Heroes & Generals
| Heroes & Generals | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Reto-Moto |
| Publisher(s) | Reto-Moto |
| Composer(s) | Jesper Kyd |
| Engine | Retox |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | First-person shooter, strategy video game, Real-time strategy, combined arms shooter, WWII shooter |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Heroes & Generals is a free-to-play first-person shooter and strategy video game developed and published by Reto-Moto. Reto-Moto was founded by some of the original founders of IO Interactive and the Hitman series.[1] The developers called it a "mass participation game" in contrast to a traditional massively multiplayer online games, where the actions in the FPS-part of the game reflects into the strategy-part.[2] The player can use weapons from Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union.
Gameplay
The player starts with a soldier from each faction (United States, Soviet Union, Germany) and can buy additional soldiers with in-game credits. These soldiers are equipped with a default rifle and can play the Encounter game mode immediately. When entering a battle, the player is presented with an interactive map, showing terrain and which team controls which control points. In the Skirmish and Encounter game modes, the player must click on the spawn point of their team (or called faction) and can choose whether to spawn on foot or in a vehicle. In the Assault game mode, the same rules apply, except players can also spawn on control points captured by their team. Teams will always consist of soldiers from the same nation, unlike some World War II games that have teams of mixed nationalities. The game includes World War II era tanks, planes, and land vehicles. Infantry units are also a vital game play aspect. Tactical decisions made by officers in grand campaigns affect in-game support, reinforcements, and logistics. Players will encounter a variety of terrain, from fields and countryside to large cities.[3] The game features three game modes for the FPS-part of the game: Assault, Skirmish and Encounter.
Assault
In assault, one team will be defending from an offensive team, or in rare cases, two offensive teams. The goal of the offensive team is to capture control points in order to seize two or three (depending on the map) main control points, while the defensive team has to defend the points. The offensive team wins if it captures all main control points, while the defensive team can win by either holding out with all control points until a timer runs out, or capturing all the offensive team's control points. Assault cannot be played by players until their player level is 4. This unlocks the assault maps, after which all soldiers owned by that player can play assault, regardless of rank.
Skirmish
Skirmishes are basic games that can be played by any character that has reached Rank 1 (i.e. completed one Encounter battle). Skirmishes consist of two teams that each have a spawn point. These teams must then fight for control over three control points (01, 02, and 03). When a team is holding a point, a bar for that team at the top of the screen gradually fills up. The more control points occupied, the faster the bar will fill. The game ends when one team succeeds in holding multiple control points for long enough.
Encounter
The encounter game mode is a simplified version of a skirmish, designed for new players, but available for play by all. Like a skirmish, a team wins when it has held control points long enough to fill a bar at the top of the screen, but unlike a skirmish, there is only one control point. This allows new players to get a feel for the game, and will let them proceed to skirmishes following their first encounter round.
Features
Heroes & Generals also has unique features sets it apart from other World War II games. The use of vast terrain vegetation has allowed players to hide in brush and tall grass without worry of being spotted by snipers.[4] It is a free to play game, but, unlike other free to play online shooters, it has a campaign, various vehicles, and various small details which would make it comparable to games such as the Battlefield series or the Call of Duty series. Also, the game's command mode is able to be played using a tablet or smartphone. However, they have a different role in the game, in which they are commanders, or people who move troops and assault teams. The player takes his/her soldier through a career, choosing what weapons they will specialize in and where they will fight. The soldier can also be made to switch roles as they progress.
Development
Heroes & Generals is being developed using Reto-Moto's own browser based 3d game engine, called "Retox",[5] and is currently in the beta stage. The development-model is referred to as "User Driven Development", and the idea behind it is to show how the game is being made, and in the making the developers hope to get feedback from the players.[2]
Marketing and release
On October 7, 2011, Reto-Moto released the first teaser trailer for alpha-version of Heroes & Generals as an exclusive video on GameTrailers.[6]
The game was released for Microsoft Windows via Steam as a pre-release beta on July 11, 2014.[7]
The game was officially launched on September 23, 2016. [8]
References
- ^ "It's Battlefield 1942...2011, With Strategic Stuff to Boot". destructoid.com. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ^ a b Jesper, Kristiansen (2010-10-16). "Reto Moto om Heroes & Generals – Interview". Eurogamer.dk. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
- ^ Andersen, Kenneth. "Heroes & Generals Press Release". Heroes & Generals. reto-moto. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ "Large scale terrain vegetation". heroesandgenerals.com. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ "Heroes & Generals: Jacob Andersen Interview". mmorpgitalia.it. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ^ "Heroes & Generals community site". heroesandgenerals.com. 2011-10-10. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ^ "Heroes & Generals Now Available on Steam". Curse, Inc. 2014-07-11. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
- ^ "Heroes & Generals Has Now Launched!". heroesandgenerals.com. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2016-09-23.