Joint
Operations: Escalation is the fantastic expansion
pack to Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising which allows
up to 150 gamers to shoot at each other online. It's
not just a free-for-all, there are co-op missions
that require extensive teamwork. As a shooter you
don't have to worry about turn-based combat or real
time strategies. Joint Operations: Escalation is all
about action.
Some
gamers express concern over certain flaws in the original
game's design such as the ability of the sniper to
easily take out enemies with little consequence to
himself. Primarily the game was out of balance with
some players more at risk than others. These were
obvious oversights that the developer were unaware
of until real gamers moved in and started exploring,
experimenting and ultimately taking advantage of every
single flaw. Escalation hasn't fixed everything but
it's cleaned up a lot of glitches, making for a more
balanced and realistic game. It's a giant leap in
the right direction.
With
new missions the game also features new weapons, ammo,
armor, vehicles and other features such as the ability
to use parachutes when shot down in a chopper and
spawning in protected areas. Using the parachutes
gives you a little bit of hope but it's still a slow
process reaching the ground which means you might
just get gunned down yet.
Weapons
include the Glock 17, the MK-23 pistol and the new
all-purpose G-36. Snipers are going to have a more
difficult time as their shots will be more prone to
drift and the trajectory arc. You can't just kill
someone by shooting them in the leg anymore.
Tanks
and choppers are extremely useful and lethal but the
pilot is incapable of shooting. Only the gunner can
dish out the ammo but he's exposed and vulnerable.
The choppers can take a few missile hits but they
are fast and flexible. The tanks are slower but can
really take a lot of abuse. Moving the cannon around
takes a lot of time especially if you have to go from
extreme left to right or vice versa. Mines can certainly
do some destruction to the tanks but you have to get
close enough to surround the tank with mines so that
it can't move in any direction.
Dirt
bikes are a new and most welcome addition. They are
fast and highly maneuverable. Only the rider can shoot
but as long as you're strafing it's a really hard
target to hit and can certainly inflict a lot of damage.
Controlling the bike is fairly easy. The controls
are straightforward and somewhat forgiving. Just be
careful you don't plow into another vehicle because
you won't stand a chance.
In
some respects the accuracy of the rifles is too efficient.
It's much too simple to hit distant, moving targets.
That may be fine for you but it's frustrating when
you keep getting hit from what you consider to be
a safe distance. Wear your body armor and keep yourself
hidden if you know what's best for you. Unfortunately
there is some lag between commands and execution.
It's not that you move slowly, it's that you won't
move at all at time, only to magically appear a few
feet away from where you were when you gave the command.

Despite
this and some clipping as well as some low res graphics
the game holds up pretty well for such an ambitious
undertaking. The map is extremely large and offers
countless hours of gameplay. Since it's played online
with more than 100 people, every visit is a new experience.
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