PlanetSide 2

 PC
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1356 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 800 out of 1356
  2. Mixed: 281 out of 1356
  3. Negative: 275 out of 1356

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  1. haberman13
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    Not the best game, but definitely the most fun game. Actually I take that back, it's the best game.

    Where is the 9.5 rating? I'll take away .5 for somewhat limited meta-game and vehicle options at release; however this is coming as the devs stated.

    Massive battles.. nothing like it. All PC gamers need to give their time/money to this fantastic game.
  2. Hyena_Grin
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    I've paid 60 dollars for games that were less polished, less graphically pretty, less entertaining, less technically brilliant, and balanced worse than this totally free game. Under normal circumstances I might resent the cash shop, but given that the majority of what actually makes you a superior player needs to be unlocked via play and cannot be purchased, and given the fact that theI've paid 60 dollars for games that were less polished, less graphically pretty, less entertaining, less technically brilliant, and balanced worse than this totally free game. Under normal circumstances I might resent the cash shop, but given that the majority of what actually makes you a superior player needs to be unlocked via play and cannot be purchased, and given the fact that the cash shop is the only way that the developers are making money, I have absolutely no qualms. The gameplay is deep and the scale truly massive. Persistent war with hundreds of people fighting over territory in a never-ending battle across three huge continents using infantry as well as ground and air vehicles. They have create an enormous amount of content and made all of it relevant, available to everyone regardless of how much they paid, and crucial to gameplay. When I saw that this game was absolutely free I had my doubts about how deep the gameplay could be, or how much of it would be locked away behind a cash shop, but they really did go above and beyond, providing an experience that many triple-A premium-priced titles fail to deliver without segregating the paying players away from the free players.

    I don't know how they did it. But they have managed something brilliant here, and I wish them great success. Not only for breaking new ground and taking a risk on giving their game away for free, but I would love to see more quality titles that follow in their footsteps.    … Expand
  3. mcloud313
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    The things Planetside 2 does are astounding, the scale is almost unbelievable. And to think that they have an Ultra graphics setting which isn't even released yet...this game proves by itself that PC gaming isn't dead by a long shot. No console could do what Planetside 2 is doing. The development team is one of the best I have ever seen at worrying about what the players want. I'm saddenedThe things Planetside 2 does are astounding, the scale is almost unbelievable. And to think that they have an Ultra graphics setting which isn't even released yet...this game proves by itself that PC gaming isn't dead by a long shot. No console could do what Planetside 2 is doing. The development team is one of the best I have ever seen at worrying about what the players want. I'm saddened by the amount of negative reviews of people that want a totally free game. The game is fun when playing by yourself but if you join an outfit and have a teamspeak or ventrilo server going it suddenly unfolds into one of the best games you've ever played. The sheer amount of strategy and communication needed to dominate the battlefield makes this game more of a military simulation than any other on the market. The room for growth for this game is unimaginable too, SOE isn't even close to done. If you write this free to play game off you are going to regret it. Don't be phased by all the people that just want a free ride and don't want to support the development team at all.… Expand
  4. cafebabe
    Nov 25, 2012
    5
    Free-to-play and MMOs are not my thing. I'm not able to invest much time in the game to get all the fancy stuff. And I do not want to spend money on the fancy stuff either. The game is not for casual gamers who want to shoot stuff for an hour or two and who do not like to get ripped apart by players who can invest more time. You always depend on finding an organised group so you have atFree-to-play and MMOs are not my thing. I'm not able to invest much time in the game to get all the fancy stuff. And I do not want to spend money on the fancy stuff either. The game is not for casual gamers who want to shoot stuff for an hour or two and who do not like to get ripped apart by players who can invest more time. You always depend on finding an organised group so you have at least some effect on the battle. The massive scale of the battle makes you feel insignificant unless your team does everything right. Finding such a team is hard and unexperienced/casual players are more likely to get kicked from a well organised squad. And there is no real objective - no goal to achieve for casual gamers other than to fight for sectors and resources. Capturing an entire continent takes days. So this game is not for me. And I hope, the Battlefield series will continue to offer me a better home.… Expand
  5. Lysh
    Nov 24, 2012
    0
    Great potential, that unfortunately falls flat. The graphics aren't amazing, but that's not surprising considering the scale they were going for. The biggest problem I have with this game is how much the game mechanics encouraging Team Killing. Seeing your supposed allies killing Sunderers (Mobile Spawn Points) so they can deploy one of their own in it's place in order to collect the expGreat potential, that unfortunately falls flat. The graphics aren't amazing, but that's not surprising considering the scale they were going for. The biggest problem I have with this game is how much the game mechanics encouraging Team Killing. Seeing your supposed allies killing Sunderers (Mobile Spawn Points) so they can deploy one of their own in it's place in order to collect the exp just ruins any enjoyment I had in the game.… Expand
  6. DrCraft
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    If i was one of the lovely people that gave this game a negative review, I COULD have said something about how the game doesn't run at top speed on my non-gaming computer. I COULD have poked at the fact that it's not the most noob friendly at times. But if I did that, i would be forgetting the part where the game has a) an extremely large map for a shooter b) some sense of teamwork that noIf i was one of the lovely people that gave this game a negative review, I COULD have said something about how the game doesn't run at top speed on my non-gaming computer. I COULD have poked at the fact that it's not the most noob friendly at times. But if I did that, i would be forgetting the part where the game has a) an extremely large map for a shooter b) some sense of teamwork that no other multiplayer shooter has and c) pvp battles in a scale that has never before been seen in any game. Really, a few weeks ago i got in a tank battle that had at least 1000 people duking it out across an entire valley. If 'modern shooter' means '20 person death match' to you, then you can keep your modern shooter. I'll take this instead.… Expand
  7. Colonel_Radec
    Nov 23, 2012
    10
    Excellent free 2 play game. Factions (and overall gameplay) are extremely well balanced . Skill always wins over $$. Graphics and performance are good. Epic scale. This is my favorite hardcore mp shooter on the market. Well worth learning how to play if you are up for a challenge.
  8. sharifkumar
    Nov 23, 2012
    9
    i have to give props to sony online entertainment for actually trying to make a triple-A MMOFPS title AND doing a great job at it!!!!!! most FPS games that come out now have a story mode and an online mode, while i believe that it should be one or the other (story mode OR online mode). if you love online FPS, you're gonna love planetside 2!!!!!!
  9. calxllum
    Nov 23, 2012
    10
    Personally so far with the game it is great. The game is rough around the edges but for what it is its very good. The first game sacrificed so much to have what it had and yet people say its better, the shooting was horrible. This game has fixed that, the devs listen to the community. And so many people also complain about technical difficulties, that's not really a game flaw. If youPersonally so far with the game it is great. The game is rough around the edges but for what it is its very good. The first game sacrificed so much to have what it had and yet people say its better, the shooting was horrible. This game has fixed that, the devs listen to the community. And so many people also complain about technical difficulties, that's not really a game flaw. If you actually searched for the problem you would find it is most likely the render distance option. The lack of in game tutorials is mostly solved by the fact that there are lots of people willing to help you, the game automatically puts you in a squad so you can just ask them. But is it really hard to point and shoot at the people in different colours? My experience with the game was great, seeing huge battles last for days and finally after lots of work taking that continent and then dropping over to another to fight there. I love the game, and for a free game it beats any others I know of.… Expand
  10. Neneioridraco
    Nov 23, 2012
    0
    When I first saw the trailer for Planetside 2 I thought "wow" this game must be awesome... and I am sure it has a great potential, so I am not going to talk about what others praise here about it, instead I'd like to tell you about my own experience with the game. Ok first of all I am aware there are video tutorials for this one, but I'm telling you get ready to suffer because the game isWhen I first saw the trailer for Planetside 2 I thought "wow" this game must be awesome... and I am sure it has a great potential, so I am not going to talk about what others praise here about it, instead I'd like to tell you about my own experience with the game. Ok first of all I am aware there are video tutorials for this one, but I'm telling you get ready to suffer because the game is not newbie friendly , so the first time you play you are launched in the middle of the field with nothing more but a small message like "good luck and kill your enemies" thing, so you are in this space pod falling down from above and the first thing that you will face as soon as you touch the ground is death... I thought to myself in disbelief "holly crap are there people camping spawn spots? how is this allowed on first place", btw something to notice is that I was killed by "generalfart" so that will also give you an idea of the kind of community thye are cooking there, I should have known better...so I started all over again and same bs... once you manage to get into an ally base you are not told what to do and whatsoever so this game sucks, is not fun to play , after all what did you expect from SOE and a freemium game, if you are into that sort of games (cashshop included) maybe this one is for you, otherwise move along and don't waste your time downloading and hd space installing this piece of crap… Expand
  11. Ghoster
    Nov 23, 2012
    2
    Bad attempt to make awesome multiplayer. First this game have one of uglier graphics this year, but this is not crucial for multiplayer game anyways. But, game fail in all other aspects. Glitchy, bad spawn points ruining the action, bad shooting are only few of bad thins this game bring to the table. Only good thing is free to play because if they charge for this would be really cheating.
  12. NasseSeta
    Nov 23, 2012
    5
    Planetside 2 has battles of epic scale and decent gfx but the gameplay is lacking and their F2P system went P2W even before the launch throwing everything balance related out of the window. Several bugs and lag issues along with the P2W factor make the game nearly unplayable.

