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Advanced Tactics: Tracking Down The Best Military Sim Shooter Clans
In the latest issue of Game Informer magazine (#225), we give gamers a glimpse at some lesser known military shooters that deviate from the current genre standards, favoring strategy and realism over ridiculous set pieces and linear gameplay. If any of these games caught your eye, here are some clans for each title that you may want to consider enlisting in.
Arma II
What's It About: Arma II is praised by many FPS fans as the most realistic military shooter on the market. The game includes real-world weapons and ballistics, plus accurate vehicles and large-scale, 50-player multiplayer matches. Arma II now features a free-to-play version of the game, which allows players access to the online multiplayer.
What Clans To Investigate: The Bohemia Interactive forums contain a number of clans that are recruiting players. If you're looking for a more realism-oriented group of players to join, you might want to consider the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the 2nd Battalion 2nd Marines tactical realism unit, the multinational 16 AA MilSim Unit, and the Virtual U.S. Military clan.
America's Army 3
What It's About: America's Army 3 is the latest installment in the military shooter series created by the United States Army. In addition to realistic gameplay, AA 3 attempts to capture the essence of military life through extensive training modeled after the U.S. Army.
What Clans To Investigate: The Squad Recruiting forums at the official AA website offer players a variety of options, but if you're looking for tactical gameplay, check out The Seventh Column, the 3rd Infantry Division, and the 82nd Airborne Division.
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad
What It's About: If you're ready to return to World War II, Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad has plenty to offer realism-oriented gamers. The minimal HUD means you'll have to rely on iron sights to take down foes, and the lack of an ammo counter requires you to keep track of your bullets yourself. Additionally, Red Orchestra 2 features realistic tanks, requiring multiple team members to effectively operate.
What Clans To Investigate: Once again, the official forums are the best place to look for recruiting squads. Tactical squads include the 7th Cavalry Regiment, the 6th Airborne Division, and the 51st Guards.
Counter-Strike
What It's About: Counter-Strike remains one of the best-known and most popular tactical shooters of all time. It might not be the most realistic shooter (or graphically impressive, considering it debuted in 2000), but if you're looking for team-based gameplay, Counter-Strike is still king. Players will have to choose if they want to stay old school with CS 1.6 or upgrade to Counter-Strike: Source, however, as the community is fractured between the two versions. Valve hopes to change that with next year's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
What Clans To Investigate: You won't find a lot of clans cold recruiting new CS players. However, if you're looking for a group to play with, your best bet is to stop by the Steam forums and introduce yourself. Check out the Counter-Strike 1.6 or Counter-Strike: Source forums, depending on which version you plan on playing.
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