Frontlines: Fuel of War (Xbox 360)

It all begun in summer 2008 when the global demand for oil exceeded the production capacity of the oil companies. Now it’s the year 2024. Oil is as good as none existent and alternate energy sources fail to provide what is needed. And to make it all worse, World War III is at hand since Russia and China formed the Red Star Alliance in order to fight the USA and Europe, now known as the Western Coalition for the last oil reserves on earth. You are a member of the Stray Dogs-squad and as a part of the Western Coalition it is your duty to fight off the Red Star Alliance and secure the oil.

The story of the campaign is told from the view of Wayne Andrews (but you don’t play him). He’s a member of the press that was assigned to accompany the Stray Dogs in order to make them heroes and give the people back at home something to look forward to. But war is unpredictable…

The goal of the game is always to conquer certain points on the map in order to move the frontline forward. But since you need to control at least two of those control points in order to advance, you also need to make sure that parts of your team defend the already converted point while you engage and take over the other ones.

To fight your enemies you’ve not only access to slightly futuristic equipment including exploding drones or a small radio-controlled tank but also to assault rifles, rocket launchers and other weapons that make a dent in the enemy armor. There are also several kinds of vehicles waiting for you. Ranging from jeeps over tanks to helicopters there’s everything you need to dominate the battlefield.

In single player you only play one character which can use everything he finds on the battlefield. In multiplayer you choose different weapon load-outs and roles. A Dronetech for example makes use of the different radio-controlled vehicles in the game. During a round you can earn experience by killing enemies or capturing control points. Once you’ve gathered enough, you gain a level and get access to more equipment in your role but once the round has ended, these are reset and on the next map you once again start as a lowly Level 1 (of 3) in your role.