Enlisted Worth Playing GAME REVIEWS in 2022?
WHAT IS ENLISTED?
Enlisted is a large-scale squad-based first-person MMO shooter developed by Darkflow Software (CRSED FOAD) and published Gaijin Entertainment (War Thunder, Crossout).
ARE THE DEVELOPERS ACTIVE?
Darkflow Software has been very active throughout Enlisted’s multiple closed and open betas, updating enlisted roughly 4 times each month with minor patches, and dropping roughly every 60 days.
That being said this cadence cannot continue long term, and I would expect to see Enlisted transiting to bi-weekly bugfixes and quarterly content updates towards the end of 2022, adopting a live service model similar to other free2play titles such as Fortnite Battle Royale, Rogue Company and Apex Legends.
WHERE CAN I PLAY ENLISTED?
Enlisted is currently available on PC (Gaijin.Net), PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Curiously for PC users, Gaijin entertainment has opted not to release Enlisted on any of the larger PC storefronts such as Steam or Epic Game Store, instead opting to release on its own launcher.
While it’s likely Enlisted will find its way to either Steam or Epic Game Store in future, the developers have not made their plans known in this regard.
DOES ENLISTED SUPPORT CROSS-PLATFORM PLAY?
Enlisted offers crossplay support between PC (Gaijin.Net), PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Unfortunately, the game does not have cross-progression, meaning players are unable to transfer their progress to other platforms.
However, there is cross-generational progression, meaning owners of 8th generation consoles (PlayStation 4/Xbox One) are able to freely play on the 9th generation consoles in the same console family without needing to start from scratch.
HOW MANY PEOPLE PLAY ENLISTED?
Neither Darkflow Software nor Gaijin Entertainment has given any indication of how many people play Enlisted.
However, we know that the player base is large enough to support near-instant matchmaking even at off-peak times, so it is clearly doing well, we just don’t know how well.
Editor’s Comment: Players who opt to play as any single faction are warned this may result in slower queue times over opting to quick play as any faction; that being said, I have constantly chosen to play as the Allies and have experienced queue times ranging from 15-45 seconds even at off-peak hours (mid-morning in a weekday), so the community is large enough to support players being able to choose which side of the war they fight for.
DOES ENLISTED HAVE A GROUP FINDER/MATCHMAKING?
Enlisted uses matchmaking to ensure players are matched by geographic location, however unlike most modern shooters does not utilise skill-based matchmaking, meaning level 1 players, in theory, could be matched against maxed level professional players.
It’s not a perfect system; however, players who “stick at it” will find themselves able to contribute to their team in meaningful ways.
My personal strength has always been my accuracy and thinking outside the mould, and Enlisted allows me to focus on my skillset.
Editor’s Comment: Despite not playing in over four months, I was quickly able to get the highest kill tally in three consecutive matches while contributing the most victory points to my team by playing to those strengths, and new players who find their niche, will have a similar experience.
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WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY LIKE?
Enlisted is set in World War 2, and like all World War 2 era titles, it attracts a larger than average amount of racists, neo nazis, historical revisionists, and holocaust deniers.
While the overall community is roughly as toxic as any competitive shooter, the setting certainly makes matters worse, especially in light of Enlisted’s free-to-play business model which provides little barrier to bad actors who wish to spread their hate and bigotry.
Bigots and racists aside, some players make it their sole purpose to team kill, and according to many in the community, nothing is being done about it, with the most famous of these team killers having been reported well over 100 times without action being taken against him.
While I cannot confirm the validity of these numbers, I feel the developers should include a safeguard, with any player having more than five teamkills per day receiving a suspension for 24 hours and repeat offenders facing possible bans.
Everyone can make a mistake in the heat of battle, but 30+ team kills in a single match is no accident, and the developers must react quickly to such cases if they wish to avoid discontentment in the community.
HOW MUCH DOES ENLISTED COST?
Enlisted is free-to-play, with optional DLC and microtransactions that, unlike premium units and weapons.
Freemium is the only business model that makes sense for a new large scale battle IP title launching in 2021 and beyond; while long-established franchises such as Battlefield and Battlefront have the fanbase to support retail releases, newcomers to the genre must come in at a level that everyone can afford.
This business model has seen PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds (formerly the worlds largest Battle Royale) overtaken by both Fortnite Battle Royale and Call of Duty Warzone in the Battle Royale genre, and already its tenuous third-place position is challenged by Apex Legends, which continues to grow with each passing season.
The freemium model benefits everyone, with players and developers alike reaping the rewards of a massive and engaged community,
Enlisted looks to be no different and will grow to be serious competition for the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises if DarkFlow Studio and Gaijin Entertainment handle the next 24 months correctly.
IS ENLISTED A WELL-OPTIMISED GAME?
Enlisted was originally envisioned as a title that would remain free of 8th generation hardware restrictions, and as a result, it is one of the few FPS able to offer full 4k/120 FPS support this early in the 9th generation.
However, In light of the Playstation 4/Xbox One release of Enlisted, I am concerned the developers will be forced to cut corners when designing future content to avoid overburdening 8th generation consoles, which are already being pushed to their limits to maintain a stable 30FPS as is.
TL;DR: Enlisted is well optimised on 9th generation consoles, but the 8th generation ports are unimpressive.
DOES ENLISTED HAVE A CASH SHOP?
This is one area in that Enlisted fails badly, while all free-to-play and by extension freemium titles need microtransactions to survive, Enlisted’s entire business model revolves around selling units and weapons, many of which are substantially better than anything available freely in-game.
