I used to be a fanatic old school gamer, with games like TFC and NS1 being played daily. But ever since i got addicted to WoW for 5 years and lost my interest in every game that got released within 5 minutes.. until NS2! What a great game, fresh gameplay, actual teamplay, and moddable, can't wait for total conversion mods to pop up ( Warcraft fps/rts mod anyone ? ). Great bunch of developers, dedicated to update the game for years to come!… Expand

Great game, but for some reason crashes my computer quite frequently (twice in an hour) when BF3 on ultra doesn't. Very fun, very innovative, tons of replay value.

Amazing game where teamwork is not an option. FPS/RTS design forces cooperation in order to improve your own loadout as well as others. Your play is not completely dictated by the Commander as each person has personal resources to buy weapons with once they have been. Excellent gaming community which discourages trolls. Graphics are good and fast spawns, high movement speed and teleportation buildings make for low downtime. That said there is a high learning curve and the maps are complex especially the ventilation system used by the alien side. Can be unforgiving and cause you to lose your heavy weapons quickly. If you play games to become GOOD, don't mind working with a team towards team based goals and not just to get high K/D and unlock awards then this game is a must.… Expand

I played the original Natural Selection back in the days of CAL and I'm glad to see the developers succeed with NS2. Unlike remake failures like CS:Source and CSGO, this game was actually developed by people with passion - and it shows. The controls are intuitive and the engine is gorgeous (*bad dum ching*). It may take a bit of time to learn how to play and com but you won't regret it.


9/10 - only reason is that there needs to be improvement in what was called 'interp' in NS1 but could also be called netcode.. Being killed when your character is 5 meters around a corner is an irritating and unnecessary part of the gameplay.… Expand

Amazing game, sticking to it's roots as a PC mod and asymmetrical shooter. Refusing to dumb down their game and create a work of art independently this company developed it's own engine with a group of 5 or so people and the work they've done is ASTOUNDING, better then some supposed triple A titles with a huge budget and staff. This is one of the defining reasons why PC gaming is not dead and why it remains the best for real, raw and intense gameplay that is unique and not a retextured mess of everything sold to the kiddies on Xbox already. I tip my hat to Unknown Worlds and what they've been able to do.… Expand

This game is stupendous. It manages to mix RTS and FPS, which alone is ridiculous, but it also has two completely different sides that are both a ton of fun to play... and it's balanced! Holy cow. The graphics are amazing and climbing on walls as aliens or flying around or teleporting is tons of fun. Easily one of the greatest multiplayer games since the original Natural Selection.

This is a REAL PC game created by an indipendent studio consisting of around 10 members of staff.
It is an online, team based FPS/RTS which blends the two styles of game play flawlessly! The game is fully moddable and comes with all the tools you could ever want to make mods, maps, cinematics or even your own completely new game.
What I like best about the title though, is the aforementioned development team. They gave out 45,000 free copies for goodness sake. I think major games development companies should step up, take note and learn!… Expand

An awesome mash-up of RTS and FPS. For an independently developed game it easily puts many of the big AAA titles to shame. With constant updates through-out BETA and with continued support promised for a long time to come, NS2 is not only a great game getting better, it's got a great community behind it, pushing it further with mods and tons of support.

Great game, it retains many features of the mod and adds a few more which I think make it better, the addition of an alien commander is nice and the fact that marines can now buy their own weapons from their personal resources instead of begging the commander every time they respawn which gets annoying, the map design and graphics are great though as well as the sound, despite the fact I'm loving this game there are still issues to be aware of, the pre-cache one Is being fixed at the moment I'm sure and I wouldn't worry about that, the main one bothering me is the stuttering and teleporting that seems to appear at the most inappropriate times but the engine is actually great despite those facts and I'm sure they are working on those bugs. bunnyhopping is absent though but I gotta say I prefer the skulks movement in this than in HL Mod, you stick to walls much better and transitioning from wall to floor/ceiling is easier and more fluid, get this game you won't regret it.… Expand

It was a long way of evolution..** First of all, sorry for my bad English. I played the game since the early alphas and i played part 1 as well. The positive aspects of the game are the big difference between the classes, (teams, weapons, attacks, tactics,..), the fine graphics, the complex maps and, of course, the combination of RTS and FPS. I don't know how long it takes new players to get used to all the game mechanics. It took me very long when I started playing beta after a long pause but its it's was easier now with all the help that found into the game in the last months.

