Quick Look: Squad

Squad is probably the most intense FPS shooter I have ever played. It combines many aspects from many of my favorite games, such as the realism, and open world aspect of ARMA, with the battles of Battlefield, and the tactical aspect of Rainbow Six Siege.

Even in its current EARLY ACCESS — Alpha State (i know we’re sick of these Early Access titles), with its limited features, this game is a huge amounts of fun that’ll keep you busy for hours upon hours.

Squad is a massive online 50 vs 50 (100 player) squad based tactical first person combined arms warfare game.

A teammate and myself waiting for smoke to deploy so we can cross the road.
A teammate and myself waiting for smoke to deploy so we can cross the road.

There have been many times when my entire squad was either attacking, or being ambushed and sometimes stuck within a tiny building or area, where we have to fight our way out to survive. The game is both ticket and time based, so even though you can respawn usually after you die, you really don’t want to due to running your teams tickets down, so waiting to be revived by a team medic is the ideal solution. And the goal usually to capture or defend all the flags.

The graphics of the game aren’t the best, but they aren’t bad either. To me, all you need is semi modern graphics if the gameplay itself is fun, and this game provides that. The audio is okay and meh at the same time. While the sound of bullets and grenades going off are realistic and sound amazing, there is no real ambient atmospheric sounds such as nature, wind, trees, etc. You have some of that, but not enough, so if there arent bombs or bullets going off, its kinda silent, which again isn’t a major issue, but Squad would, or will be far more immersive when they implement this. I did notice some birds chirping in my past game though, so the devs have apparently thought of this and started to implement such audio.

This game is team and squad based, which relies on voice chat which in the game sounds amazing as walkie talkie/radio exchanges. This is not a game to play if you do not have a working microphone. This is not a game to play if you are a lone wolf. This game only fun when the team and squads within the team play together as such, and when they do, its such fun and magic.

One of the man vast open battlefields.
One of the many vast open battlefields.
Forest combat is very tricky
Forest combat is very tricky

This game requires other serious players who aren’t against following directions and rules. Squad simply does not work if everyone wants to be a hero or lone wolf. Follow your Squad leaders orders, work as a squad, and even mroe so as a team, and the game will be hugea mounts of fun.

I’ve joined a few games where the Squad leader didn’t have a mic, or at least wouldn’t talk, and the team would never gain objectives, and we’d all die, and it was no fun at all. I usually skip squads, or even games if the Squad leaders have no mic, and there is no squad communication with the other squads in order for the team to win.

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This game requires a bit of serious role playing if you want to enjoy it — know your part and do your job, take it seriously, and you will love this game.

But dont worry, it’s rare that you join a game where people just fuck about. Nearly every game that i’ve joined had serious players and it always feels the same no matter the players. Team work, squad work, togetherness is always the same. It’s fuckin amazing.

My squad heading out to complete and objective.
My squad heading out to complete and objective.
Squad going for an objective.
Squad going for an objective.

Currently this game is infantry only, and there are many classes, such as Medic, Sniper, and machine gunner, which all have their own special tools and weapons that help them perform tasks, but the devs are currently working on adding vehicles.

Squad all sorts of maps and battle types. Some maps are open desert, others are heavily wooded forests, some are more urban in villages, and some sections are in doors which provides nice close quarters combat.

Close Quarters in Squad
Close Quarters in Squad

I’m not too familiar with the teams, but it seems sometimes you’re in a modern army which have sights on their weapons and armor, and other times you’re on a rebel side which have limited weapons without sights and all the fancy stuff, such as Russian Rebels, or Taliban type fellas.

Squad's Server Browser
Squad’s Server Browser

This game has a server browser as well, which is awesome. The auto match making other games have is crap, takes ages, and hardly ever works properly, such as Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege.

My squad preparing to take over an area.
My squad preparing to take over an area.

There are some major bugs, but nothing game killing. The climbing over obstacles is a bit annoying, I think its reliant on the stamina system which seems simple — you have a bar and once you use it up, there is a cool off time. But even sometimes if you stop running with the bar half way, it wont let you run again til its full. Weird, and annoying, surely needs tweaked and improved, but I thought for the longest time that climbing over things were based on this system, but i recently discovered you can easily climb over things by pressing the couch key as you jumped over.

The stamina/running system is interesting though and adds another thing you have to think about as a soldier because you don’t want to use up your stamina and then need to run from enemy. This has happened many times wherre i was confronted by the enemy and was unable to run to safety. But then again it doesn’t make sense that you can’t rerun if the bar isn’t depleted. Still Alpha.

The only major bug i’ve came across is one time I was debilitated, and was able to fire my gun or change weapons after being revived by a medic. I had to type the “Suicide” command in console and respawn. Also one time I fell below user made sand bags and was stuck under the map, which I also had to suicide to get out of. These events only happened one time each though out of tens of hours of playtime.

The game has only crashed once on me in 15 hours of play.

Oh one more thing that is a bit annoying is the fall damage. I’m sure this will be resolved soon, but you can’t even stub your toe in the game without being gravely wounded.

Firing shots from under the map. Glitch
Firing shots from under the map. Glitch

Currently this game is on the Steam summer sale for $29.99 USD, and is usually $39.99, and It’s a steal even for the $39.99 price. You won’t find the game much cheaper than that, not even on third party key sites such a G2A. Get it while you can at the $29.99 price.

I’m really enjoying this game. No regrets.

It’s also really hard to go back to a shallow game such as Battlefield 4 after playing a game that feel so deep, realistic, and immservice as Squad does. You seriously grow and attachment to your squadmates.

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Steam store page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/393380/

Offical Website: http://www.joinsquad.com
There are some rumors that the price will go even higher than the $39 once they add vehicles

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