    + Scale
    + Might get better
    + Cant get much worse

    - P2W
    - Balance
  13. Tumbl3r
    Nov 23, 2012
    4
    This is a game with a lot of unrealised promise, which suffers at the hands of a new community.
    I love big, class based FPS games, I even loved MAG, but its pretty difficult to love PS2. Its scale is awesome, but you are unlikely to see most of the map given the spawns and hotpoints tend to be at small locations many Km apart. Its gunplay is pretty poor, guns are uninspiring and bland    This is a game with a lot of unrealised promise, which suffers at the hands of a new community.
    I love big, class based FPS games, I even loved MAG, but its pretty difficult to love PS2. Its scale is awesome, but you are unlikely to see most of the map given the spawns and hotpoints tend to be at small locations many Km apart. Its gunplay is pretty poor, guns are uninspiring and bland with no impactful feel.

    There are youtube guides out there that state that the most important aspect of this game is logistics. This is true, the most useful people are usually the ones flying mobile spawn points but they are far above the action. As such, people rarely fly the mobile spawn points because the most useful part of the game is also incredibly boring.

    The other problem this game suffers from is that there is no sense of achievement, even when you capture an entire region of the map.

    The community at the minute is still adjusting, so while it may get better in the future at the minute the 10% of people that arent playing snipers are running round wildly with LMGs.

    The game is incredibly demanding on PCs due to its scale, and still has a lot of lag and bugs in the EU servers. The concept behind the game is excellent, the execution at the moment is just incredibly bland. In addition, for a game with this much stuff and scale, there is no real tutorial to speak of. A few notes exist in the in the pause/map screen but at the start of the game you are pretty much dropped in a warzone and told 'GO!' leaving you puzzled asking "go where? do what?" until you die.    … Expand
  14. steamruler
    Nov 23, 2012
    9
    This is the ultimate FPS, taking it to the next level. Have you ever felt the adrenaline rush when about 50 enemy foot soldiers and three tanks are approaching your location and you are all alone? Didn't think so.

    I was lost in the beginning, but what would you expect when you get dropped down into the middle of a war zone without any kind of tutorial. I had chosen the Vanu Sovereignty    This is the ultimate FPS, taking it to the next level. Have you ever felt the adrenaline rush when about 50 enemy foot soldiers and three tanks are approaching your location and you are all alone? Didn't think so.

    I was lost in the beginning, but what would you expect when you get dropped down into the middle of a war zone without any kind of tutorial. I had chosen the Vanu Sovereignty (also known as the VS) due to their futuristic battery powered laser weapons. I soon got the hang of it though, once I died I switched to Combat Medic due to me being a team player and their long(er) range primary weapon. I spawned at the recommended spawn and just went with the flow. Soon I was out at the front lines again.

