Developer: Nuked Cockroach
Publisher: Nuked Cockroach
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Veterans Online – Review
Online multiplayer has been a great source of entertainment during the lockdown, with many people taking to internet spaces when they wanted to hang out with friends. But even with the weather improving and things gradually opening up again, you can always find an excuse to hunker down behind your PC for some team action, especially if the game in question is free to play. Nuked Cockroach released Veterans Online near the end of March, at the height of quarantine, but we’re checking it out now since war never changes anyway. Or so we’ve been told.
Story
As is typical for online multiplayer, there isn’t much focus here on a story. All of that is pushed aside for gameplay and other online features. This also means no cutscenes or likewise. The only thing you need to know is that you’re an army veteran completing various missions and engaging in tactical combat with other teams. Who are the good guys or bad guys? It’s a big mystery, but honestly, you have better things to worry about when the bullets are flying around your head.
Graphics
Veterans Online has a quirky art-style that is a pretty nice change of pace. With their overly large heads and small bodies, the characters resemble cute bobbleheads, which is even more hilarious if you’re using them to murder your enemies. The maps look nice and there’s some variety between them in terms of design, even if there’s currently only three. Another great selling point is the load of cosmetics you can get in this game. Bought with in-game currency, there are plenty of options for you to customize your avatar to your heart’s content as well as buy new skins for your mounts (the vehicle you can drive in the game).
Sound
There aren’t too many complaints about the sound design either. There isn’t that much music in the game proper, which is probably a good thing since you will want to spend your time concentrating on the other team. While playing, it won’t ever be completely quite due to soft background tracks and a myriad of sound effects as well as special tunes for certain events such as capturing a flag or scoring a point. There is no full voice-acting in the game but expect plenty of grunts and groans from your little army men, especially when they get hurt.
Gameplay
Veterans Online is a free to play top-down twin-stick shooter, meant to be played in teams of 5v5. As of right now, there are only three maps available, and each map is bound to one specific game mode. There’s Capture The Flag, a classic mode where each team tries to seize the enemy’s flag and carry it back to their base. Capture The Point has a similar principle, except the points are locations on the map you can capture by standing in them for long enough. Your score is dependent on how long you can occupy your point without losing it to the other team. Lastly, Territory Control has one moving area on the map for you to occupy, making it harder to hunker down and defend your location.
Whichever mode you play, the game will drop you in the map with your four teammates and give you a few seconds to get your bearings before hell breaks loose. After that, it’s a chaotic mess of killing enemies and dying yourself. At your disposal is a simple gun for long-range combat and a crafty little knife for up-close encounters. During the match, you can earn money by scoring points for your team or killing opponents, and then use that money to buy better gear – or you can just steal it off some dead guy. The fancier the gadget, the more it will cost, but there’s nothing quite like going into the fray with a grenade launcher. If you’re not too keen on outright combat, there is something akin to a sneak mechanic in the game. Characters’ vision is limited to what’s in their direct line of sight, so anything hidden behind boxes or in tall grass is cast in shadow. You can use this to your advantage to catch people unaware.
And should you need to make a quick retreat, use your mount to get away from battle fast and maybe find a health pack. Here you can heal up and join the fight again later. Other typical multiplayer features are also included in the game, such as taunts to piss your enemies off or show your friends that you approve. A chat to yell at whoever is ruining your game. And a leaderboard keeping track of the players with the best win-ratio, total kills, etc.
All of this probably sounds pretty great, and it certainly is. However, it has to be mentioned that as of right now, Veterans Online is dealing with some major issues that can make playing it a headache. The fact that each of the three-game modes is tied to one specific map, for example, means your matches do all feel very similar, with no change of scenery. The quick join also does not let you choose a game mode and there is a notable lack of tutorial or practice maps. Most notably however is the fact that Veterans Online currently does not have a large user base. Playing on servers out of your own zone seems almost impossible (the connectivity has constant issues) but even when playing within your continent, you will be easily waiting up to ten or fifteen minutes for the game to gather nine other players. If you’re lucky enough for anybody else to be online at all that is.
Conclusion
Veterans Online has a good setup for becoming a fun multiplayer challenge to people looking for classic twin-stick shooter action. The gameplay is fun, matches are short and fast-paced, and there is no pay-to-win element. Appealing to both beginners and experienced players, the biggest shame is the lack of attention leaving this game more of a deserted wasteland than an active battlefield, mere months after coming out.
Veterans Online - Review,
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