Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Without a doubt, we have been spoiled by the sheer number – and quality – of war games available on our consoles. We have soldiers with tech-scopes, fast-firing weapons of all shapes and sizes, and drones or robot dogs helping us in the battle arena.
We have also ventured into a couple of World Wars, with arenas featuring more basic weaponry and slower-paced skirmishes.
But I don’t think I have ever played a game in which it takes ten seconds to reload a musket, while another player is playing the bagpipes to try and provide a bit of a buff.
That is the madness, and the brilliance, of Holdfast: Nations at War.
Endless Chaos: The Multiplayer Experience
There is something unique and charming about Holdfast: Nations at War. In a world of expensive cutscenes and multi-million dollar marketing budgets, what people might really want is to charge into an online war with someone next to them playing an AC/DC playlist at full blast. This game is a multiplayer-only war experience where you will be playing with 150 players online, with 32 different classes to choose from.
You won’t know what the hell is going on, and that is part of the beauty.
The Campaigns and Classes
Holdfast: Nations at War just starts, and there aren’t any cutscenes or explanations about what’s going on or even what you do to begin with. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, as you are left to choose between two different campaigns with the base game: The Napoleonic Wars, which took place in the 19th century, and the Frontline expansion, set in World War I.
Here, you get to choose your side and what class you want to be from a range of options. You can just be a frontline grunt with a musket, if that is your thing. Or you could be someone who helps operate the cannons, which involves making sure they are moved in the right direction and kept stocked. Alternatively, if you so wish, you could be a medic helping out in the epic wars. Or, as I mentioned, a musician – and yes, that was by far my favourite of the bunch.
Roleplaying and Mayhem
Then you pick a server from the full roster of ones that involve crossplay – so they are always busy – and then you are in a game. And believe me, Holdfast: Nations at War is very much unlike any other multiplayer game out there, and it will feel like entering a nightclub at first, with the barrage of sound and voices.That does mean that you will want to be mic’d up to fully enjoy this game, and this is also where teamwork makes the dream work.
You will join little squads, where you will find people roleplaying as their characters with different accents and comedic flair. It’s charming and fun, and that’s what makes the game work as well as it does. If it were based on gameplay alone, which is quite basic, it wouldn’t be as successful as it is. See, you can melee, shoot weapons, heal people, complete objectives, and take different points on the large map, but there is nothing here that you wouldn’t have seen before. But how it all comes together is where the magic lies.
The Sights and Sounds of War
Holdfast: Nations at War doesn’t look the prettiest either, and sometimes, the draw distance is a bit foggy. But it gets all those players online at once without much trouble, and that can only be commended.
Further, the menus are all clear, and the attention to detail with the different uniforms and some of the naval ships is excellent. Audio-wise, it is hard to talk about things too much, mostly because all you can hear are the shouts and musical playlists coming from all the other players online. It’s a chaotic sound, and I guess what war would actually sound like.
A Unique Multiplayer Gem for the Social Gamer
If you like playing solo story experiences, there is not a chance Holdfast: Nations at War will be for you. Similarly, if you don’t want to engage with other players, then once again, this will fall a bit flat. But joining the madness of Holdfast: Nations at War very much feels like playing online games years back, before all the trolling took place. Holdfast: Nations at War is much more tongue-in-cheek than other games of this type. It’s fun and stupid – and it’s that which will be enjoyed.
How long gamers will keep playing it for is the big question, but there’s no doubt that Holdfast: Nations at War has something special about it. And that’s why the servers are packed solid.
Your Links
The Frontlines Just Got BIGGER as Viral Hit Holdfast: Nations At War Charges onto Xbox Series X|S & PS5 – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-frontlines-just-got-bigger-as-viral-hit-holdfast-nations-at-war-charges-onto-xbox-series-xs-ps5/
Buy Holdfast: Nations at War on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/Holdfast-Nations-At-War/9PF53MDNSMHQ
Take in the Collector’s Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/holdfast-collectors-edition/9NTG0KN1XRG3/0010
