Frontlines: Fuel of War | 
| From: THQ
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $18.00
You Save: $21.99 (55%)
New (16) Used (7) from $11.00
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 1954
Format: Cd
Platform: Windows
Genre: Military and Espionage Action Games
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Windows
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0.1 x 0.1
MPN: 49292
Model: 49292
UPC: 752919493366
EAN: 0752919492925
ASIN: B000UB3B3W
Release Date: February 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Focused and intense system inherently promotes teamwork by creating a unified front of war. In both single player and multiplayer, players join the forces on the frontline that result in focused combat and increased intensity while allowing player choice. | | • | Based upon actual locations in Central Asia, the player enters an epic campaign featuring 7 theaters of war with a climactic ending. Players can create their own path to victory with non-linear mission objectives and destructible environments. | | • | Over 60 vehicles and weapons based off of real military designs of the near future. From futuristic tanks and jets to remote controlled drones and sentry guns, feel the adrenaline rush of utilizing next generation firepower on the battlefield. | | • | Character customization allows you to represent your play style through character choices, weapon load out and role specialization. | | • | Supports up to 64+ players on PC via LAN or Internet for large scale wars online |
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Product Description
In a desperate, near future setting where controlling the planet's depleting fossil resources determines the ultimate fate of civilization. A global war for oil is being waged between two superpowers, the Western Coalition (US/EU) and the Red Star Alliance (Russia/China), and players will be instrumental in determining how the war is waged -- and won.
ESRB Rated T for Teen
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 IT'S HIGH-OCTANE AND YET IT STILL KNOCKS March 2, 2008
NeuroSplicer (Freeside, in Orbit)
26 out of 26 found this review helpful
I think re-reading Orwell's 1984 right about now would be a great idea. Because in a true Orwellian fashion FRONTLINES:FUEL OF WAR envisions yet a...newer world order where the US and the EU (Western Coalition, aka "Oceania"?) face off Russia and China (Red Star Alliance, aka "Eastasia"?). It is set in (the no so near I hope) future so new weapons and front-line tactical technology are employed.
This is a fast-paced First Person Shooter built around capturing points and getting territory rewards. It bears great similarities to BATTLEFIELD, yet I felt more like playing COMPANY OF HEROES from a FPS perspective. Various objectives are to be completed in order for the entire battlefield territory to be captured.
The graphics are good, although, not exceptional: CoD4 is much more impressive. The sound was nothing to complain about: your usual battlefield whizzing bullets, staccato automatics and loud explosions.
I really liked the feature which allows soldier and weapons customization - which, in an RPG twist, can get upgraded (up to level 3) as the game progresses. This is a game with a lot going for it. Unfortunately, the story does not end here.
The first star was withheld because of the short duration. FPS games keep getting shorter and shorter but 6-7 hours is way too short even for an expansion, let alone a standalone game! At this rate, in a couple of years, games will not run longer than a movie and will cost ten times a movie ticket.
The second star was withheld because of the weak Single player campaign. The missions were rudimentary designed and, even if there are challenging moments, it was painfully obvious that FRONTLINES is a game designed mainly as a multiplayer. Now, this is a risky way to set up a game since it depends on the number of onLine participants. If UT3 failed to attract a crowd, I cannot see FRONTLINES fairing any better. By the way, if THQ wants to boost onLine participation, they should offer more than the 8 maps currently available.
All in all, FRONTLINES is a good game that will leave Single player gamers with a mild unsatisfied aftertaste, whereas multiplayer gamers will enjoy more, provided they find enough companions to make it interesting.
Frontlines...Play it on 'hard' to get the most out of this game March 2, 2008
R. Nicholson
18 out of 23 found this review helpful
A good game that has some interesting features.
I purchased this game from 'Steam' and after a long, sporadic download (off and on over 24+ hours) and then some difficulty getting it to load, I FINALLY got to play this game. (I suggest, before buying, that you visit the forums to see some of the troubles people are having.)
I initially played this game on 'normal' difficulty and found that it was fairly easy; the enemy were not that strong, my buddies although useful at times, didn't seem to do much, and my character seemed to be able to take a pounding before getting killed. However, playing on 'hardcore' difficulty, gave this game a entirely new dimension; it was a real challenge (but a doable challenge).
Some comments on what I liked and didn't like: (played on single player)
1.)Excellent smooth flowing graphics, good audio (even a good 'heroic-type' music tract [usually I turn the music off in games as I find it annoying]) that was pleasant to listen to. Also, some interesting 'cut-scenes' (which you can skip).
2.)There are the usual large variety of weapons; rifle, explosives, rocket launcher etc., but there are some interesting new remote controlled 'drone' robots (both ground and airborne) that do add a new twist to the FPS concept. These units can be used either as 1st or 3rd person and once you get the hang of manipulating these robots skillfully, they are exceptional pieces of weaponry.
3.)Although specific objectives must be obtained to complete a game segment, there is no order in which tasks have to be done and furthermore you usually have several ways of approaching a target, giving the game a certain amount of non-linear play to it.
4.)You get to operate a number of vehicles (both ground and air) and their weapons. Most of these vehicles can be played in either 1st person or 3rd person with a toggle key; obviously 1st person is the most realistic, but the 3rd person is extremely useful for looking around to get your bearings and to see where the danger is.
5.)There are no quick F5/F9 game save/loads; you must reach a game check point to autosave (which basically means completing a specific objective). If you died you can 'redeploy' (up to 5 times) somewhere near where you died. This feature seemed to work well and checkpoints were reasonably spaced apart.
