Natural Selection 2 Thoughts

Well hello there, nice winter weather is here and Santa is almost ready to deliver your presents. But wait, it's not that time yet, so I have decided to make an effort with this blog and make a post on the game Natural Selection 2.

So let's begin... well, let's try and survive this, as I have learned to do the same with Natural Selection 2. The game is split between hardy marines and cute little aliens, all of whom fight to try and gain control of different areas of the map. Think of capture the flag, but more complicated. The marines, as you would expect, pack assault rifles, pistols and a melee weapon. Although this is the standard equipment set up, there are variations which are unlocked as your team commanders researches them. The gameplay for the marine is pretty standard. You run, shoot, repair and progress at a much faster rate, especially if you have a competent commander (which both sides need to have). I had the most fun playing the marines, as that's what I'm normally used to doing while playing games; shooting. It's also easy to get used to and most new players will automatically gravitate toward this side, like a nerd to an MMO. However, because I was already used to shooters I got bored and the gameplay became quite stale. So what did I do? Yes, that's right, I changed side! No way, I would never, well yes I did.

The aliens are very unique, partially due to each alien having it's own unique traits that help your side. The skulk for example is weak... and I'm not saying this lightly, they are abysmal. They can be killed in a single clip and have no other defense in the early game worth mentioning. They do, however, have great speed and can climb walls, so while I played with this type, I would normally find myself having an unusual relationship with the ceiling. I found these aliens frustrating to play as, their attacks are weak and you very rarely have a chance of killing a marine, unless he is clueless and just stands there looking at you. The gorge is what you would call the engineer healer, or something onto those lines. I actually found myself doing something useful while playing as these fat slimy beasts. I haven't played with the other three types, mainly because I used too many resources and dying a lot. I guess that would be my fault that I'm terrible, or I just can't get around how the aliens work. It might even be that the aliens are rather weak late game, compared to the marine counter part. I could count the number of wins the aliens achieve in one hand and I would need about ten hands to count the number of wins the marine side achieved.

While this is good for people who are used to shooters, it is a little unfair for those who are forced to play as the alien side and it will inevitably leave a bad taste in their mouth and give them the wrong impression. The game itself is good, it works well and allows you to play a different game style if you feel the need. Though for me personally, I didn't like it all that much and I would much prefer to play Chivalry: Medieval Warfare.