    This game is nothing for casuals, it has friendly fire and you are not going to be able to take damage like in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for example. Between five and ten direct hits with the Combat Medic's primary weapon will kill you.

    I eventually dragged some friends into it and we all joined an outfit. Soon we were all in-game, sitting in a Sunderer (a 12 person vehicle with dual anti-artillery cannons that can be used by two passengers) moving towards the front lines. Once we were there we deployed it, making it a mobile base. The developers have really thought out the team element and playing in a group makes this whole game a lot better.

    I haven't had this fun in a very long time.    … Expand
  15. newlynx
    Nov 23, 2012
    9
    Planetside2 is the epitome of modern FPS games. It belong to the MMO scene and brings a different approach to warfare. Forget about 16,32 or 64 battles. In PS2 2000 players can fight in the same continent creating some very huge and epic battles.
    But the most important thing is that the developers listen the community and bring improvements in regular basis. I haven't seen any other game    Planetside2 is the epitome of modern FPS games. It belong to the MMO scene and brings a different approach to warfare. Forget about 16,32 or 64 battles. In PS2 2000 players can fight in the same continent creating some very huge and epic battles.
    But the most important thing is that the developers listen the community and bring improvements in regular basis. I haven't seen any other game where the development team participate in the forums and discuss several issues with players. The game is Free to Play so it is very easy to try it and play without giving a dime. It needs some focus in the beginning because of its scale but soon you will understand how to play.    … Expand
  16. NDiggy
    Nov 22, 2012
    5
    The biggest problem with Planetside 2 though is that is commits the cardinal sin of free to play games. Players that pay have a marked advantage over those who don't. Earning enough free credits for basic upgrades is agonizingly slow. If you want to play, expect to pony up some cash up front or be left in the dust.

    Now to cover the other problems. Its poorly optimized. The servers    The biggest problem with Planetside 2 though is that is commits the cardinal sin of free to play games. Players that pay have a marked advantage over those who don't. Earning enough free credits for basic upgrades is agonizingly slow. If you want to play, expect to pony up some cash up front or be left in the dust.

    Now to cover the other problems. Its poorly optimized. The servers aren't very good. The game looks bland on max settings. The controls aren't very tight. I've put in about 12 hours now, and every battle ends up being the exact same thing, one team corralling the other team in their base. There's no hope of a mass break out or of winning, yet the game can drag on for hours on end. The lack of any kind of tutorial is frustrating and will surely turn away casual players in droves the first time they're dropped into the middle of an active combat zone.

    Players that participated in the beta are at a clear advantage with their knowledge of the maps and classes. New players are mere cannon fodder, which would be fine except for the fact that the learning curve is made steeper by the fact that those players that invested money in the game have an even bigger advantage.

    Yes, the scale is impressive, but when it comes to balance and pure fun, Battlefield 3 has it beat hands down. For pure multi-player joy, CoD: Black Ops II is a much better and polished product with moments of grin inducing mayhem. And for those of you PC guys with an Xbox 360, Halo 4 multiplayer stomps PS2.

    The game just feels low budget and generic. PS2 would have greatly benefitted if they had simply charged for the game up front instead of nickle and diming players.    … Expand
  17. Patches864
    Nov 22, 2012
    9
    It's basically Halo + Battlefield 3 on a map that is about 75 km^2. Well balanced, and lots of fun with a good amount of character customization. Plus, it is completely free. If you choose to pay anything, the items you can buy are entirely side-grades and flair, and do not make you a better player. A level 10 that pays will be on equal footing with a level 10 that doesn't pay (notIt's basically Halo + Battlefield 3 on a map that is about 75 km^2. Well balanced, and lots of fun with a good amount of character customization. Plus, it is completely free. If you choose to pay anything, the items you can buy are entirely side-grades and flair, and do not make you a better player. A level 10 that pays will be on equal footing with a level 10 that doesn't pay (not that character level matters too much anyway, a max level character might be ~20% "better" than a level 1 because they can do minor things like add grips to their guns, carry more ammo and repair things quicker). My one complaint would me a lack of a meta-game, as you never get to a point where you "win". You can take over a continent for a brief period of time, but there is never a screen that says "round over, you win!". Only a permanent game over territory control. Capturing a base after a several hour assault still feels good though :P… Expand
  18. stefmor90
    Nov 22, 2012
    9
    Great game, played since beta. It's one major flaw is that's it's near impossible to unlock anything, even for a free game. You usually start with simple one point certifications, but then the price skyrockets to 100's for a simple bonus. In fact, there is not a single weapon in the game for under 100 certifications.
  19. Thunderballs
    Nov 22, 2012
    4
    Yeah this game is pretty overhyped. It was a poor choice to take on such extreme graphics for a F2P game. It looks great, but runs like trash. The scaling in reduction of graphical settings is subpar at best. This leaves anyone with a mid to entry level gaming rig excluded from enjoying this game. The gameplay is a whole different story. The map is a **** giving you so much information youYeah this game is pretty overhyped. It was a poor choice to take on such extreme graphics for a F2P game. It looks great, but runs like trash. The scaling in reduction of graphical settings is subpar at best. This leaves anyone with a mid to entry level gaming rig excluded from enjoying this game. The gameplay is a whole different story. The map is a **** giving you so much information you cant process what is going on. There is no clear objective as to where you should be headed or going unless you are in a squad and receiving orders from another player. The scale of the game is questionable at best. The game draws heavily from the Battlefield series, but fails to deliver a controled mechanism for preventing an all out **** to occur. I have found myself kill spawned over and over and over. I have found myself spawning in a group of friendlies only to be pinned down by superior enemy forces. There really is no protection or passive base defenses. Aside from this the battles can last for hours, or dare I say days? This kind of scaling isnt fun for the average gamers, if you cant sit down and accomplish something significant in a 30-60 minute period, than the game development has been designed to accomodate a niche group of hardcore players. All in all Planetside 2 really has some potential for further development. The scale of the game and the sheer rigorous pacing of the game will turn many players off.… Expand
  20. Balloom
    Nov 22, 2012
    8
    This game offers everything: action, strategy, graphics, free to play, action, and even more free to play. The game play is amazing and just what a lot of people have been looking for in a game. While most in most games, a lot is 64 people to a server, this game increases all previous limits of game play. The maps are bigger, the player number is bigger, and altogether, it makes it seemThis game offers everything: action, strategy, graphics, free to play, action, and even more free to play. The game play is amazing and just what a lot of people have been looking for in a game. While most in most games, a lot is 64 people to a server, this game increases all previous limits of game play. The maps are bigger, the player number is bigger, and altogether, it makes it seem like any war that would take place in real life. There is almost no way for one person to carry the entire race, no matter how much skill they have. With most games, skill is the most important factor, but with this game, while it still plays its part, strategy and numbers bring themselves in as dominating forces, making the game so much more realistic and exceeding all the expectations that I had for this game. SOE has done a brilliant job, and I hope to see more games like this in the future.… Expand
  21. Ajdino
    Nov 21, 2012
    4
    At first I was really blown away by the game, then things started to get really boring, seeing as how SOE makes it extremely difficult to get different gear without paying for it. So customization is out the window. There's nothing really much to the game that's different from any other fps, other than the fact that you have very big maps, but even Arma easily covers that area. Then, IAt first I was really blown away by the game, then things started to get really boring, seeing as how SOE makes it extremely difficult to get different gear without paying for it. So customization is out the window. There's nothing really much to the game that's different from any other fps, other than the fact that you have very big maps, but even Arma easily covers that area. Then, I step back even further from the battles, and I see that basically, there isn't much chance of a faction winning an entire map, so it's just an endless war. After playing for approximately 6 hours straight, I'm not really impressed. I'm not shelling out money to enjoy myself.… Expand
  22. stratus41298
    Nov 21, 2012
    5
    This game is not finished. It feels rushed. I tried playing it but given that there was little to no tutorial I found myself running around and dying repeatedly with no idea what I was doing. My default FPS experience worked fine when I was running and gunning with no real game plan; it was when I tried to play a medic or engineer that the true frustration came in. I'm generally a supportThis game is not finished. It feels rushed. I tried playing it but given that there was little to no tutorial I found myself running around and dying repeatedly with no idea what I was doing. My default FPS experience worked fine when I was running and gunning with no real game plan; it was when I tried to play a medic or engineer that the true frustration came in. I'm generally a support character because I feel that the 13 years olds' are simply better shots than me in my twenties. I like to heal people or repair generators.

