BATTLE CRY FOR FREEDOM REVIEW: MASSIVE MULTIPLAYER CIVIL WORN CHAOS
As you fight for America’s soul, engage in massive and brutal battles! Battle Cry of Freedom allows up to 500 players to fight for the Union or Confederacy in almost any playstyle. With this title, Flying Squirrel Entertainment has set a high standard. Are they able to deliver? Check out this Battle Cry of Freedom review to find out!
The critically acclaimed Napoleonic Wars DLC, for the strategy-action roleplaying game Mount & Blade Warband, has finally been released after 10 years of development. Flying Squirrel Entertainment’s 4-man team uses their knowledge of the musket-era battlefield genre to create an immersive experience. The developer now tackles the American Civil War, one of the most important large-scale conflicts fought with muskets. Battle Cry of Freedom is a brutal and bloody battle that you can win. It’s named after the Civil War song.
Developers must balance many factors for a solid experience in massively multiplayer war sims. Enjoyable combat and historical accuracy are often in a negative relationship. One’s gain can be the other’s loss. The technical difficulties are not mentioned. It is a daunting task to host up to 500 players on massive maps as big as 2 by 2 km. All this while maintaining high FPS and good graphics quality. Let’s find out if FSE can overcome these challenges in our Battle Cry of Freedom review.
STORY – AMERICA’S DEADLIEST CONFLICT
Although I won’t try to force you into a history lesson, there are good chances that you will enjoy Civil War history if you find this game interesting. The only thing you should know about casualties is a deadly Civil War. It was very deadly. It is still the most deadly conflict to be fought on American soil.
The conflict between Union & Confederacy began when 11 states separated in 1860 and 1861. The Battle of Shiloh, 1862, was the bloodiest Civil War engagement. The casualties were double that of all previous battles. The Battle of Antietam, 1863, was the deadliest day of American History, excluding natural disasters.
Poor sanitation and diseases were two major reasons the Civil War was so fatal. The problem lies in a deadly combination of outdated tactics and modern weaponry. In the 1860s, field artillery and muskets had become more powerful and precise. They were, therefore, more dangerous. However, these tactics were extremely outdated. The tactics were outdated because men waited in line to receive orders from their commanders. They then became fully exposed to enemy fire.
Once you step onto the battlefield in Battle Cry of Freedom, this is your military background. This is not a bird’s-eye game. It would help if you advanced on the enemy positions among hundreds of soldiers. You can think of trains transporting supplies, strategic hills, canyon passes, and even coastal forts. To reach your goal, you’ll need to traverse exposed terrain. This will make it easy for the enemy. These Civil War scenarios are dangerous because there is no safety in numbers.
GAMEPLAY-IT ALL SEEMS SO SIMPLE…
It is easy to understand the basic concept of the game. Grab your gun and shoot the bad guys. You don’t have to create complicated builds to be a successful combatant. This makes the game very accessible to beginners. You can choose whether you want to fight for the Union or the Confederacy as you enter the battlefield. It is easy to join a game. After choosing your teams, you will spawn on either the left or right side of the map, with the objective being in the middle. You’ll quickly learn about the technical limitations of the Civil War-era as you navigate your way to the objective.
You can only damage your opponent by shooting or stabbing if you are a regular infantryman. You shouldn’t expect World War 2-style, fast-paced combat in Civil War fashion. This means you won’t be able to unleash volleys upon bullets yourself. Although you will have one bullet to do a lot of damage, it may take 20 seconds to reload. Protective measures such as a barricade, rocks, or tree will help you do this safely. Otherwise, your enemy can use your loaded gun to slay you. You can respawn quickly so that you don’t waste too much time in-game respawning.
THIS IS A STRONG ONE: THE POWER OF TEAMWORK IS STRONG.
It’s not about shooting once and waiting 20 seconds. Many rifles are equipped with a bayonet that you can use whenever you want. It’s time to stab when you don’t have a bullet. Close combat will require more stabbing than shooting, especially when you consider the possibility of being shot at. You are more likely to get the eliminations needed to capture an object.
Because each scenario is unique, the switch between melee and musket keeps it exciting. While muskets for long-distance combat and bayonets for close combat are the norm, it is good to charge like a madman at a row musket-wielding infantry force with only you and your bayonet. Trust me.
Battle Cry of Freedom is a dream made possible by teamwork.
Battle Cry of Freedom does not allow one person to carry an entire team. No matter how competent someone may be. They will soon be forgotten if the whole enemy team rushes them. To win the game, you must cooperate with your army. This game is impossible to play by yourself as there is no single-player mode. The game uses functional voice communication to facilitate cooperation.
Players can send voice messages directly to their friends, Union or Confederate. After minutes of static combat, it’s possible to finally organize an offensive that overwhelms enemy defences in a mad charging charge. It’s hard to describe the adrenaline rush. Huzzah for the Union/Confederacy!
