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Global Agenda: Global Agenda Review

StraddenStradden Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696

MMORPG.com's William Murphy writes this full look at the recently launched shooter MMO from Hi-Rez Studios, Global Agenda.

Global Agenda, a first offering from the rookie developer Hi-Rez Studios is not your typical MMO. Right smack in the middle of the official FAQ on their website, the developer tells us that their game does not have any of the following: a large, seamless world to explore, quest givers, open world PvP or PvE, or elves. They then boldly proclaim, "If you consider any of these items to be must-haves within your MMO, we may not be the game for you." So when rating Global Agenda as an MMORPG I've got to rein in my typical expectations. I can't fault a game for not having something it was never intended to have and instead I've got to base this review on what Hi-Rez Studios claims their game to be: an action-based shooter MMO. And with such an amalgamation of game mechanics in place, I beg forgiveness if I miss something crucial.

The "TLDR" version? Global Agenda is a great game that's not easy to categorize. In fact, it is probably better served by that very fact. It's got a little bit of everything at its core, and yet somehow retains its own identity as a worthy offering to gamers looking for something a little different.

Read the Global Agenda Review.

Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com

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Comments

  • NightCloakNightCloak Member UncommonPosts: 452

    Great review.

    I've been playing since launch and love the fact that this game isn't time consuming.

     

    I can jump in and get a match in 15 min and be done. I also like the persistant elements to the shooter. I've always wanted shooters with progression and I think the balance is well done.

  • royalewitroyalewit Member Posts: 78

    Nice accurate review.  It's not your typical, full-out MMO game.  It's a team-based shoot-em-up with cool classes, skills and graphics.  Great game with FUN combat.  Considering you get most of the basic stuff for only the price of the box and no subscription costs, it's well worth it.  Perfect for dropping in and out of whenever you are bored and have some time to kill.  (pun intended.)

  • ThanosxpThanosxp Member UncommonPosts: 177

    One of the best reviews i've seen here. Honest.

    After this,i'm actually thinking about buying the game 

  • KryogenicKryogenic Member Posts: 663

    I was really interested in this game when I saw the first trailer for it. It looked amazing. After seeing the final game, it doesn't really look like what was portrayed in that first trailer.

    This sounds a lot like MAG to me. MAG is a PS3 game with persistent characters that join one of three armies that fight for control of resources.

    It's got 254 player matches and smaller variants. It also does not require a monthly fee. Seemingly the only differences are the backdrops (SciFi Ultra - Global Agenda and SciFi Lite - MAG)  , and MAG has no auction house.

    If Aliens vs Predator wasn't releasing next week, I'd give this a shot. 

    Is there a trial? I don't usually opt for the try before you buy mentality, but its never too late to adopt good practices.

  • 41eX41eX Member UncommonPosts: 99

    Nice review.

    I am enjoying playing this game for the things mentioned in the article but I must add another thing that adds value to the game: developer feedback and info in general from Hi-Rez. In this aspect they are very much not like other large well known game companies. They really care what game users have to say.

    Lately I played another beta game and the story is completely different.

    Kudos.



     

  • KryogenicKryogenic Member Posts: 663

     After watching the Conquest trailer, I'm retracting my previous post. I think I'll be playing Global Agenda tonight, but I won't be subscribing... yet.

  • HeimlichkeitHeimlichkeit Member Posts: 105

    No reason to subscribe, the one mode offered to a subscription account is free until March I believe it was. Enjoy full access until then.

    I bought this game, and it's a blast. Great shooter to jump right into, but you may want to find a clan, and a headset would help. By the time you start doing hard missions.... they're hard, and then the missions only get harder, so it really helps to have a reliable team you can coordinate with.

  • SabiancymSabiancym Member UncommonPosts: 3,150

    I played Beta and am still currently playing.

     

    Fun game, but the big Agencies will dominate conquest.  Plus it'd be nice if there was some more actual mmo features.

  • KryogenicKryogenic Member Posts: 663
    Originally posted by Heimlichkeit


    No reason to subscribe, the one mode offered to a subscription account is free until March I believe it was. Enjoy full access until then.
    I bought this game, and it's a blast. Great shooter to jump right into, but you may want to find a clan, and a headset would help. By the time you start doing hard missions.... they're hard, and then the missions only get harder, so it really helps to have a reliable team you can coordinate with.

     

    Who doesn't have a headset hooked up these days? Do they have VoIP integrated into the game or are we stuck using vent or teamspeak?

    That's awesome that we can sample the full game until March 1st. 

