WarCorps: Genesis Review

These days, it’s hard to imagine a genre more played out than console-style, modern military third-person shooters. WarCorps: Genesis, unfortunately, doesn’t do much to break that very familiar mold. However, the stylish, well-made version of that mold it presents is still very much appreciated.

WarCorps: Genesis gives players access to four different soldier classes, ranging from snipers to bazooka wielders, and sets them loose on various missions to bring down those wily terrorists. There are only three mission types, survival, elimination and “grab and go,” and they are all pretty standard but the steady increase in difficulty makes each skirmish feel like a new challenge. Missions are short too which works well with mobile gaming’s more bite-sized play sessions. Freemium elements come in the form of fancy new guns, melee weapons, and armor that can only be bought with real money. Players can choose to upgrade themselves with free experience and in-game coins but it’s just a slower process. What’s puzzling though is the lack of multiplayer, a staple of the genre.

However, instead of lamenting about what it’s missing, WarCorps: Genesis should be praised for the new, stylish things it brings in. The game portrays modern warfare as much more colorful and vibrant than it ought to be thanks to an impressive 3D engine. Combatants look less like real soldiers and more like toy robots shooting it out in four distinct and expansive playsets set to a rock soundtrack. Certain objects, like most buildings, are too blocky and certain textures, like the fake Arabic banners, are too blurry but overall it’s a neat, sleek look that manages to differentiate the game from its more generic peers. Also, the look allows both elements in the game and UI elements pop more effectively making it easier to line up shots with the unsurprisingly slippery touch controls. Honestly, the most disappointing thing about the presentation is that red barrels don’t explode when shot, another staple of the genre strangely left out.

WarCorps: Genesis shows how little differences can go a long way towards making a game stand out in a crowded genre. Military shooters aren’t going anywhere soon so we might as well try the ones worth trying. At least it isn't in first person.

[gallery size=”thumbnail”]