Call to Arms is an RTS that recently went free-to-play. Originally it was a 20 USD purchase on Steam. It is yet another iteration on the Men of War series.
Some of my gameplay of Call to Arms.The most prominent mechanic of the Men of War series that sets these games apart from other RTS is the ability to take direct control of your units to do precise actions. It's a physics based game, so there are no hitscan weapons; in this sense it could be compared to Supreme Commander. Combat is on the scale of a company-level skirmish with detailed structures that your soldiers can fight in and around. The AI can be a little confounding at first but once you learn its quirks its simple enough to work around. All units also have an inventory in which all their equipment is represented on a grid.
There are almost no resource gathering mechanics except in some game modes. You have points that slowly accumulate during the match, and you spend those on different kinds of units. Some game modes give players points for losing units, and there are others where boxes can be held and captured in order to receive a flow of points. In every game mode the goal is to inflict maximum losses on the opponent while minimizing your own. There is no base building though logistics do come into play here and there as units can run out of ammo or tanks can burn all their fuel, or become disabled and need repairs.
Vehicle combat is also very interesting. All vehicles have detailed locational armor and are crewed by individuals who perform different functions in the vehicle. This was more detailed in Assault Squad 2 but it's still present in Call to Arms. If a Humvee is shot through the hood with a weapon that has sufficient power, such as a .50 caliber machine gun, its engine will be disabled and the vehicle will become immobilized. Tanks can have their guns destroyed and treads disabled. An M1 Abrams is an expensive and deadly piece of equipment, but it can be destroyed by an experienced player using RPG teams.
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The main draw of this game for me is the lethal and nuanced combat and the sheer amount of control I have over my units. Grenade placement and timing and taking direct control of vehicles and anti-tank infantry are some of the most important things to learn in the game.
The voice acting is hilarious and the soldiers say things that make no sense. The physics are hilarious and I love seeing things and people get flung about.There is a steep learning curve as the game is quirky both in terms of mechanics and UI that can make competitive play intimidating, but well worth playing once you get the hang of it.
I don't know how to feel about this game after spending 20 dollars on it and suddenly having it go free to play and have DLC be announced. Like, of course game development costs money and these expenses need to be met somehow, but none of this shit was announced ahead of time. There was never a hint of this game going FTP, and the devs haven't responded to the negative reaction that the playerbase had in a very calm and rational way. That said, I'm glad this game is now free, that I might find some more people to have friendly matches with, and perhaps encourage to get my favorite game in the series, Assault Squad 2.
All in all I recommend this game for people who enjoy RTS and are looking for a unique and fast-paced experience.
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