Even when an equally powerful unit or weapon is available via in-game means, it is subject to immense RNG and grind, resulting in a soft paywall that ensures paid players have a clear advantage over a free player.
IS ENLISTED PAY2WIN?
While players receive a generous amount of multiple in-game currencies (some of which having multiple sub currencies), players who do not have the excessive time required to unlock the best weapons and units will be tempted to purchase premium squads.
The problem with selling premium squads is they represent dozens of hours of grind for the average player, meaning a player with substantial disposable income will be able to “buy their way to the top”, which is by all reasonable standards the very definition of pay2win.
Though not entirely pay2win, Enlisted flirts very close to the line and occasionally steps over it.
WHAT ARE THE GRAPHICS LIKE?
DarkFlow Studio has taken great care to ensure that every weapon, building, vehicle and uniform is as authentic as possible; when traversing the massive maps, I am often impressed by how detailed seemingly trivial items are.
The developers are clearly proud of their work, and they should be; offering maps of this scale while supporting bullet penetration physics and destructible environments is no easy feat, doing so while ensuring the map performs well and is pleasing to the eye in something else entirely.
DOES IT HAVE GOOD CHARACTER CUSTOMISATION?
Players are able to select different soldiers to fill their units, however at this time, that does not include female units, which while the developers have said they are coming, they will be limited to factions and units which historically saw female service members, which implies female soldiers will be almost exclusively part of the USSR which saw over 500,000 women join the Red Army, with many seeing combat, such as the 1077th Anti-Aircraft Regiment and Aviation Group 122.
CAN I PLAY ENLISTED WITH A CONTROLLER ON PC?
Yes, there is unofficial controller support; however, many players report that Xbox controllers require a lot of configuration and PlayStation controllers are not officially supported and perform poorly.
While it’s likely there will be full support for various controllers on PC in the future, using a mouse/keyboard is the only real option for PC players who wish to play competitively.
IS ENLISTED FUN TO PLAY?
Enlisted could be the start of an entirely new sub-genre that brings elements of party-based roleplay and squad management into a first-person shooter with the scope of a mil-sim.
Being able to select individual soldiers from your units and customise their personal loadouts is something we don’t get in the FPS genre; it is something more commonly seen in single-player roleplaying games, and it’s refreshing to experience it in a different genre, especially one as fast-paced and social as an MMO FPS.
Commanding a squad of soldiers allows players to tackle objectives alone or alongside other players in a coordinated assault, the additional bodies on the field ensuring that battles are both engaging and ultimately rewarding.
Unlike more traditional shooters, camping is actively encouraged; a well-structured defence is finally as important as a strong offence.
In one of my first matches, my team were beaten back to our final objective and looked set to lose the battle, we had fought long and hard to defend each of the previous objectives, utilising buildings and terrain to slow the enemy’s progress, but it was here at our final line of defence that we fought our hardest.
Players who ran out of ammo fought with their knives. We picked up weapons from fallen friend and foe alike.
We were almost driven out three times before finally securing the objective. It was immersive, engaging, rewarding, and, frankly, the best large scale battle I have participated in.
It’s this uniqueness that will ensure Enlisted remains active long into the 9th generation and hopefully beyond.
WHAT’S NOTABLE ABOUT ENLISTED?
8th Generation Release: Despite launching as a 9th generation exclusive, Enlisted released onto 8th generation consoles in October 2021.
While I am glad that Enlisted now benefits from the skill, comradery and experience that 8th generation console owners can bring, I cannot help but wonder how enjoyable the experience will be for them or others who play alongside them, with 8th generation consoles being limited to 30FPS and 9th generation consoles being capped at 4k/120FPS.
Overpowered Premium Squads: While less of an issue while Enlisted was a closed beta, where access to the closed beta required the purchase of at least one premium squad, in open beta, there is a clear divide between free and premium squads and free2play players are at a serious starting disadvantage when playing against premium squads.
Is the challenge insurmountable? of course not, I was able to do very well with basic “free” squads, and my single highest K/D match was achieved mostly with free squads; however, defeating a premium squad with a free2play squad is considerably more difficult than defeating a free2play squad with a premium one.
While I would like to say I have faith this will change, based on some of the other titles with similar scope by the same publisher, we are not only likely to see this state of affairs continue but worsen as additional premium units become available for purchase.
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Progression: Playing through the campaigns allows players to feel some tangible form of progression; unlocking new units, vehicles, and weapons feels great until it doesn’t.
Right now, the progression feels spot-on, but I cannot help but feel that eventually, Enlisted will need to make unlocks harder to attain, as a freemium title depends on long term commitment, and to be honest, cash shop purchases to ensure its continued survival.
I certainly hope that is not the case, and I would love to see the unlock cadence remain as it is now, but I cannot see it happening in the long term.
A realistic MMO FPS like Enlisted does not have an extensive selection of possible cosmetic items to sell, unlike DarkFlow Studio’s other title on the same engine (CRSED: F.O.A.D), where just about any skin or cosmetic item would “fit” due to the bizarre narrative and setting of the title.
There are only so many unit designs possible in an authentic WW2 setting, and sooner or later, Enlisted will have to change if it hopes to remain financially viable once every unique combination of WW2 nation/unit has been exhausted.
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DOES ENLISTED HAVE MATURE CONTENT?
Enlisted is rated mature for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, in addition to having a rather toxic online community; while perfectly acceptable for those who are mature enough to handle it, I do not recommend Enlisted to those opposed to mature content or toxic interactions online.