WHERE CAN I LEARN TO PLAY!
It’s easy to use the controls. It’s a war simulation, so the basic functions are running and shooting. You’ll soon run into problems. How do I reload? How can I use my bayonet? How do you hop over fences or walls? What is the best way to destroy barricades, and how do you use your bayonet? It doesn’t give much away, and you’ll have to experiment until you get it right.
I had to play several games before I could correctly deploy, load, fire, and destroy field artillery. You will mainly be using the basic controls as an infantryman. The lack of a tutorial will not be a problem because the controls are simple. You may wonder what you should do once you change classes or load-outs get more complicated. You will eventually press the correct button. An online tutorial will help you determine which keys to press.
I wish someone would show me how to use binoculars in this way.
Clunkiness is still a problem at the controls. The map was nearly destroyed, so I tried my hand at tearing down the doors to a fortress. It was brought by a fellow player, who then gave me some axes to knock it down. I eventually managed to get them all. To break down such barriers, you must look in particular directions. This will influence your movements. You will look straight ahead rather than take a powerful upward swing with the axe. These tricks can be difficult to master, and it takes either a skilled player or a long time.
A BARRAGE OF HISTORICALLY IMMERSIVE PLAYSTYLES
You can still play in Battle Cry of Freedom as an infantryman, but that is not the only way. While you can choose to join the infantry, the Civil War was more complex and chaotic. The crucial artillery had a huge impact on the conflict. There are many other ways to play. As an engineer, you can build bridges and earthworks or as a surgeon, treat your troops. You may also be a distinguished flag-bearer. My favourite way to play is the musician. You are responsible for rallying troops and playing old tunes like Yankee Doodle on drums or fife.
You can create a character that resembles your Civil War heroes.
You can choose who you wish to be as you prepare to participate in the battle. You can join as a captain right away and use pistols sabres instead of rifles and bayonets. It’s possible. You can create your own character by combining the unique looks of Civil War generals. To create a 19th-century cartoon, you can combine Ambrose Burnside’s magnificent facial hair with George A. Custer’s wavy hair. Uniforms are flexible and allow for customization. You can add your own flavour to make your uniform stand out. This level of flavour and immersion makes Civil War enthusiasts a welcomed addition.
If the regular game doesn’t offer enough for you…
I already mentioned that Battle Cry of Freedom doesn’t enforce any limits on your mind. There are ten playstyles available, but the most distinctive is commander mode. Are you tired of dying constantly? Let the AI take care of it! You can command a legion of bots if you believe you are the next Civil War general. It takes some getting used to the controls, and it isn’t as easy as playing regular infantry games. However, it is refreshing to see the game from a command point of view. I hope this gets more fleshed out in future updates.
FSE appears eager to create a vibrant community around the game. The game also includes a map builder that can be used to create custom maps. The map editor is not as intuitive as other parts of the game. However, it offers over 4000 props that can be used to build any Civil War-style battlefield. The developers showcased the Scene Editor in a speed design compilation.
GRAPHICS AND AUDIO WHEN IMMERSION BECOMES FRUSTRATING
Battle Cry of Freedom features a variety of Civil War-era tracks to enhance historical immersion. The game includes recordings from both the United States Military Bands and the 2nd South Carolina String Quartet as background music. However, the definition of “background” is not very precise. The game heavily relies on audio cues. You will need to communicate with other players via voice chat to coordinate your attack. You can also listen to enemy musket fire and learn about the location of the enemy. There might be players nearby with fifes and drums, singing their own songs. Characters are shouting their lines next to you. The Battle Hymn of the Republic is playing, and you can’t see anything. The tracks are great, but they frustrate the gameplay.
Battle Cry of Freedom is full of sounds – it’s easy for people to get overwhelmed.
The game’s graphics are not exceptional. It lacks captivating graphics, but it does have historical immersion and play styles. Although the visual representation of the Civil War isn’t bad, it seems to have not changed much since 2012’s Napoleonic Wars DLC to Mount & Blade Warband. The Civil War looks prettier than the visually more impressive War of Rights. The enemies are clearly visible, and I can see what’s happening based on the graphic representation. And the game runs smoothly. The graphics do not affect the gameplay.
THE INSTRUMENTAL BUT CONTROVERSIAL CHAT
Battle Cry of Freedom is a game that relies on voice chat. You will need to work together to capture an objective. Communication is key to teamwork. The voice chat system works well, to the credit of the games. I’ve had no trouble understanding the plans of my fellow players. I can chat with players from the opposing team and make fun of them, although they seem to taunt me more frequently.
These playful taunts often turn into much more sexist insults, regrettably. Voice chat is full of offensive racial comments. FSE must actively moderate voice chats to stop racist and toxic atmospheres from growing. This game will have a long existence with positive communities.
