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Ambitious but empty

» Pros

» Cons

World is not really persistent
Horrible lag
Memory Leaks
Huge System Hog
Low replay value
Expensive

» Review

I've been following PlanetSide for a very long time. Since Doom, this is the type of FPS game I've wanted; one where your actions as a skilled player will have a lasting impact, a game that embraces the concept of "massive" and "online." Sony has created an ambitious project with Planetside, yet it lacks in many areas. For one, this game feels like it is still in its beta stage. The memory leaks and the amount of system resources that are required to play with minimal lag and graphic stuttering is phenomenal. Despite the minimum requirements that Sony advises, I've seen PlanetSide take up 600 megs of RAM. Couple this with the fact that the game is laggy and you have something that could have been great, but turned out to be an old moldy piece of cheese. I feel like Sony may have missed an important part when designing the PlanetSide network, in so far as FPS games require accuracy and speed. None of these are present, having been traded off for more people on cramped, high ping servers. Sony: A game of this magnititude needs bigger pipes, ya dig?

The replay value is also absent: though huge battles can rage for hours, they take place at either a base or tower. And these bases and towers all look the same. Where's the jungle fighting! Where are the fields that are pouring with Terran blood? The terrific mountain top firefights!? None are present. You would think that a persistent world would offer some sort of incentive to fight in different terrain; alas, you'll find 90% of the time you're battling it out at a base or a tower. Add this to the fact that you gain nothing for conquering a continent gives PlanetSide a very low replay value.

While the "equal-skill level" is a refreshing twist, it does make you wonder what your'e spending $13 a month on. There is absolutely zero incentive to gain more certifications, save to switch up the tedium a little. Some sort of advancement needs to be added in order to keep players from leaving PlanetSide. Maybe the formula is MMORPFPS?

All in all, I had very high hopes for PlanetSide, and have since been let down. Perhaps the MMOFPS category was destined to fail and the twitch-fingers of the world will remain on 64 player servers. Or, on a more upbeat note, perhaps Sony will realize PlanetSide needs more content and revamp it. For now, I'd recommend you stay away.