**..and finally they released a great sequel of a great half life 1 mod.… Expand

This game isn't easy, it has a high learning curve, getting used to the differences between marines vs aliens can be tough for new players, I stuck with it and got the hang of it after a few hours(I was still no ace) each side has a much different approach to win the game, and it doesn't have to be the same approach each time! with the Multiple upgrades. The Unknown Worlds Entertainment is so good to their community, the community is so good to them and new players, the steps they made to make this game is incredible it feels like a multimillion dollar game title but it was only made by a group of 7 and help from the community. If you're tired of the same old Call of Duty copy and paste from year to year, you can buy two copies of NS2 for you and a friend for less than 1 copy of Call of Duty Black Ops 2, and I guarantee you're going to have way more fun, especially if you enjoyed AVP, NS2 blows both out of the water.… Expand

I have played this game for about 3 hours so far, and I've been having a blast with it! I think I prefer the marines over the aliens though, which does sometimes present a problem when joining a server that is full on marines. The graphics are good, it is on a fresh engine, NOT a recycled IW engine, Quake engine, UT engine, etc... what a refreshing experience. The combination of strategy and FPS is a great combination. As a long time CoD and Starcraft player, I think I will love this game.… Expand

Amazing game, I've been looking for a game that I won't get BORED of (pretty much most games out there right now), and NS2 is it. The shooting mechanics are more fun than any modern military shooter out there, and playing as an alien is a refreshing ton of fun. The strategy element is amazing if you are into RTS, because you have to use voice communication to be an effective commander.

Simply put, I have never had more fun online than I've had with this game and it's predecessor. Unless you play games competitively, you've probably never experienced what it's like to play with a coordinated team, and NS2 through the subtleties of it's design accomplishes that with every pub game.

Buy this game. Not just because it's a cheap, beautiful, independently developed game, but it because it it so much damn fun. I go into fits of laughter quite often. It's a ****ing hoot.

Surpasses the first game in most ways, beautiful visuals and fantastic modding abilities / community. For one of the best Multiplayer games around, its well worth it!

This is a fun multiplayer game that has a lot of potential, it contains a team element not often seen in games of this generation. You feel a connection to your team and when your team and your commander are working together there is nothing more satisfying. I would say that you should get this game if you plan to play it while working with people. no lone wolf crap. my only complaint is the lack of tutorial for the commander mode, and i always felt intimidated to get in it since it could ruin the game for my team.… Expand

An amazing sequel of the Half-Life mod Natural Selection. The developers have done an outstanding job and really pushed the limits of indie game design. This game deserves a 10 for many reasons, but the biggest has to be the perseverance and skill shown by the developers.

Apologies in advance for the horrible writing.


For me, this game is an extremely impressive feat, and a game I will be playing for a very long time. It's a fun team-based shooter that seems like a horrible gimic at first, but reveals itself to be an incredibly deep strategic game. The gameplay is wonderful and fresh. The aliens are fast and fun to play and have a variety of unique abilities, especially the fade with its ability to blink across the map at incredible speeds and slash down marines with its scythe-like arms. The marines are quite enjoyable as well, with their well designed weapons and tools. Mixing an RTS and a shooter doesn't sound like it would work at first, but is incredibly well implemented, with obvious care from the developers that really took care to make into solid game mechanic, rather than a horribly implemented gimic tacked on to a generic shooter.

The graphics are very impressive for an indie game, holding up quite well compared to even AAA titles, and are a surprisingly colorful getaway from the mottled grey-brown of modern military shooters. For the most part, the animations are very fluid and nice to look at, and the game feels very smooth in general. The game has an immense replayability as well, not only for its incredible mod support. Though there are only five, the maps are very large and conducive to a large number of strategies, and the random spawn points for each team add a great variety. What really impresses me is the game's ability to constantly surpise you with new things, even after playing for a while. The game naturally opens up to you piece by piece as you play, far more preferable to me than the standard "level-up" progression system. You start as a simple unit following the commanders orders, and eventually become experienced enough to dominate the field with a jetpack and shotgun as a marine or a fade as an alien. Once you realize the nuances of the strategy, you can assume the position of the commander and lead your entire team.

