Enlisted (video game)

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This article is about the video game. For the unrelated American sitcom, see Enlisted (TV series). For the term for non-commissioned members of a military, see Enlisted rank.
Enlisted
Developer(s)Darkflow Software
Publisher(s)Gaijin Entertainment
EngineDagor Engine
Platform(s)
ReleaseMarch 2, 2021
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Enlisted is a squad-based (MMO) first-person shooter game based around major World War II battles, developed by Darkflow Software and published by Gaijin Entertainment. It was a Xbox Series X/S launch title and timed console exclusive.[1] On March 2, 2021, the closed Beta went live on PlayStation 5.[2] On April 8, 2021, the game was released on PC as an open beta test.[3]

Gameplay[]

Enlisted is squad-based, with each player controlling an infantry squad or a vehicle's crew. Players control a squad of 4–9 soldiers (represented by a real life division of their respective country's military, such as the 1st Infantry Division) of varying classes, equipped with class-restricted weapons such as rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, sniper rifles, mortars, anti-tank weapons, or flamethrowers; alternatively, players may control the crew of a tank or a fighter aircraft (at least one of these crews must be equipped for use in the menu). Players control one of the soldiers in their squad, and can give orders to and switch between the other AI soldiers in their squad. The player's squads, soldiers, and weaponry can be managed in the main menu, where squads can be equipped and upgraded, soldiers and weapons can be purchased, and selected game modes and campaigns can be switched.[4]

Players battle in large maps based on major World War II battles on the Eastern Front and Western Front of World War II. Players fight each other in two teams representing the Allies (Red Army, United States Army, British Army) and the Axis (Wehrmacht, Royal Italian Army)[a]; the specific factions used depend on the map. The game features four campaigns: Battle of Moscow, Invasion of Normandy, Battle of Tunisia, and Battle of Berlin.[5][6]

Matchmaking options[]

  • Squads – Standard default matchmaking, where players spawn with their full squads.
  • Lone Fighters – Modified matchmaking, where players do not spawn with their squads, though they may select individual soldiers from their squads to spawn as. If a soldier is killed, they will be unavailable for the rest of the match; to compensate, spawn numbers are increased. Most of the UI is hidden in this mode. Unlocked at campaign level 3.

A tutorial level and a practice range for tanks, planes, and engineers, both singleplayer only, are also available.

Game modes[]

  • Conquest – Both teams fight to control three control points (five in "Battle of Berlin") on a map. Each team is represented by a colored bar that depletes as long as the enemy team has two or more points controlled. The match ends when one team's bar fully depletes.
  • Invasion – One team attempts to take a series of five control points on a large map, while the other attempts to defend each point. Each point is played one-by-one; if the defenders lose a point, they must retreat to the next point. Attackers are restricted to 1000 tickets (including AI soldiers). The match ends when either the attackers run out of tickets or the defenders lose all of their control points.
  • Assault – One team must defend a series of control points from the other team. However, two points must be captured at a time to progress, and the points can be captured by either team, allowing the defending team to delay the enemy or push back.
  • Destruction – One team must defend a series of control points from the other team. However, instead of regular control points that must be captured, the attacking team must plant explosives at each point to sabotage the enemy.

Development[]

Gaijin Entertainment and Darkflow Software first announced the game in 2016 as a crowdfunded title. Two campaigns focusing on the Battle of Moscow and the Invasion of Normandy were announced. The game was advertised as a "first person shooter decided by the fans, for the fans" and that "they will have direct input into what we create, including things like campaigns, game modes, even which platforms after PC we will support"; other campaigns would be unlocked if the game's funding goals were met. Funding tiers at the highest levels would allow contributors to choose which campaign would be added next.[7]

The first public play test occurred in April 2020 on PC. In November 2020, ray-traced global illumination and DLSS was added to the game.[8][9] On May 20, 2021, the Battle of Berlin campaign was partially released in a public beta test.[10]

Release[]

At E3 2018, Microsoft confirmed that the game would be released on the Xbox and would be part of the Xbox Game Preview for that year.[11][12] The first public play test occurred in April 2020 on the PC and in October of the same year, Microsoft announced that Enlisted would be part of the Xbox Series X/S launch lineup and a timed console exclusive.[13][1] On March 2, 2021, the closed beta went live on PlayStation 5.[2] Nvidia confirmed the game's PC release.[9] On April 8, 2021, the game was released on PC as an open beta test.[3] On October 4, 2021, Enlisted was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, albeit with only the Moscow, Normandy, and Tunisia campaigns.

As of late 2021, the main four campaigns, Normandy, Moscow, Berlin, Tunisia, have been released on PS4/PS5, Xbox One/X/S, and PC.

Reception[]

XboxEra gave Enlisted a 5/10 rating, saying the game's best elements were "mediocre", and its worst elements "truly dreadful". XboxEra praised the gun handling, but criticized the game's uncomfortable controls, generic soundtrack, and poor performance. Heavy criticism was given to the game's slow player progression system, in which each item must be purchased individually for each soldier in each squad, calling the system pay-to-win.[14]

A review by Penny Arcade praised Enlisted, calling it "an absolute blast" and "the best WWII shooter", praising the game's "'Matrix' style encounters where you might die to someone only to come into consciousness in another body".[15]

See also[]

  • War Thunder – Vehicular combat game also mostly set in World War II and developed by Gaijin Entertainment
  • Day of Infamy – 2017 World War II tactical shooter with similar gameplay
  • Post Scriptum – 2018 World War II tactical shooter with similar gameplay
  • Hell Let Loose - 2019 World War II tactical shooter with similar gameplay

Notes[]

  1. ^ Each campaign's Wehrmacht is technically a different faction, as are two of the three campaigns' Red Army factions. This technically makes the total number of factions nine.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Enlisted is Timed-Console Exclusive for Xbox Series X". Game Rant. 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  2. ^ a b "Enlisted Major Update: PlayStation 5 and launch of the Normandy Campaign". Enlisted.net. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b "The Open Beta Testing of Enlisted has begun! - News - Enlisted".
  4. ^ "Squads - Enlisted". enlisted.net. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  5. ^ "Campaigns - Enlisted". enlisted.net. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  6. ^ Rebel.Red.Carnation. "Enlisted will be a next-generation Xbox timed console exclusive and a part of the launch line-up". FULLSYNC. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  7. ^ "Squad-based WW2 MMO Enlisted lets players decide which campaign is developed next". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  8. ^ "Enlisted". Enlisted.net. Retrieved 2020-10-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b Allan, Darren (October 21, 2020). "Nvidia reveals the next PC games to get ray tracing, including World of Warcraft: Shadowlands". TechRadar. Retrieved 2020-10-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "Meet the Major Update "At the Reichstag Walls" - News - Enlisted". enlisted.net. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  11. ^ "Squad Based MMO shooter Enlisted Coming to Xbox Game Preview in 2018 (press release)". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2020-10-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Ellwood, Greg. "Enlisted coming to Xbox Game Preview in 2018". Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  13. ^ Tuttle, Will; Chief, Xbox Wire Editor in (2020-10-15). "30 Games Fully Optimized on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S Launch Day". Xbox Wire. Retrieved 2020-10-22. {{cite web}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ "Review | Enlisted". 10 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Penny Arcade - News - Enlisted". Penny Arcade. Retrieved 2021-11-09.

External links[]

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