Developer: M2H, Blackmill Games
Publisher: Blackmill Games, M2H
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PC
Isonzo – Review
World War One shooters have seen a rise in popularity over the last couple of years. There was a time when we got fed up with the overabundance of all the WW2 shooters but modern-day scenarios just don’t feel the same. This left many players with a hunger to experience what it would be like in the First World War. Many games have touched upon this scenario, like Battlefield One, Verdun, and Beyond the Wire. The latter was highly praised by us only a few months ago and we then thought that this would be the WW1 shooter of 2022, yet now with Isonzo, it seems like both are fighting for the nr1 spot.
Story
This time the fight takes place on a front that we haven’t seen in many games before. The game mainly takes place in the southwest area of Europe. Fighting on the Italian front you will either play as the Italians or Hungarians to fight over territory and to win the war. Story-wise you only get snippets of information about the battles fought in the loading menu right before a skirmish. This will give some information on the battle and this is always nice to read if you are interested in the history behind the fight in which you will participate.
Graphics
Visually the game came as a big surprise, as most Indie games such as this are okay-ish when it comes to their graphics but they often lack the deeper details or a general finish. Isonzo is a game that will blow you away, especially with the complete package. The way how they fit such high quality in the large maps is that they are actually divided into different sections. When you enter a new section, the previous one is closed off. These new areas load in seamlessly when you prepare for the next assault. Each map is beautifully made with many destructible items that bear the scars of all the bombardments that happen around you. Attention to detail is everywhere, from how your character handles the weapon, and how the areas get destroyed to the realistic feel of combat and visual damage to enemies. The game is absolutely brutal when it comes to gore. Wounded enemies will leave a large trail of blood, your hands become bloodied from close combat or getting wounded and a headshot will either take off part of someone’s head or sometimes completely if the hit was just right.
Sound
Just like the graphics, the sounds have been treated with an equal level of quality. In the menus, you have some authentic war music playing to get you in the atmosphere of those battles. During skirmishes, the music will be silent except for the final stage of the battle where it ramps up the tension by signaling that it is now a case of do or die. On the battlefield, you have the mix of yelling soldiers, gunfire, bombardments, and all the sounds you expect from a warzone. The many screams of dying soldiers are something that gets under the skin and when a gun is fired close to you, even your character will flinch for a second, signaling the distress of combat.
Gameplay
Isonzo is a realistic First Person Shooter that takes place on the Italian front during World War One. The developers have really put a lot of effort into the whole package as the gunplay feels absolutely realistic. The game starts with a short introduction video and after that you’ll be able to start battling on the front. There is no real tutorial to play through but the game has an offline mode where you can take your time and enjoy some skirmishes with bots. The best part of this offline mode is that when you gain experience here it also counts for the online matches, meaning that you could level up and unlock some new weapons before jumping into the harsh online world of Isonzo. As the weapon handling is really realistic, you’ll need to consider that you won’t be able to reload most weapons while there are still bullets in the gun. In gunfights, this can mean that you’ll either have to resort to your trusty melee weapon or take cover and reload. Emptying your rifle prematurely can be also a way to counter this but after a few matches, you will notice that it is way more efficient to just take potshots at distant enemies to empty your magazine.
The game has a reasonable difficulty curve as most rifles will end your career in one bullet. Initially, this caused some frustration especially when you come from some faster-paced shooters. Just like in any realistic shooter, you’ll need to slow down and carefully plan your actions. Once you are adjusted to the pace, you will notice how well the game is made. There is only one mode and that is a skirmish. In this mode, you will either play the defending or attacking role and the attackers must complete the objectives before their units run out. This plays out over five parts, where the assaulters have 300 troops and must capture one location and destroy the other one. While this means that there isn’t much variety in the modes, it isn’t actually that bad. What gives the game its high replay value is that you have bots for both online and offline skirmishes. These bots will always fill in empty slots on online servers so there is always something to do, even if not that many players are online.
To fight for your home country you have different classes and each class has its own weapons and loadout. These are also limited to only a few soldiers as most troops will have to pick the standard riflemen. The real special classes are officers that can call in air support and have troops spawn quicker, engineers that can build fortifications and weapons, snipers that provide long-range support, and assault troops that have weaponry focused on quick damage. To unlock new items and weapons for each class you will have to gain experience by playing skirmishes and completing challenges. While some challenges might be difficult, you can often clear them offline against bots in case real players pose a too big threat.
As a little bonus addition, we have also received some cosmetic DLC. In Isonzo, you can customize your character with different outfits, hats, accessories, faces, and even facial hair. This gives each soldier a unique look and you will stand out from the crowd. You have plenty of regular stuff to unlock, and while the DLC is a nice add-on, it is not really that sure if it is worth the investment, as you will only see your character right before spawning.
Conclusion
Isonzo is a game that we had hours of fun with, thanks to the bots filling the games in both online and offline modes. As the game quite crudely drops you into the action with only a short video on how to play it, it might feel like a difficult game, but once you get the hang of it, you will notice how well it plays. The graphics and sound design make the experience memorable and especially with the attention to detail it will feel like no match is the same. There is plenty to do and much more to unlock. You can easily grind some experience offline before you battle online like there is no tomorrow.
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