A new game from the creators of site Friv2Online Games Studio is also focused on combat, but changes the pace of gameplay and perspective: Thunder Tier One is a tactical team shooter with a top-down view. We tell in the review whether it is worth going to the fictional country of Silabia.
Thunder Tier One takes place immediately after the collapse of the USSR, in the Eastern European state of Silabia, where the paramilitary terrorist organization SBR is operating. Players will lead an elite squad of special forces and, over nine missions, do everything to put an end to crime.
The authors carefully wrote briefings, worked out an overview of each mission, drew up a plan of operations and provided detailed intelligence data. It is extremely useful to familiarize yourself with this information before a sortie: forewarned is forearmed, and if you understand what lies ahead, the mission may go more smoothly.
On the other hand, the scenario in the friv game does not shine with revelations, and the objectives of the tasks are rather boring: infiltrate, clean up, capture, escort, hold out until the evacuation. It's not that we're expecting exciting plot twists in a military shooter, but still, the story evokes more of a lazy "well, what's next?" instead of "I want to erase my memory and go through again!". However, there is hope that modders will add more exciting missions: tools for modifying the friv game are already working.
After the briefing, you can proceed to the preparation. Like in some X-Com or Jagged Alliance, in Thunder Tier One you can customize each of the four fighters in detail. They can carry primary and secondary weapons, a couple of grenades, several magazines for barrels, as well as a helmet, unloading, body armor, backpack.
You can attach modules to weapons, such as silencers and sights, install various body kit on equipment: night vision devices, knee pads, headsets, tactical gloves, and so on. All this affects the characteristics of a fighter in different ways: for example, elbow pads will improve the stability of aiming, but will reduce the speed of movement, and a helmet will increase head protection, but will limit mobility. You can put additional gadgets in the backpack, but the fighter will become clumsy. And so on. As a result, you can fashion at least a slow armored death machine, at least a fast dodger falling from a couple of hits, but in any case, you need to meet the given number of equipment points.
And besides this, there are still a lot of camouflages in the game, with which you can personalize the characters by coloring their equipment and weapons. True, there is little practical sense in this: the camera hangs too high above the battlefield, and even with its maximum approximation, you are unlikely to pay attention to the individual style of the special forces.
When everything is ready, it's time to go on a mission. Gameplay Thunder Tier One is a top-down shooter ; elements of tactics are present, but there is no active pause in the friv game: all orders are given in real time, so you need to keep an eye on the fighters and not expose yourself to bullets, focusing on managing your wards.
And you can’t do without competent leadership: the AI in the friv game is rather weak, partners can both actively cover the protagonist and become a burden, getting in the way. Especially in tight spaces, where it is already difficult to wind between tables and racks. Wounded comrades can be treated, but they themselves do not seek to save the protagonist. Fortunately, it is not necessary to keep all the members of the squad alive here: after completing the mission, they will miraculously be resurrected.
The game really lacks a tactical pause: without the ability to pause the passage of time, give instructions to partners and build the passage of the mission into a chain of elegant decisions, the gameplay sometimes becomes quite chaotic. At the same time, it is obvious that Thunder Tier One is geared towards a cooperative friv game, in which an active pause simply cannot exist.
And we recommend playing in co-op, because the project is quite hardcore even at the "arcade" difficulty level, not to mention the "realism". The opponents are notable for their enviable accuracy, they outnumber our team, they actively surround the fighters and fire continuously. Stealth can be used here, but sooner or later you will be discovered, sirens will howl, enemies will call for reinforcements, and the VIP who needs to be neutralized and captured will rush to their heels. And here, no AI control capabilities can be compared with voice communication and coordinated actions of real players.
If you don't have enough friends to play together, you can always try to play with strangers. At the start, a lot of players rushed to Thunder Tier One: the servers were full, including Russian-speaking users. For those who find PvE too boring, PvP modes are provided: from the classic 4v4 team deathmatch to missions with tasks, such as stealing a data package from enemy territory. It is not known how long interest in the game will last, but on the day of release there is definitely someone to cooperate with.
Among other things, the project looks very good and sounds convincing. Not nextgen, but quite pretty, especially at night, with soft lighting and contrasting shadows. The barrels chirp pleasantly, spitting out bullets, and playing with good headphones improves positioning - I could easily determine by sound which side the enemy was on.
In Thunder Tier One, it’s better not to play alone – AI partners are not surprised, and it’s rarely possible to take out a mission on your own shoulders. But in co-op, the friv game shows itself at its best - so if you plan to go to Silabia, make sure you have someone to cover you.