    My short stint in this game as a medic proved an act of futility. My attempt at reviving downed players resulted in bugs. Revive icons were always lateral to the actual downed player leading to much confusion on the battlefield and 90% of the time the game didn't even register that I was reviving someone! Nothing like standing out in the open with the camera pointing down for precious extra seconds hoping the medic gun would actually connect and I would not only do some good on the battlefield but earn my well deserved XP!

    My stint as an engineer led to just as much frustration with the announcer stating there was a generator down without stating what generator or where. There was no tutorial for the HUD map so I had no idea if the generator even had a waypoint nor could I find a legend to speak of to figure it out on my own. Obsessively the announcer would inform me of a downed generator and it likewise being repaired but I gave up trying to find it after wandering aimlessly throughout all of the buildings dying over and over in an attempt to repair it! Finally as a standard, assaulting, run and gun player did I find ANY resemblance of a typical MMO shooter. The sheer number of players was both impressive AND chaotic since death literally loomed over every corner. This is more of a personal preference really since the original game was much the same. I personally think this volume is too much chaos but I can see the appeal.

    In conclusion, this game DESPERATELY needs a proper tutorial outside of the gaming community to teach the various aspects of the game. Had I had such a tutorial I feel as though I would have been much more forgiving with the other faults as I could have at least participated in the fray instead of simply dying repeatedly in an attempt to bring myself to a mere novice level.    … Expand
  23. DtADrUnK
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    I am not quite sure what everyone is talking about with in game bugs as I have not experienced any game breaking ones over the course of my play time thus far, at least nothing worth giving this game a 0.... The only inexcusable bug would be the total lack of optimization for AMD based processors... I am lucky enough to have had a Intel/Nvidia based system so it runs beautifully for me. II am not quite sure what everyone is talking about with in game bugs as I have not experienced any game breaking ones over the course of my play time thus far, at least nothing worth giving this game a 0.... The only inexcusable bug would be the total lack of optimization for AMD based processors... I am lucky enough to have had a Intel/Nvidia based system so it runs beautifully for me. I did not play Planetside 1 so I have nothing to base this game on but as it stands I have never played a FPS MMO that is this engaging. I can almost RP in this game, patrolling, guarding, attacking, infiltrating, outposts and small bases on my own. And the sheer volume of players in the large skirmishes on the map is mind boggling. If you have never played the first one and have an Intel Based System give it a shot! Its like no other FPS you have played.. If you are familiar with the first Planetside game you might be a tad disappointed in this one. And since it is free what is there to lose? Bandwidth? Try it out either way your not losing anything.... AMD users wait for a patch.… Expand
  24. Chomag
    Nov 21, 2012
    6
    I wanted to like the game but, sadly, it comes short at a bit of points. 1st up, you will die. A LOT. VERY EASY.
    2nd, snipers will kill you. A LOT. VERY EASY. This is very annoying as it seems a lot of players do nothing but sit on roofs and shoot at everything that moves, meaning that as soon as you walk outside of a building, you're a dead man. One of the gazillion enemy snipers will 1    I wanted to like the game but, sadly, it comes short at a bit of points. 1st up, you will die. A LOT. VERY EASY.
    2nd, snipers will kill you. A LOT. VERY EASY. This is very annoying as it seems a lot of players do nothing but sit on roofs and shoot at everything that moves, meaning that as soon as you walk outside of a building, you're a dead man. One of the gazillion enemy snipers will 1 shot you.