    Is this game kind of like Tribes 2? I loved Tribes 2. 

    I'm thinking of trying out Recon first.

  • HeretiqueHeretique Member RarePosts: 1,534
    Originally posted by Kryogenic

    Originally posted by Heimlichkeit


    No reason to subscribe, the one mode offered to a subscription account is free until March I believe it was. Enjoy full access until then.
    I bought this game, and it's a blast. Great shooter to jump right into, but you may want to find a clan, and a headset would help. By the time you start doing hard missions.... they're hard, and then the missions only get harder, so it really helps to have a reliable team you can coordinate with.

     

    Who doesn't have a headset hooked up these days? Do they have VoIP integrated into the game or are we stuck using vent or teamspeak?

    That's awesome that we can sample the full game until March 1st. 

    Is this game kind of like Tribes 2? I loved Tribes 2. 

    I'm thinking of trying out Recon first.

     

    There is VoIP option in game or you can use third-party software.

  • Praxus1874Praxus1874 Member Posts: 152

     a very well-written review, but I curse you for writing it.  I really wanted this game before, and now that urge is overpowering.  

    Unfortunately, I don't want to lose more wife faction at the moment, so I'll probably hold off for a few months.

    Prax

  • HrothmundHrothmund Member Posts: 1,061

    I agree with the majority of the reviewer's opinions, however, I would give the game a 6 due to lack of polish.

    The combat just doesn't feel impressive. I don't know if it is the animations, sounds, clipping problems or a mixture of many factors, but it just feels like I am firing a pea-shooter at kids with Halloween costumes on.

    With more polish to the presentation, this would be an awesome game, in terms of pure FPS game-play and feel, this is behind UT2004.

  • 41eX41eX Member UncommonPosts: 99
    Originally posted by Kryogenic

    Originally posted by Heimlichkeit


    No reason to subscribe, the one mode offered to a subscription account is free until March I believe it was. Enjoy full access until then.
    I bought this game, and it's a blast. Great shooter to jump right into, but you may want to find a clan, and a headset would help. By the time you start doing hard missions.... they're hard, and then the missions only get harder, so it really helps to have a reliable team you can coordinate with.

     

    Who doesn't have a headset hooked up these days? Do they have VoIP integrated into the game or are we stuck using vent or teamspeak?

    Yes.

    That's awesome that we can sample the full game until March 1st. 

    I dont know if tryal exists but when you buy the game you have one month play time for AvA. PvP and PvE are "free" to play.

    Is this game kind of like Tribes 2? I loved Tribes 2. 

    I'm thinking of trying out Recon first.

    Lots of Recons there. I think this is the most played class.

     

  • KryogenicKryogenic Member Posts: 663
    Originally posted by Praxus1874


     a very well-written review, but I curse you for writing it.  I really wanted this game before, and now that urge is overpowering.  
    Unfortunately, I don't want to lose more wife faction at the moment, so I'll probably hold off for a few months.
    Prax

     

    I feel you, man. My wife just started her doctorate program so she's busy as hell. wah hahaha Mo! Games! Fo me babeh!!

  • Frostbite05Frostbite05 Member Posts: 1,880

    granted this isn't an mmo but it is still a great fps. If your into that sorta of thing then go for it cause I have enjoyed it greatly.

  • DjfusionDjfusion Member Posts: 186

    I call BS on this. I pre ordered this game and played for awhile with almost the same setup as Stradden but I have a quad core, same graphics card and same ram and the game ran TERRIBLE. I could barely run it on Medium. I tried all the suggestions on the forums to run it better and it became unbearable to play. I REALLY enjoyed playing the game from what I got to play but I dont see how you played on High Stradden...

  • VesaviusVesavius Member RarePosts: 7,908

    At last, a game that the majority of us can get behind and just enjoy.

    Not sure it's a long term thing for me, but GA right now is fun :)

  • deathgdeathg Member Posts: 9

    I agree with most of this review, but I don't think many negatives were voiced. Overall I myself give this game a 6.5-7, if I had to give it a number. I've been playing since CB and now run a relatively small and casual agency. Some negatives to point out, please note I LOVE this game and play it almost daily,  but it doesn't mean I'm a zealot fanboy.

    Conquest does favor numbers. Even though hex fighting comes down to a 10vs10 match, your Agency/Alliance can not bite off more than it can chew. If you get a lot of hexes that's great, but keeping them is the real challenge. Since not all hexes can be protected by Bases you will always have some that need defending, so that means each hex owned = 10 people. Hexes can be attacked at anytime from anywhere, a successful defense result in a hex lockout for 5minutes. Now if your in a big Alliance this isn't a big deal to you, but if you aren't it makes Conquest more of a game of who can I annoy since getting a foothold will be next to impossible.

