A teamwork-centric alternative.
This is a bit of an odd review to be writing. Not only because America’s Army 3.0 has been out for over two years at this point, but also because I’ve only seen and experienced a small slice of an admittedly small pie. Of my roughly 12.5 hours with the game, nearly every single one of those hours has been spent on one map. Indeed, this review is essentially based on my experience with that singular map. However, I ask that you hear me out anyway.
Backing up for a second, America’s Army 3.0 is a multiplayer, first-person shooter developed by the United States Army. In a cynical sense, the game is just yet another modern-military, first-person shooter, and in an even more cynical sense, it’s merely a recruiting and propaganda tool for America’s boys in green (blue now, I suppose). Valid as these views may be, that does not mean the underlying game is not fun or does not have some good ideas at its core.
The entire game revolves around two premises, realism and teamwork. Before you even set foot into the realm of the competitive multiplayer, you are going to want to head to the Training portion of the game. Here, you will run basic obstacle courses and become familiarized with the weapons at your disposal. While not absolutely necessary, completing the basic training and the further advanced training will unlock more weapons and sights for you to use once you get online. It’s an interesting way to divorce the unlocks from the multiplayer, avoiding the need to put in 500 hours or see some idiot trying to run around to get the “Knife 5 Dudes in the Face” achievement. It makes the unlocks achievable while still allowing you to feel like you accomplished something, and not compromising the integrity of the multiplayer experience.
Another unique facet of the training is the medical course. When was the last time you played a first-person shooter where you sat in a virtual classroom, listened to a virtual lecture on life-saving medicine, and then practiced said techniques on a virtual dummy? Never? Thought so. While not the most thrilling experience in the game, this feature speaks to the tone of realism that the developers are going for. It is also necessary because reviving someone in the game is not as simple as giving them a shock to the dome. When you approach someone who is down, you are presented with a symptom and you must then choose one of four appropriate treatments. For instance, it may say “Labored movement” and you would then have to choose “Apply splint.” Get it right, and the soldier will clamor to his feet, get it wrong, and you only get one more chance. Again, it’s a unique idea, and a good way to add a thin layer of skill to an otherwise mundane task.
This sense of realism carries over to the core gameplay as well. The movement, while responsive, is not nearly as snappy as, say, Call of Duty. You don’t run as fast, you don’t vault as fast, you don’t reload as fast. Everything is more methodical. Likewise, if you’re used to centering your red dot on a distant enemy and holding down the trigger until said enemy is dead, you’re going to be in for a shock. Recoil and movement have a huge effect on your accuracy, and running and gunning will get you nowhere fast. Moreover, you won’t get any handy-dandy “You killed xXsMOkeDaWG420Xx” message when you put someone down. Instead, you’ll have to find the body to confirm your kill or secure them so that they can’t be revived. Health, too, is handled in a more “realistic” manner. If you get shot in the arm, you’ll be less accurate. If you fall and break your ankles, you’ll move more slowly (dudes are tough). If you get shot up badly, you’ll be bleeding and will need to be patched up by a teammate before you’re fully incapacitated.
All of this leads to the next central premise of the game, and to where the game really shines, the teamwork. Rare is the game where complete strangers will bound in cover, watch each other’s backs, clear rooms in tandem, and provide covering fire during a mad dash to the extraction point in a round of VIP. I have seen all of this in my time with America’s Army. The community is truly excellent and is what keeps me going back to the game (even if it is just one map over and over). Niche multiplayer games like AA3 that have been out for a while have a sort of stigma attached to them – that they are difficult to get into and that the veterans will be intolerant of mistakes. On the few servers I’ve been on, neither of these things have been problems. Nearly everyone has been welcoming and even gone so far as to reprimand anyone who calls out a “noob” for a mistake. It really is one of the most teamwork-centric games I’ve played. Also, while not necessary, a microphone is a big help to have on hand, as voice communication has been common in nearly every round I’ve played (there are hotkeys for basic expressions, though).
Now, while I’ve clearly been extolling the virtues of the game, it is not all marshmallows and rainbows. To clarify my “small pie” remark earlier, the game is relatively barebones. It features only seven maps, and six weapons (M16, M16 DMR, M16 w/ M203, M4, and the SAW). While the weapons can be customized with red dot sights or ACOGs, don’t expect to be attaching any flamethrowers or under-slung shotguns here. In addition, even after two years of patching, the game has some annoying bugs. For instance, you may finish tossing a grenade only to then find your hands devoid of any weapon whatsoever (only after switching back to a grenade and then back to your primary will your rifle reappear). In addition, the vaulting sometimes doesn’t feel like working or you may get stuck in an unstoppable sprint. Most curious though is the weapon jamming, which is not a bug but a feature of the game. While weapon jams may be realistic, and while they certainly create a sense of urgency, they feel about as fair as a soccer ref deciding to randomly stick out his foot while you’re on a breakaway. It just doesn’t play well in a competitive multiplayer shooter.
Overall though, these bugs are relatively rare and the core gameplay and teamwork make up for them. While America’s Army 3.0 isn’t going to supplant Call of Duty or Battlefield any time soon, it doesn’t have to. By putting a unique focus on realism and teamwork, the game carves out its own spot in the market, and exists as a refreshing (if barebones) alternative to those more fast-paced games. If, like me, you’ve grown tired of the derivative modern-military game, it may be just that combination of realism and teamwork that puts the fun and intensity back into your first-person shooting.
Also, it's free on Steam. That never hurts.
_______________________________________________________________EDIT: If you're wondering why I've only played one map, it's merely because I found a server with a bunch of guys I like, and they play primarily one map. Simple as that.