    There is hardly any strafing as you won't hit anything without aiming and when you aim you move really slow and can't strafe.

    Something else annoying is that you walk quite a lot to get to the fight, provided a sniper doesn't kill you on the way there, and then die in 2 seconds.    … Expand
  25. cubbieshater
    Nov 21, 2012
    0
    Keeping the original game's thoughts in mind, I feel they have completely disregarded the fan base in which brought this game into being. I will not be spending the dozens of hours in which I did during the original PlanetSide, just my opinion.
  26. DogFacedGod
    Nov 21, 2012
    3
    Bugs, screen flickering, graphical distortions and lag issues make this an horrible experience. This game feels rushed and unfinished which seems strange because of the lengthy beta.

    I will try it out again over a month i think. Maybe after some patching up these issues will be resolved.
  27. distalled
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Planetside 2 is the spiritual succsessor to Planetside 1, and it offers a product and experience as unique as the original. 2000 people on a map, 64x64km large, in a never ending battle for supremacy and bragging rights. Planetside offers every facet of war to a player, and at the low cost of free. While other games gouge players with necessary transactions to enjoy the full experience,Planetside 2 is the spiritual succsessor to Planetside 1, and it offers a product and experience as unique as the original. 2000 people on a map, 64x64km large, in a never ending battle for supremacy and bragging rights. Planetside offers every facet of war to a player, and at the low cost of free. While other games gouge players with necessary transactions to enjoy the full experience, SOE has decided to leave their experience relatively unsullied by adhering to a very inviting and honest F2P model.

    Truly the only game in the market to offer massive battles you're sure to talk about for days, Planetside is not without its faults in early stages. The game still has a few minor bugs and a steep learning curve. If attacked as a MMO, Planetside's learning curve is rather par for the course, but lacks good tutorials in games, mostly because it lacks the grinding mechanics that offer tutorials in other games. If apporached as a shooter, which it can easily be basically seen as.. the lack of a tutorial campaign and simplicity of play can be jarring to some players.

    That being said, Planetside 2 is a remarkable game. A remarkable experience, and hopefully just the beginning for an evolution in MMOs from point and click to full interactive awesomness.    … Expand
  28. Ricje
    Nov 21, 2012
    9
    I have been waiting for this game ever since I first saw "Planetside Next" being mentioned somewhere several years ago. Planetside being my first ever MMO (of any genre) just stuck to me. When it went downhill (Duo-Core CPUs causing players to exploit and "cheat" with movement speed etcetera) I quit playing and hoped they were going to fix it all. Eventually I gave up hopes on it and whenI have been waiting for this game ever since I first saw "Planetside Next" being mentioned somewhere several years ago. Planetside being my first ever MMO (of any genre) just stuck to me. When it went downhill (Duo-Core CPUs causing players to exploit and "cheat" with movement speed etcetera) I quit playing and hoped they were going to fix it all. Eventually I gave up hopes on it and when I noticed the PS website being ruined some years later I hoped that they would some day make a Planetside 2. FINALLY!

    Planetside 2 is a great successor to the original Planetside. While I do feel that the way bases are handled now are somewhat more harsh and lengthy I am also happy that they decided to get rid of the base resource system. The battles are bigger than ever as well and bases also yield unique bonuses to your faction if you have them under control, making them worth fighting for.

    Graphics are awesome. If anyone tells you that they're outdated, from a previous era or whatever, ignore them and tell them to buy a pair of glasses.
    The weather system is a great addition to the game as well as the day/night cycle although the latter can be somewhat frustrating at the time. I do like the combat at night as it gives you the opportunity to try stealth tactics with your squad, platoon and/or outfit.

    Combat is great. Think Battlefield but instead of 64vs64 it's 2000vs2000vs2000 PER CONTINENT. You won't ever have a situation where every player of every faction is in one spot because of the extremely large continents and the well spreaded base locations. Unlike the old Planetside base capturing mechanics you now have multiple bases that you can assault. This can lead to interesting results since the base you're rolling out from might get flanked from the south by the New Conglomerate while your intentions are to move east to battle the Vanu Sovereignty and capture their base there.

    Years of waiting patiently has paid off. I already had several epic battles. One of them lasting for over 3 hours at a single base, which we eventually lost but regained after 3 hours of fighting making a total of 6 hours of awesome combat!

    Certification Points are given at a steady rate per hour (even when you're offline) as well as for every 500 experience you earn and are used to upgrade your weapons, add attachments to them, unlock new weapons and other class specific abilities/utilities as well as unlock things for your vehicles.

    Early on you could think that everything is way too expensive but once you start shooting enemies around you, you'll forget about this problem and get used to the way they're earned.

    I do have a couple of issues with the game at this time.
    * The queue system does not work properly at the time of writing this review
    * Players experience random freezes which lead to crashes. Because of the population on the first few servers this leads to long queues.
    * I feel that the resources spent on air vehicles vs the countdown time is somewhat unbalanced. Early on, without certification points, it takes up to 20 minutes to buy a Mosquito so players that spend Station Cash are at an unfair advantage as they're able to buy early upgrades which means that players that did not spend any cash have a high chance of losing a battle (if skills are equal or close to).
    * Infantry resources give me mixed feelings. I'm pretty much always capped unless I spend everything on grenades and mines.
    * The servers are extremely laggy up to the point you see players teleport around (the game just launched so nothing new really. Wasn't expecting a perfect launch although I hoped they were a bit more prepared, see below).

    This aside, the game runs smooth even with massive combat going on and the lag will most definitely settle down once everything has been sorted out by SOE.

    While I feel SOE could've prepared better (and keeping their past failed MMOs in mind) and should've done more early on, the hype this game created and the amount of players that tried to push their way through that small doorway called "server" shows that there is still a great fanbase out there that's eager to play this wonderful game as well as many new players that want to give this game a try.