    Conquest is for the Hardcore, Conquest runs 7 days of week, so if you grab a hex and want to keep it you have to defend it every day when the Map opens, so if your focusing on 1 map that's 2:30 hours 7 days a week.

    Map diversity was touched on in the review, but honestly maps offer little variation, its pretty much gray and beige buildings everywhere. Its not a game breaker, but it is annoying after a while.

    PvP Premades, I am flabbergasted this didn't make live. This was at one point in Alpha, people could queue as a strike force for 10vs10 pvp. They had options in the beta to: Not queue against premades, and to Queue with people at my level, I really hope both these options make it back into the game with premade PvP.

    Overall I really have a blast in this game. I love Conquest matches, but I just really don't like how the Conquest system works, I may be biased since I am not a hardcore player, but I have work, night classes, and friends.

  • DAS1337DAS1337 Member UncommonPosts: 2,610
    Originally posted by Hrothmund


    I agree with the majority of the reviewer's opinions, however, I would give the game a 6 due to lack of polish.
    The combat just doesn't feel impressive. I don't know if it is the animations, sounds, clipping problems or a mixture of many factors, but it just feels like I am firing a pea-shooter at kids with Halloween costumes on.
    With more polish to the presentation, this would be an awesome game, in terms of pure FPS game-play and feel, this is behind UT2004.

     

    I'm trying to figure out why you would give it a 6.  Its Nearly exactly what Hi-Rez said it was.  Maybe you have a bad computer or you're trying to compare it to a certain game.. I don't know.  I guess opinions are just that.  I think the combat feels just right.  If you liked Tribes and TF2, you will most likely love this game.  If you are a huge nut for realistic warfare games.. well, the graphics aren't meant to be that way.  That's all I can say.

     

    To me, the animations are pretty good compared to some other MMO's out there.  I haven't had any issues with sound at all, they are what you'd expect from a game like this.  I also haven't noticed any clipping problems at all, I'm not sure what you mean by this.  To my surprise, the core of the game is tremendously polished.  There are just some fluff and addition options that need to be added to really make it shine.

     

    And just to point it out again.  You went into it comparing it to a stand-alone FPS game.  It's not nearly as twitch oriented and the graphics are have to be the way they are.   This is the problem with most gamers.  They don't have the ability to play a game and accept it for what it is.  The less you compare, the better off you will be.  You just end up approaching it with a closed mind.

  • DAS1337DAS1337 Member UncommonPosts: 2,610
    Originally posted by deathg


    I agree with most of this review, but I don't think many negatives were voiced. Overall I myself give this game a 6.5-7, if I had to give it a number. I've been playing since CB and now run a relatively small and casual agency. Some negatives to point out, please note I LOVE this game and play it almost daily,  but it doesn't mean I'm a zealot fanboy.
    Conquest does favor numbers. Even though hex fighting comes down to a 10vs10 match, your Agency/Alliance can not bite off more than it can chew. If you get a lot of hexes that's great, but keeping them is the real challenge. Since not all hexes can be protected by Bases you will always have some that need defending, so that means each hex owned = 10 people. Hexes can be attacked at anytime from anywhere, a successful defense result in a hex lockout for 5minutes. Now if your in a big Alliance this isn't a big deal to you, but if you aren't it makes Conquest more of a game of who can I annoy since getting a foothold will be next to impossible.
    Conquest is for the Hardcore, Conquest runs 7 days of week, so if you grab a hex and want to keep it you have to defend it every day when the Map opens, so if your focusing on 1 map that's 2:30 hours 7 days a week.
    Map diversity was touched on in the review, but honestly maps offer little variation, its pretty much gray and beige buildings everywhere. Its not a game breaker, but it is annoying after a while.
    PvP Premades, I am flabbergasted this didn't make live. This was at one point in Alpha, people could queue as a strike force for 10vs10 pvp. They had options in the beta to: Not queue against premades, and to Queue with people at my level, I really hope both these options make it back into the game with premade PvP.
    Overall I really have a blast in this game. I love Conquest matches, but I just really don't like how the Conquest system works, I may be biased since I am not a hardcore player, but I have work, night classes, and friends.