Above all, what I really respect about this game is the fact that it dared to deviate from the endless stream of modern shooters. The developers made it as a multiplayer game, and didn't waste resources tacking on an unnecessary campaign just to raise the price. They refused to add ironsights so the gameplay would be better, and didn't try to become a "me too" shooter. Unknown Worlds made an ambitious game with a clear identity and a clear purpose, and after almost six years of beta development they clearly care about their game. This game is a perfect example of quality over quantity. Hopefully Natural Selection 2 will set an example for shooter developers in the future. All in all, a highly recommended game that you can enjoy for a long time.… Expand

Awesome game, the original was fun and this is even better. They are allowing mods for the game, which I can only imagine that will take this game far.

This is an excellent example of an FPS that doesn't compromise to "compete" with games like COD or BF3. It sticks to its rots and remains largely the same game it was 10 years ago, only this time with actual production value. The shooting is solid, the teamplay is tight, and brings all of the asymmetrical gameplay [that made the original mod stand out] back to the table, with all the balance of the original. I'm not sure this is a game that will appeal to the "War Shooter" fan, but should stick out to anyone that's looking for a change of pace from the same old yearly releases we've been seeing over the last 5 or so years. There's a reason that we're all gushing praise for this game, because it's one that deserves it.… Expand

Game is fantastic. Requires a lot of teamwork, has a decent learning curve especially for commanders, graphics are great and I have not had any of the issues with crashing on highest performance. buy this game if you enjoy FPS, strategy or RTS

Great game that is a team player base and requires some skill. Aliens are so fun I enjoy the Fade going to the speed of light is a great escape move when I found myself in trouble. Marines jet packs and Exos is also fun to play. Been playing for 8hrs straight and enjoy every minute. NS2 developers added a great feature too called Mods. Mods in a server can change the game play with endless possibilities, like for example, Marines vs Marines or Aliens vs Aliens and so on. The game has great replay and with new MODS ideas making this game have so many possibilities of game play. I am tired of these AAA game developing companies that bring poor content with a huge price behind it, unknownworlds is indie company not even close to AAA level, but they made a great game with half the cost. highly recommended.… Expand

Natural Selection 2 game play has a unique personality, which is rare in titles today. Sure there are other games that are Hybrid RTS/FPS, but they don't offer the same level of quality and depth. The game is simple, but offers a lot of strategy and each game feels different. Playing as a gorge (combat engineer), skulk (sneaky fighter), fade (quick medium assault fighter), lerk (combat support), or onos (siege and heavy combat) on the alien side all feel different. Playing as a marine or exo-suit (GOLIATH ONLINE) are fun experiences. If you enjoy team game play, you'll love Natural Selection 2 since each role benefits the team in a unique way.

Natural Selection 2 is basically a delicious cheap wine that will only taste better as it ages. For $25, this game is already a bargain and the developers have committed themselves to improving it post-release. Additionally, mods can provide additional content for no cost to the purchaser.

There are a few issues that need work including networking and performance. If it were a $40 or $60 game I might be a bit more strict on the performance of the engine. The developers have committed themselves to improving performance after release.… Expand

Can be fun but seems horridly unbalanced. For being a game that doesn't have the epic action, expanse and visuals of Battlefield 3 and other games like it, it sure requires a lot more power to run. The game seems to have the optimization of an alpha build and runs like complete garbage. Constant crashes and frame lag destroys what could be a pretty fun experience.

Absolutely fantastic. I have had a lot of fun with it so far, and I highly recommend. My only issue is the game's crosshairs, but I tend to dislike most game's crosshairs, and this game is moddable enough to allow for custom crosshairs to be out.

Also, if you're a fan of the classic NS, people have already begun releasing more classic NS Maps, as well as a Combat Mode mod.

Definately one of the most exciting multiplayer game of period. At gameplays' wise, designs' wise, the game is almost flawless. I remember me complaining about making so stupidly bad game at the early stage of Natural Selection 2, when the game had nothing but just lag without reason. Now it has become to a game, which has great potential being so popular and famous, and be one of the best title of the game history(already as a user count it's hugh). But still the problem is optimization and animation. As the dev team seem to have great success now(6k players), i'd like to see much more improved animations and flawless optimization. Then they will surely keep maintaining those 6k online players, and even grow.. Ah and again, the color of the game is just so aesthetic. Regardless of some animation issues, this game must have also one of the greatest eye candy. Definately one of the best looking game without being so realistic as a reality like Crysis or Battlefield 3. Anyway congratulations Unknownworlds and Charlie and others. You are genius.… Expand