    I give this game a 9. No game is perfect. Every game has its flaws.
    The negative points I brought up have absolutely nothing to do with the fact I did not give it a 10. I just feel that giving any game for that matter a 10 would mean that the game in question is supposedly perfect and wouldn't have any issues/flaws/downsides at all.    … Expand
  29. Dirtythekid
    Nov 21, 2012
    9
    Long story short: Planetside 2 is a non-story driven MMOFPS which uses large-scale Battlefield gameplay mechanics to control territories in a Tribes-like universe. Is it a new idea? Not really. But is it fun? Yes, very much so.

    When you start the game, aside from a few pop-up windows and small descriptive boxes, you really don't know WTF you're doing. Now I know this may discourage new    Long story short: Planetside 2 is a non-story driven MMOFPS which uses large-scale Battlefield gameplay mechanics to control territories in a Tribes-like universe. Is it a new idea? Not really. But is it fun? Yes, very much so.

    When you start the game, aside from a few pop-up windows and small descriptive boxes, you really don't know WTF you're doing. Now I know this may discourage new players, but I actually really enjoyed it. Spawning in a room with soldiers frantic running all around me, I just sort of joined the fray and followed the guy in front of me and I was fighting in a couple of minutes.

    The guns feel solid and while you don't start out with many weapons, there is enough diversity between the classes' arsenals to last you a while. Every FPS has a learning curve when you're factoring in bullet-time, recoil compensation, and tracking enemy movement past a firing muzzle while sighted in, and Planetside 2 is no different. Learn your weapons early on.

    The battlefield feels like a war with no generals, so each player must decide his role on his own. Provide support for a frontline defense, sneak past the enemy to provide sniper support from the rear, or just go out guns blazing, there are tons of options here. The terrain makes for very interesting battles and provides loads of unique cover opportunities. For those of you looking for a real reason to fight, you'll be a bit disappointed. You're signing up for a gigantic turf war that gives you little reason to care about your territory being lost other than the fun in defending it and pushing back. I'm really hoping they add some more story elements to the game, it feels a bit hollow in that department.

    Aside from a lack of story, everything about Planetside 2 feels solid. The environments are engrossing and the battles have a way of becoming very believable. SoE didn't re-invent the wheel with this game, but they definitely did a good job of oiling the crap out of it.    … Expand
  30. OliverGrau
    Nov 21, 2012
    5
    The concept of this game blew me away, I couldn't imagine such a great idea! The Graphics are so impressive, the World is so big and there are so many players. The gameplay is great aswell, it's similiar to a lot of other games out there but when that gameplay meets that big scale, then it just... Dies, litteraly dies. I hate running for 5 to 10 minutes just to get killed when I even getThe concept of this game blew me away, I couldn't imagine such a great idea! The Graphics are so impressive, the World is so big and there are so many players. The gameplay is great aswell, it's similiar to a lot of other games out there but when that gameplay meets that big scale, then it just... Dies, litteraly dies. I hate running for 5 to 10 minutes just to get killed when I even get to the fight. The big World and the gameplay doesn't really fit, if you love to fight. Oh, and about those fights, then the classes you can play are so unbalanced, it's crazy. I know they all got some pros and cons which is good, but it isn't balanced enough. The conclusion: It's a game with great potential, putting all those great aspects together, but not all those great Things fit together, which is sad, when I really want to love the game.… Expand
  31. leherpdeladerp
    Nov 21, 2012
    6
    Unoptimized beta. Bugs.
    Don't get me wrong, every software has bugs but how can you release a game in beta stage? I sank into the ground 3 times for less than 1 hour. Just an example of what kind of bugs you will come across.
    I like the idea of the game I'm looking forward to play it but please, Sony... Before you release a game make sure doesn't have at least trivial bugs.
  32. PliskinCat
    Nov 21, 2012
    9
    One of the best FPS', if not games of the year. Want tactical action? Check. Large scale battles? Check! Vehicle and infantry warfare? It's all here. Free to play? That's just the icing on the cake.

    Want some advice, get into a good squad and outfit as soon as possible. Even a small tactical squad of 5-6 will increase your enjoyment tenfold.
  33. Waroto
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Planetside 2, where do I start. First I must say that this game has revolutionized the way I have thought about FPS games. Most people work as teams, and this game has you making friends and following people into huge battles. This game is still amazing and I've been playing since priority beta. Good job SOE!
  34. CrispyOats93
    Nov 21, 2012
    3
    Had great potential. Seems to have very bad optimization for Amd processors. Very low frame rates and game looks blurry even with settings maxed.
    I'm sure that it's a decent game, but it is unplayable on a mid range desktop.
  35. jetmorph
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Planetside 2 is a very successful fusion of the FPS shooter with MMO genres. Including very solid first person shooter game play, with customization through unlockable weapons and perks comparable to talents and equipment from your standard mmo. Its a "Free to Play game" and all the weapon choices can be unlocked with time or money. The only things you cant unlock with "cert points" (thePlanetside 2 is a very successful fusion of the FPS shooter with MMO genres. Including very solid first person shooter game play, with customization through unlockable weapons and perks comparable to talents and equipment from your standard mmo. Its a "Free to Play game" and all the weapon choices can be unlocked with time or money. The only things you cant unlock with "cert points" (the game's version of currency used to unlock perks and weapons) are cosmetic items and experience boosts. So i definitely recommend everyone give it a try because nothing can compare with fighting with hundreds of other players to take over a small outpost being defended by hundreds of other players… Expand
  36. Fabs
    Nov 21, 2012
    9
    Epic mmofps . Thousands of players all on the same map.
    The first planetside was revolutionary the 2nd is much the same. It's in my all time if not the best game I have ever played. I can't recommend this enough! First time player has a bit of a learning curve but get in a good squad and or platoon and the fun really starts!
  37. Illanair
    Nov 21, 2012
    9
    In a genre that doesn't see an awful lot of games (good ones at that) Planetside 2 sure is a fresh breath of air for me. The choice to go Free 2 Play certainly doesn't hurt the playercount on the large continental maps that SOE have coughed up.

    Visually the game has the potential to be great - On par with many modern day shooter if applied a few tweaks to unlock the "Ultra Settings".    In a genre that doesn't see an awful lot of games (good ones at that) Planetside 2 sure is a fresh breath of air for me. The choice to go Free 2 Play certainly doesn't hurt the playercount on the large continental maps that SOE have coughed up.

