a free-to-play online shooter on 2nd March 2021 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Some big YouTuber’s have covered its launch, but there hasn’t been any significant hype around it despite that. Presenting itself as a potential Call of Duty/Battlefield rival, Enlisted boasts some nice graphics and a unique take on the crowded first-person shooter genre. But, is it actually worth a try?

Players drop into the heart of some of World War II’s biggest battles and control squads of AI soldiers (as well as one in traditional FPS fashion) through different large-scale game modes. All that sounds pretty interesting, and it’s what prompted us to give it a try. We’re not disputing that Enlisted has an interesting premise. Unfortunately, it falls at every hurdle while trying to deliver on it.

Enlisted game: Gameplay

As an MMO squad based shooter, Enlisted lives and dies on the quality of its action and gameplay. Of course, it isn’t from a AAA developer. So the fact it’s lacking top notch graphics, sound, and depth could be forgiven were the gameplay strong enough. However, that is decidedly NOT the case.

Old fashioned, boring, clunky, unresponsive – these are adjectives that aptly suit Enlisted. They aren’t words that get you excited to play a game – and that’s because you really shouldn’t play Enlisted.

Its gameplay would feel average on the PS2. Most noticeable is the clunky and buggy movement. Your player character can be facing one way, only to be looking in the exact opposite direction a moment later for no reason. I was playing on PS5, so I imagine (hope) the game will control better on PC. On top of that, animations are incredibly dated and don’t feel authentic. As a result, navigating the sprawling maps in Enlisted is a dizzying experience.

Shooting (you know, the main thing you do in any FPS game) also feels aged and incredibly unsatisfying. Whether it’s the lack of recoil with guns, hit-and-miss sound design, dodgy aiming controls (especially on the snipers), or absence of advanced shooting mechanics like bullet drop, Enlisted just can’t compete with modern shooters. All this could be forgiven if it wasn’t striving for a realistic feel. But it is. And immersion is key to achieving that.

MMO and Squads

Enlisted‘s main MMO component is in the naming, leveling and upgrading of individual members of your squads. It’s a tedious affair, with unlocks and progression being specific to each individual soldier. That even includes things like the ability to have a sidearm. This makes the game PAINFULLY grindy – something that isn’t helped by the much easier pay-to-win option (more on this later).

The squad-based gameplay in Enlisted is the most disappointing part of the experience, however. The AI that controls the other members of your squad is so, so dumb. As teammates, they’re borderline useless (they didn’t revive me a single time) and as enemies they either clump together in tight spaces or walk out in the open aiming at the sky. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. There is very little you can do with your squad, too. Either point at a position and order them to defend it, or swap to one of them (if they’re somehow still alive) after you die. Of course, if they aren’t levelled up like your squad leader, they’re borderline useless by comparison.

The inclusion of tank crews and plane pilots in addition to the infantry squads are a nice touch. They provide variety to otherwise repetitive gameplay and the vehicles do help with traversing the big maps. But they aren’t enough to make a significant difference.

Enlisted game: Tone and Atmosphere

Stylistically, Enlisted does nothing new. It feels like it’s trying to be a Battlefield rip-off. And if its unique gameplay ideas actually made it worth playing, that wouldn’t be an entirely bad thing. After all, the Battlefield franchise is known for its gorgeous games. But without solid and unique gameplay to back it up, it comes across as a poor man’s imitation. Graphically, it looks pretty good – but that is not enough. And it certainly doesn’t look so good it’s breaking new ground.

Likewise, the music and atmosphere in Enlisted is like something from a PS2 Call of Duty title. And if you were hoping for a realistic and gritty tone akin to Call of Duty: World at War, forget it. Enlisted is everything you’ve seen and heard a million times before. Although, that kind of suits the toy soldiers vibe you get from the zombie-like AI.

Enlisted game: Grind and Microtransactions

Enlisted is free. So, of course, there is going to be a microtransaction element to provide a source of revenue. There’s nothing wrong with that. Call of Duty peddles useless and frustratingly annoying skins all the time. But in complimenting the extreme grind of Enlisted‘s progression system, pay-to-win is at its zenith.

Enlisted contains multiple types of in-game currency that are used to unlock weapons, upgrades, equipment, and abilities for your soldiers and squads. The currency you use for each varies, which, like the poorly designed menus, makes it incredibly confusing.

Completing different in-game challenges and simply playing the game are the default methods of acquiring currency, but it takes a LONG time. And when you consider that soldiers progress individually, the true scope of Enlisted‘s grind really comes into view. This means there is HUGE incentive for player’s to invest their hard earned money into buying in-game currency that can speed up their progression and actually give the game some much needed variety.

Ultimately, Enlisted has been marketed as a next-gen shooter with a unique concept that sets it apart from its competitors in an already crowded genre. As a next-gen title, it fails. On PS5, for example, it doesn’t even utilise the features of the DualSense controller – which is just so disappointing. Additionally, its appealing concept is poorly utilised and falls flat, and its generic tone fails to help it standout. And don’t forget its brutal grind combined with blatant pay-to-win mechanics – need I say more? I can only imagine that the YouTube giants plugging Enlisted as a potential Battlefield killer have been convinced by something other than the game itself…

Have you tried Enlisted? Did you actually like it? Let us know your thoughts on this supposed Battlefield killer in the comment section below. And don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles!

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Featured Image Credit: Gaijin Games