Great story, very decent graphics, intense action, fun to use RC helicopters and tanks. What Call of Duty 4 shoulda been

User Rating: 9 | Frontlines: Fuel of War PC
I don't know why this game isn't well known, because it's fairly recent and a great studio is behind it (Chaos/ THQ). Looking for games last year I came across a video of a gameplay during a conference here on gamespot, and because there aren't enough reviews here or elsewhere on the web I bought it.

The graphics are pretty decent but maybe generic for some people, because I tend to give more importance on story over visuals I played it with my headphones at night (because I was finishing my B.Sc. dissertation at the time) so I could get more into it. What I found is that the cutscenes and the voice over narration through the eyes of a journalist accompanying a group of soldiers was compelling, and that the story was the glimpse of a nearby future where conglomerates of countries (US and allies Vs Chinese-Russians) were filling each other's gut with lead for the last oil reservoirs in the Caspian Sea.

The story behind it all, and the change of battlefields during the games follows a more discernible order than Call of Duty 4, which in my opinion is underrated because the graphics are not that mind blowing, and the gameplay becomes tedious and without a sense of what one is trying to achieve.

This game has a few funny comments from the NPCs that make it enjoyable, and they help but don't get in the way, so one feels right in the middle of a "real" soldier squad. Moreover, the use of Radio Controled Helicopters and tanks to clear tough and often inaccessible places is greatly welcomed, and something that other games should take into account. I played Call of Duty World at War right after finishing this one and I felt ripped off, because the WWII scenario is stale these days (at least for me) and the gameplay was equally repetitive and without a purpose.

Forgive my lack of planning ahead the contents, but just remember the bottomline : Give this game a chance, you won't regret it.