    Visually the game has the potential to be great - On par with many modern day shooter if applied a few tweaks to unlock the "Ultra Settings".

    The gameplay (the most important aspect of course) is great. Once you join an Outfit (clan) in the game and start playing in groups, you'll really see where PS2 shines. Planning coordinated strikes using a large selection of vehicles and capture (back) bases that are critical to your advance on the enemy.

    There is still plenty of room for improvement - continents that aren't "square" shaped being one of my bigger gripes (and the complete lack of water on the playable battlefield), bugs in the marketplace module of the game and various launch day bugs that will hopefully be squashed soon enough.

    Final Verdict: 9

    Because the game is rather unique in its presentation, it has a dedicated dev team backing it and it shows great potential if nurtured - this may well become the single largest MMOFPS on the market in its lifespan.    … Expand
  38. Psyclosarin
    Nov 21, 2012
    5
    On the face of Planetside 2 is total brilliance, just the pure concept of the game and sheer scale is amazing. Although in saying this I feel there are too many positive reviews for this game because of people being "wowed" by how dramatically different the game is. The most major downside to this game is not so much that is has a hard learning curve it's the fact the the development teamOn the face of Planetside 2 is total brilliance, just the pure concept of the game and sheer scale is amazing. Although in saying this I feel there are too many positive reviews for this game because of people being "wowed" by how dramatically different the game is. The most major downside to this game is not so much that is has a hard learning curve it's the fact the the development team spent so much time in beta asking the community for input, much of this has been seen and is in the game however the most critical part of a game is getting players actually in to the game and actually caring about the faction they're fighting for. There is nothing, well, there's a 2 min into sequence that tells you nothing other that "Alright soldier we need to beat the enemy" and hot drops you onto a random base that has players in it. There is no tutorial on how to play the game, no new players understand what is going on and I'm finding it hard to keep my friends interested because they feel there is no substance to the game. Don't get me wrong, it's a brilliant platform for a game however there is no story that is given to you, no overview of the faction, hell, not even an explanation of why the hell these people are even fighting, it's a piss poor effort and doesn't deserve all the high praise it's been getting. There is a lot they need to fix, this should NOT have been release yet, it's not ready. They only "just" got the 3rd continent out a few weeks prior to release and has had little testing. There is a myriad of bugs that are inexcusable of a game expecting people the throw money at it for it's sheer awesomeness.... There is no polish to this game. A game with no story? That is inexcusable for any game.

    On a side note the gun play is frankly crap, you feel disconnected from your weapon because the recoil isn't smooth, it just bounces around unnaturally. Finally, I need to mention this game just keeps failing in the optimization department, if you're an AMD user you can practically give up on having good graphics or a decent FPS, you'll be lucky to get 30FPS in actual "Advertised" fights (more than 40 people in an area) not to mention you won't be able to get the nice shiny graphics provided by PhysX because it will fry your processor trying to use this. Overall..

    8/10 For the dev's effort, great so far
    5/10 Graphical performance
    7/10 Gameplay 0/10 Story/Factions/Lore/Background
    2/10 Introduction and training
    10/10 for atmosphere (provided you're not getting horrible FPS)

    Basically SOE need to sort their game out, sure they have a workable "fun" game but that's expected of a BETA and NOT a fully released game. It feels rushed and at least some effort into a story would have been a massive help to the game. But after a while this game gets very, very bland.

    I have some faith in SOE, I've supported them this whole beta and I expect great things from them over them over the next year and hey, maybe this time next year they'll have a game worthy of being called "complete".

    I suggest people pick this game up, give it a try and see if you enjoy the concept, even if it's a bit shoddy now it should be awesome down the track .    … Expand
  39. thecasio
    Nov 21, 2012
    8
    Great game. Massive battles with unlimited potential. The dev team listens to the community and really cares about their game. Look forward to a game that will evolve instead of being replaced by a new game 1 year after its release.
  40. quekwoambojish
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    COMPACT REVIEW FOR TLDR: Planetside 2 will not run on 'standard' systems easily. Planetside 2 is everything that it said it is (FPS,MMO,RPG,Free Roam,Very Customizable,Huge Battles). It is free so try it, and don't downgrade it because your system is not up to date. It is made to play with groups of buddies, but fun either way. The Graphics are awesome. The game is not played for story. ItCOMPACT REVIEW FOR TLDR: Planetside 2 will not run on 'standard' systems easily. Planetside 2 is everything that it said it is (FPS,MMO,RPG,Free Roam,Very Customizable,Huge Battles). It is free so try it, and don't downgrade it because your system is not up to date. It is made to play with groups of buddies, but fun either way. The Graphics are awesome. The game is not played for story. It is 100% pvp. There are tanks, apcs, atv, and futuristic aircraft you can fly + more. SOE is not amazing, but these devs are funny and put time into what they do. I have only given 3 or so games a 9/10 in my life, this game is one of them.… Expand
  41. Defacto
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    Been playing this game since the early beta. It has come a long way since then. Optimization is still a must but my god is this game fun. Solid gun mechanics (nearly perfect ttk), great environments, fun vehicles, and excellent team play. Nothing seems severely imbalanced. The outfit (clan) functionality is excellent and the inbuilt voip makes coordination very easy. First game I've seenBeen playing this game since the early beta. It has come a long way since then. Optimization is still a must but my god is this game fun. Solid gun mechanics (nearly perfect ttk), great environments, fun vehicles, and excellent team play. Nothing seems severely imbalanced. The outfit (clan) functionality is excellent and the inbuilt voip makes coordination very easy. First game I've seen that people are actually working together efficiently. Once you witness a tank column of 20 rolling through a ravine while you are perched on top looking across the battlefield cloaked as an infiltrator you will realize that no other fps really compares. Landmark achievement. I'm worried that it's high learning curve might scare some people off so please give it a chance and support the game. We need more epic games like this.… Expand
  42. Docs
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    No other game quite like it, 2000 players on a seamless continent makes for some amazing massive battles which can sometimes last for hours. On top of that the game is free, of course there is a cash shop, but all weapons can be earned through gameplay and are made to be 'sidegrades' rather than just power increases.