On the negative side;
1.)Learning to fly and control a helicopter was an exercise in perseverance and frustration; I'm not sure the time I spent on this was worth the mediocre results.
2.)This game had a LONG load time from icon click to actual playing, however the restarts after dying (redeploys), were fairly fast.
3.)With the 'Steam' download there were two concerns;
A.)there was no manual available; this would have been very useful for general info and also for the different key combos that the different modes (infantry, driving, flying etc.) required . (these keys designations are available in options>controls but are inconvenient to look up in the middle of battle)
B.)there was no key code to unlock the 'extras' which apparently contained some extra levels and cheat codes.
4.)This is a fairly short game; only 8 campaigns (that have 4-5 sections each). I finished this game in two days of intermittent play. Not much playing time for $50 US.
Conclusions:
A short game, that graphically was well done, and it does have some interesting scenarios and ideas. And although it doesn't quite have that visceral intensity of Call of Duty 4, it is still an interesting and complex FPS. This game, played on 'easy' or 'normal' difficulty resulted in just a so-so rating, BUT on 'hardcore' it required some thinking and planning (and using your fellow soldiers), and thus making it intriguing FPS to play! 3 1/2 - 4 Stars
Sys Specs; Played on Vista with a Dual core processor, P5K motherboard, 2 GB RAM and nVidia 8800 GTS card
 Do you like PC Online Multiplayer... March 6, 2008
RM (Greater Detroit Area)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Look, this game is a multiplayer on-line game first. All the other reviewers are focused on the single player. It is a 6-8 hour tutorial and that is it !! Battlefield 2 or 2142 anyone? It takes the Battlefield experience and expands on it, health regenerates. The single player campaign is short, but good and like a tutorial to learn the advanced weapons. Drones are sweet (control 3 at once is crazy fun) (they even act like UAV), so are air strikes (best described as fireworks), and so are the mounted shieleded guns the infantry role can build at any location (deadly, try a grenade launcher 8 stories up). C4 and special ops are included but now quite long in the tooth, when compared to the new toys of FFOW!!
Play in a squad of up to 4 to achieve map domination. Move the front line forward to win the game, there is a ticket system if you cannot advance the line. Spawn to any owned base or your squad leader. Do you want to defend or be agressive. Work together with customizable load outs to achieve your group goals. Also the rocket launch can take down the copters, no problem (2 required). Large variety of destructible environments, big and small, vehicles and infantry maps.
If you do not have friends, play COD4 the "one man war" game that has amazing graphics and strong solid feel, but does not focus on team work. I have done all I can in COD4 and am ready for good teamplay.
This game did launch with issues, but if you are reading this, they have all been corrected. 8800GT is amazing with this game.
 Like Battlefield, minus fun and strategy March 17, 2008
Connor Lennon (Seattle, Wa USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Negatives
-Small Maps (less strategy)
-Frontlines system detracts from gameplay
-Underslung Grenade Launcher (cheapens play)
-Incredibly frustrating multiplayer
-VERY glitchy
Positive
-Sometimes exciting
The single player (as many people have previously pointed out) is not that long or challenging although it is fun. However, this game is not an improvement from Battlefield 2142 or just 2 even from a multiplayer standpoint. The main reason is the new "frontlines" system, which allows for less running time but on the whole makes the game less fun.
The system works much like the point capture version does in Battlefield (stand by a point for a period of time without dying) except, instead of being all uncontrolled by teams, they are split evenly between the two, with only the front set of the opposing team's points being able to be captured. This is a problem for three reasons-
1. All fighting is done within a very closed area, making for exciting gameplay, but not as much thought as the Battlefield 2142 titan play (for the non-nerds, giant flying ship that needs to be assaulted then destroyed)
2. Often you will die the second you spawn
3. Incredibly frustrating for new players
Another gripe I have is with the weapon loadouts and the glitchiness of the game.
Mostly the loadout that is problematic is Assault. Normally, this is my favorite class to play, but with the addition of a fast-reloading, high ammo capacity underslung grenade launcher (a mouthful I know, for future reference- the noob-tube) that leaves many maps annoying to play in. This is because many players use the noob tube excessively, making any sort of attack-defense dynamic that the Frontlines game system would normally excel at void. This makes many maps seem like one giant explosion.
The glitchiness of the game is incredibly annoying. Mostly these glitches involve loading screens (will load infinitely) or will not let you join multiplayer games for little to no reason (this is talking just post- 1.01 patch by the way). Also, rockets can get stuck on objects, making a player capable of firing his rocket launcher and hitting a target without the normal graphic that would normally indicate said players location.
My last gripe is that the maps (even the largest ones) are tiny. This takes a huge chunk out of any strategy aspect that would normally be incorporated.
On the plus side, the game can be exciting, if you live long enough for it not to be frustrating.
 I don't care what people say... I had a blast! April 6, 2008
Markus Egger (Spring, TX United States)
5 out of 11 found this review helpful
I agree that there seem to be issues with the online part of the game, and patches are needed. However, I just finished playing through the single-player (offline) campaign, and I had a blast. In fact, I probably had a better time playing through this game than any other military first person shooter I ever played.
I am not sure why I liked it so much, but it just seemed to flow well and have a good pace. I also like that they have those remote controled vehicles (drones) that add a nice twist to the game. I haven't seen that done anywhere else.
Graphics are very good. The overall production values seem to be good. The whole "frontlines" concept with multiple next targets yet still some structure works very well and I really like it.
I am sure I will spend time playing this game online, but even if there was no online component at all (or if they never patched it properly), I'd still give this game 5 stars just for the offline experience.
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