[PerpetualAFK]

***CrossFire Review***
By PerpetualAFK
CF Profile: http://clan.z8games....spx?usn=3186650

Since there are already dozens of reviews talking about the different game modes, maps, etc, this review will focus on what is good about CrossFire (CF) and what's not so good. The tips section is for people new to the game. Readers may notice that there are several comparisons to the game Counterstrike. I am not trying to pick on Counterstrike. I compare the two games because they are quite similar, Counterstrike was very popular, and I have experience playing both.

Weapons: 7/10
Good: There is a large variety of weapons (SMG, rifle, sniper, pistol, melee, shotgun) so one is sure to match well with your playing style. For those who have played Counterstrike, CF will offer even more weapons to choose from.
Bad: Some of the weapons that you can buy are a waste of money. For example, some of the very light SMGs (ie Uzi) are not very effective against rifles or even pistols, yet are not much cheaper than a good rifle. Thus, many of the weapons are not worth considering for their price. Another downside is that some of the best weapons are only available to people who pay money for them. This gives people who are willing to pay a slight advantage over others. However, this is not a very big problem, because many of the very good guns can be obtained for free.
Tips: Weapons are very expensive, and reselling it will only get you about a third of its original price, so it is important to try one out before buying it. There are three ways to try out weapons: you can play the maps Crossroads or Alaska, you can pick up weapons off dead people, or you can make a second account. In my experience it is best to save up and buy a really good weapon, than buy a so-so weapon. A so-so weapon will become obsolete quickly, and you will have just wasted a lot of money. Also, new weapons come out sometimes with CF patches, so if you don't find a weapon you really like, keep waiting.

Items/Powerups: 8/10
Good: There are a wide variety of items you can purchase. These include items to grant extra Exp, body armor, decorative clothing, extra ammunition clips, etc.
Bad: All of these items are only available by purchase with money.

Maps: 7/10
Good: There are a large variety of maps and they are fairly easy to learn.
Bad: Some of the maps are slightly unbalanced for the Search & Destroy and Ghost Mode game modes. Currently, individuals can not make their own custom maps.
Tips: Especially on team matchups, it is important to get experience playing from both Global Risk and Black List teams, so you know where the other team's camping spots are.

Game Modes: 9/10
Good: There are SIX game modes: elimination, free for all, team deathmatch, search and destroy (bomb), ghost mode, special mode (knife). The 6 different modes keeps CF from getting boring even when played for several hours straight. Ghost mode in particular is very unique, and one you won't find in other first person shooters. It is like search and destroy, but the "terrorists" are only visible when they move (hence "ghost"), and they can only use knives.
Bad: The only issue is that playing a Ghost in ghost mode has a very steep learning curve. Not many people can get a good kill/death ratio playing a Ghost.

Anti-hacking: 6/10
Good: There are 3 systems for protection against hackers. One is the anti-hack software that runs while you play CF. The second is Votekick. If you suspect someone is using a hack (aimbot, map hack, speed hack, etc) you can start a votekick against them. To make sure that people do not abuse this option, there is a minimum time you must wait before initiating another votekick. The last system is that at the end of each round, the room host can kick whoever he or she suspects of hacking.
Bad: The anti-hack software is currently not very effective due to websites continually making new hacks. The votekick option has a moderately good success rate. The ability of the host to kick people at their discretion is usefull when a votekick fails. However, some hosts abuse this power and kick people who do not hack. Many people who are very good on the GR side in Ghost Mode matches are also unfairly kicked because people suspect them of hacking.

Ranking system: 8/10
Good: You gain ranks by earning Experience Points. You are awarded points for each round, based on time played, number of kills, and if you do any achievements such as defuse or plant a bomb. There are also bonus points for being ranked first. The ranking system has a good progression. That is, the time it takes to reach a "good" rank is not so short that everyone can do it, yet is not too long that it takes forever. For the first 3 ranks, when you level up, you get bonus cash deposited in your account that you can use to buy weapons and other gear.
Bad: After the first 3 ranks, the only way to get money is by playing, or buy purchasing money online through Paypal or another service.

Servers and lag: 8/10
Good: There are a lot of rooms to choose from, or you can make your own room. To help fill up your room faster, you can invite people who are running CF but have not joined another room yet. Another good thing are three special servers. One is only for people new to the game, one is for advanced players, and one is for clan vs clan matches. The lag in servers is usually not bad. Typical values are 50-150ms, which is decent for a first person shooter. Usually, it is not noticeable in game (ie you do not have to aim ahead of the enemy).
Bad: Nothing worth noting.

Graphics and sound: 6/10
This is highly subjective. Obviously, CF will not compare to the leading FPS out there like Crysis. But then again, not all of us have computers that cost $2000. The graphics on CF are decent, such that anyone with a computer made in the past 5 years can play it. People who have the latest gaming computer will find the graphics so-so. The sound is fairly standard, comparable with games like Counterstrike. The only issue with sound is that in small maps, the sound of 16 people firing, throwing grenades, and sending messages over the radio all at once is very overwhelming.

Replay value: 9/10
Counterstrike extremely popular in its day. I think the concept of CF is even better than Counterstrike. Besides some of the issues noted above, this should make for hours of enjoyment.

Clan: 7/10
Good: The clans are all ranked on the CF website, so it is easy to find a clan of your skill level. Most clans are reputable and show good sportsmanship.
Bad: The clans are ranked by clan points. A clan is awarded a point for every 500 experience points a member earns. 500 experience points equals roughly half an hour of gameplay. Because the number of clan points is the sum of the points of each member, this tends to favour clans with more members. Another issue is what is known as "farming." This is where members of a clan set up alternate accounts on other computers, and then use their primary account to kill the alternates over and over, thus gaining them large amounts of Exp, and hence helping their clan to advance ranks.

Overall: 8/10
This game is a fairly good first person shooter. The variety of maps, guns, and game modes gives CrossFire a high replay value and is what really makes it stand out. There are some issues with balance and hackers, but it does not detract signficantly from the enjoyment of the game. Overall Crossfire has impressed me.
Oh, and did I mention? It's FREE!