    It can take a while to get a handle of it, there's a lot to take in    No other game quite like it, 2000 players on a seamless continent makes for some amazing massive battles which can sometimes last for hours. On top of that the game is free, of course there is a cash shop, but all weapons can be earned through gameplay and are made to be 'sidegrades' rather than just power increases.

    It can take a while to get a handle of it, there's a lot to take in and finding out where you need to go on such massive continents can sometimes be difficult for new players. It all pays off though, well worth a download.    … Expand
  43. FinalBoss
    Nov 20, 2012
    8
    This game is a FPS on massive scale. The point is to play together cohesively as vehicle, infantry, and air support, and compete against 2 other factions to hold your own, with hundreds of other online players on the same map. On a smaller scale, you can form squads with friends or randomly, and work together to take objectives. If that's not your style, you can go lone wolf as well, butThis game is a FPS on massive scale. The point is to play together cohesively as vehicle, infantry, and air support, and compete against 2 other factions to hold your own, with hundreds of other online players on the same map. On a smaller scale, you can form squads with friends or randomly, and work together to take objectives. If that's not your style, you can go lone wolf as well, but the game rewards group play more, simply because you'll die less in a tight group. I've played since beta, there's a few kinks but those are just slight balancing issues. Overall, a solid multiplayer FPS.… Expand
  44. Palor
    Nov 20, 2012
    8
    Planet Side 2 is all about size. Just 1 of the 3 continents is larger than all the MW3 maps put together. The small skirmishes in this game tend to be 20 on 20, medium ones can easily be 50 plus. But where this game really shines is the big battles. Hundreds of people split up across 3 armies all fighting for control of the same zones with dozens of tanks and aircraft supporting them.Planet Side 2 is all about size. Just 1 of the 3 continents is larger than all the MW3 maps put together. The small skirmishes in this game tend to be 20 on 20, medium ones can easily be 50 plus. But where this game really shines is the big battles. Hundreds of people split up across 3 armies all fighting for control of the same zones with dozens of tanks and aircraft supporting them. If you are a lone wolf you will probably become easily bored, but if you enjoy team/squad based tactics there is nothing on the market that compares with PS2.

    The big battles when you get lots of particle effects flying around can be a bit of a resource hog. I have heard of people using AMD builds having more issues but can not testify to that as I run AMD and Nvidia. You also want a broadband network connection, being a shooter latency is very important. The good news if you are unsure about what your system can run the game is F2P so there is no reason not to try it.

    The one part we need to keep an eye on is the F2P element. While it is nice that anyone can try it time will tell if it becomes pay to win. So far it does not seem to do that. Mostly you buy XP boosts or cosmetic items. You can spend money on purchasing weapons also, so far there are not that many weapons to purchase and none of those that I have tried have been ridiculously overpowered. Most have trade offs like higher rate of fire but greater bullet spread. In the end they so far seem to balance themselves out.

    In the end it is a great change of pace from most all modern shooters on the market. As someone who enjoys being another soldier instead of a 1 man army I find the team based game play to be amazing. If you have the machine to do it the graphics look amazing good at higher settings. The servers also seem to be well made, even in the largest of battles I do not experience any real lag. You will occasionally see the random guy blinking across the battlefield but that is them lagging not the server. I would give it 8.5 if I could but will go with an 8. It has room to improve but so far so good.    … Expand
  45. freeze
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    A truely awesome, epic game. Everythign is well done. And these is just so much to do. You will not see huge FPS battles with tanks and planes Anywhere else. Love it!
  46. GmKyban
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    Best FPS i've played in a long time. Do you like large open maps? Ok, how about an entire planet?? So much better than Battlefield games, and its FREE. Totally worth at least trying it out.
  47. CorbinDallasHu
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    Now, I think we can all agree that most of today's FPS could use a little more time in the oven, baking out all those little glitches and what not, and the same could be said here, but this here is still pretty damn tasty. I have watched PlanetSide 2 grow from the early stages of beta into its release and if there is one thing I am very happy about, is the community side support. The gameNow, I think we can all agree that most of today's FPS could use a little more time in the oven, baking out all those little glitches and what not, and the same could be said here, but this here is still pretty damn tasty. I have watched PlanetSide 2 grow from the early stages of beta into its release and if there is one thing I am very happy about, is the community side support. The game took huge strides with improvement when it game to game play during some patches. Of course like most betas, the bugs ensued with new patches, but as the last ones came out, most of them were gone. This game really does deliver when it comes to large scale battles and every battle has the decision between brute force or using tactics. Teamwork and a good gun at your side are always a must. Ground or Air Vehicles. Lasers or bullets. Your choice really stands true here.
    Keep in mind this is also an MMOFPS so the action is not always a constant, and part of the problem solving in the game is getting from base to base. Although, they did a fantastic job of fixing the problem of logging in and not being able to get to a battle. Now you can spawn on your squad leader at beginning and that makes everyone happy. This really is going to be a great game for a very very long time, especially if the community support is as good as it has been.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Best PC Game of 2012
13
#13 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
45
#45 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. Armchair Empire
    May 10, 2013
    75
    The shooter fundamentals are all there. The visuals are great but the progression just doesn't seem to deliver any payoff for players outside of the hardcore. It's not quite as much of a shameless cash grab as something out of Zynga, but it definitely sours the experience.
    Read full review
  2. Everyeye.it
    Feb 19, 2013
    90
    Planetside 2 is a good free-to-play, strong functional and very funny, which does not envy anything to the founders of the first-person shooter genre.
    Read full review
  3. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 4, 2013
    89
    It might look overly complicated, but PlanetSide 2 is nothing more than your average class-based, objective-oriented competitive FPS. What makes it stand apart from other F2P games (aside from the huge servers, of course) is the co-operation factor with other players. [February 2013]
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