     

    Wait.. maybe I'm playing devil's advocate here.. maybe not.  But did you not just give a 6.5-7 because YOU aren't capable of playing 2.5 hours a day, 7 days a week?  And in addition, you don't have to subscribe if you don't like it.  The facts are there, it's a team/agency based game and what did you expect world conquest would be?  Solo friendly?  The ability to create a strike force is in the game, I'm not sure what you're talking about there.

     

    Basically, you dropped 3 to 3.5 points off of your rating because you have a life.  In the life of today's gamer, 2.5 hours a day is nothing compared to real MMO's out there that require you to play 4-6 hours to be very competative.

     

    I'm not a fanboi, but your rating irked me simply because YOU don't have the time for it.

  • deathgdeathg Member Posts: 9
    Originally posted by DAS1337


    Wait.. maybe I'm playing devil's advocate here.. maybe not.  But did you not just give a 6.5-7 because YOU aren't capable of playing 2.5 hours a day, 7 days a week?  And in addition, you don't have to subscribe if you don't like it.  The facts are there, it's a team/agency based game and what did you expect world conquest would be?  Solo friendly?  The ability to create a strike force is in the game, I'm not sure what you're talking about there.
     No, that's not it, I just gave it a number for the sake that people need an arbitrary numerical value added to when they rate a game. I don't hate Conquest, I love going into 10v10 matches. I just don't like how the mechanics work, it is very biased to large Agencies/Alliances and the Hardcore. Now I'm not hardcore and I'm not knocking the game because of that, but it is something that should be made apparent. Its that the smaller Agencies/Alliances either conform into a bigger one, which you end up with a Zerg or lose your individuality (that is more of a social aspect though and may not impact gameplay), or they have no real stake in AvA. Yes strike forces are in the game, except you can not get 10 people and queue for PVP, meaning Breach, Control Points, etc... It was in the game around the Alpha stage, and was hinted during the beta stage, then just totally gone at live.
    Basically, you dropped 3 to 3.5 points off of your rating because you have a life.  In the life of today's gamer, 2.5 hours a day is nothing compared to real MMO's out there that require you to play 4-6 hours to be very competative.
     I was basing my score off the original reviewers, so it was at an 8 already because I agreed with most of what was said.
    I'm not a fanboi, but your rating irked me simply because YOU don't have the time for it.

     

  • ThomasN7ThomasN7 87.18.7.148Member CommonPosts: 6,690

    I enjoy the game but I decided not to subscribe when March gets here.

    1. No exploration at all.

    2. No major difference between pvp mercenary objectives and conquest.

    3. To repetitive too fast. The game is good if you have an hour to spare but beyond that everything is deja-vu over and over again.

    4. The pve content is nothing more than a farming area for components.

    5, Crafting is average.

    I think it is good for a f2p model but in my opinion the game is not worthy of a subscription.

    30
  • DKKOberonDKKOberon Member Posts: 75

    I'm loving the game. I'm up to doing med level PvE and find even with pugs, my teams win more than lose...thou doing it and getting the challenge bouns (not geting more than 4 deaths in the team) is hard.  And the next team mate who doesn't understand what red beams mean I'm going to frag....well wishing I could frag.

    LOVE the pvp missions, thou winning them with pugs is harder (not in an agency and wish people would stop blindly inviting me in the middle of a match).

    BIG compliant is that the voip is not working for me. Can hear, can't talk and not sure why as there isn't much documentation or much of a control panal for that.

    Even thou my twitch at my age is mostly twang, still having fun.....and haven't even tried Conquest.

    Sandarbian the Assault

     

     

  • XxMaticxXXxMaticxX Member Posts: 115

    i just wish the fights were bigger ... 10 vs 10 is ok but i was really hoping for 20+ vs 20+ at least.

     

    well maybe in the future.

    the Evil Raider that outgears you and makes you cry for welfare epics on the forums.

  • zartan5000zartan5000 Member Posts: 44
    Originally posted by Kryogenic


    I was really interested in this game when I saw the first trailer for it. It looked amazing. After seeing the final game, it doesn't really look like what was portrayed in that first trailer.
    This sounds a lot like MAG to me. MAG is a PS3 game with persistent characters that join one of three armies that fight for control of resources.
    It's got 254 player matches and smaller variants. It also does not require a monthly fee. Seemingly the only differences are the backdrops (SciFi Ultra - Global Agenda and SciFi Lite - MAG)  , and MAG has no auction house.
    If Aliens vs Predator wasn't releasing next week, I'd give this a shot. 
    Is there a trial? I don't usually opt for the try before you buy mentality, but its never too late to adopt good practices.

    its free unless you play the conquest portion. but plenty to get a feel for the game.

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