Frontlines is fun- if not painfully derivative, and lacking in fresh game mechanics
Graphics: The graphics in frontlines aren't particularly stunning- but they sure do look good. The colors are vibrant and the environments are satisfyingly varied. the framerate is steady and you won't see textures load too late even on the bigger maps. There's nothing bad about the graphics here, but nothing particularly special either.
Gameplay: You can't possibly play frontlines without being reminded of the battlefield series- it's just too obvious. Even games from the medal of honor series have dipped their feet in the sandbox-battlefield style of gameplay. Fortunately, it always works, and frontlines is no exception. For the most part, you'll have the choice of getting work done on foot, or in a vehicle- though there are some sequences in the campaign that will to be inside a vehicle in order to complete an objective. The gameplay style is sandbox with a conquest-esque mode built into the campaign. Levels of the campaign will many times give you objectives- with your own choice of how to complete them and in what order. Unfortunately, the way to complete them is usually too practical- just run and gun, and the order in which you complete them does not change things up much, as of course you'll always go for the next objective that is closest.
There is one draw however, that sets the gameplay in Frontlines slightly apart from the crowd- is the remote control drones. These mini-attack helicopters and such are fun to play around with, and seem almost remarkably overpowered for their size- but being in a drone seems to remove your entire connection with the game- it's almost like you are playing a video game in a video game- meaning that there's less fear of death- because the most they could do is shoot down your drone, and you can grab another and send that one in. All in all, they can be fun to use- but that appeal won't last long, and certainly doesn't outweigh features other games have used to set them apart from other first person shooters. On that note- battles simply do not feel as chaotic as they should be. Whether its the lack of explosions everywhere or the lackluster sound that causes it is debatable- but all in all, Frontlines just seems to feel like a Battlefield game with it's metaphorical balls cut off.
Story: The story in Frontlines isn't nonexistant, but it is quite uninvolving- yes, it paints a picture of a huge global combat in the near future over something we can relate to- like the energy crisis- but your part in it still feels too small. By the end of your campaign, you won't be able to identify any of the game's characters by name- and therefore you won't care about the outcome ether way. This is a non-issue in multiplayer, but since frontlines attempts to make a decent single player experience, the lack of story gives you much more incentive to skip over the lackluster single player campaign, and head to the more enjoyable multiplayer- which will give you some decent value for your buck- provided you haven't played any games that are proof of how derivative frontlines can be.
So, Frontlines may have some to offer for some people- but there's obviously a lack of personality in the game. It may not be the game's fault that it is derivative- but when compared to those other games, it certainly does not match up to what it could have been.