At last a PC multiplayer game that isn't a load of consolised trash, have a stupid unlock tree and xp system, and isn't a bunch of free to play ****

The game combines FPS and RTS seamlessly and there are fewer more satisfying victories in gaming than succeeding as a commander.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Buy this game if you like:

- Natural Selection 1
- Nuclear Dawn
- Savage series
- Left 4 Dead series
- Alien vs Predator series
- Gloom(Quake 2)… Expand

Natural Selection 2 is a fantastic game that blends first-person shooting with RTS elements. The dynamic map control reflected through growing/receding infestation helps to reinforce the atmospheric nature of the game. Probably the friendliest, most enjoyable community that I've ever seen in gaming, the mechanics of the game actually encourage helpfulness and cooperative teamplay. I'm not sure what else to say -- if you don't like this game, maybe team-based first person shooters just aren't for you.… Expand

The game is really great! The graphics are awesome with plenty of colors (compared to today

NS1 is one of my favorite multiplayer games of all time. This game gives the original title justice. Overall the developers are probably my favorite team right now. The dedication and passion they had for making this title is amazing. The community is amazing. Everyone you play with is mature and friendly. The game itself is a unique blend of strategy, skill, and action, and I love it. There is a learning curve to being an alien and thats what I think a lot of people have trouble with mostly. Being a good skulk/lerk/fade is an art, and takes some time to master IMO. There are still some performance optimizations to be made to the game to iron out some stuttering, load time, and framerate issues, but if you have at least a decent mid range PC you shouldn't have any problem, and the graphics/art are probably the best I know of right now. This is some PC gamer god tier **** a diamond in the rough, and I cant wait to see what Unknown Worlds has in store for the future of this game.… Expand

Incredible fun with friends of solo. Had not heard of this before but was amazed by the quality of the game. Huge fun, atmospheric and if played in the dark at night can even be creepy when you hear enemy aliens crawling through the vents around you.

The game has depth and real substance to the gameplay, and team work is absolutely essential. For the commander, it is like playing a slow paced but deeply tactical Star Craft where your marines and units are real people with differing levels of skill.

at 18 quid on steam this game is an absolute steal - buy it, get your friends to buy it, and enjoy!… Expand

This game is just too damn impressive. Every competitive PC gamer needs to buy this. It can be rough for newbies, but its still super fun even when you're getting your ass handed to you. I love that this is a game where player skill makes a huge difference, unlike all the run and gun stupidity conquering mainstream FPS games. A pair of good players can totally carry a battle... but a good commander leading a squad of newbies can equally carry a victory. And the fact that such a small team designed such a great game engine blows my mind! I just wish all those big budget games would use an engine that looks and plays as smoothly as Unknown Worlds Spark engine. It looks frickin' amazing at 2560x1440 resolution!… Expand

Natural Selection 2 is a great game. Immersive game play and a really fresh feel for an FPS with good balancing considering the drastic differences between the two factions. This is a must have for any fps enthusiast.

This game is a mint fresh breath in the gaming world. It's very innovative and a blast to play. What i like the most about the game is the way it supports and encourages MODS.

What can I say about this game other than it really took me by surprise. The game seamlessly blends RTS and FPS elements which ends up producing rounds that have isolated, but intense firefights in the beginning, followed by all out team fights later in the rounds. Playing either side, marines or aliens, proves to be balanced and fun given all the different unit customizations the game offers. The game randomizes where the players start in the beginning, which makes for increased replay value since every round plays out differently.

Having never played the original HL1 mod this game is based off of, I was really impressed by the fact that this game was developed independently. This game has a sort of "old school" feel to it, apparent right from the very moment you start the game with a complete lack of branding before the main menu screen. I think they did a great job at capturing what players want out of a strategy-based FPS game: fast-paced action mixed with intelligent, strategic elements and great replay value. Would be 10 of 10 if they included some sort of way to track your player's game statistics and compare against others.… Expand

The first time I jumped into NS2 I was shocked that this game is so polished and enjoyable. It's amazing to see an indie studio coming from a mod doing such a great job. It's worth every penny and I know it will be a title to plays for months / years to come. Especially with the large amount of Modding and eSports support released with it! My only wish is that the Gamer Media would write more about it to get more players in!… Collapse

One of the most fun games i hav ever played.
Unlike modern AAA fps shooters the Devs have not "Dumbed down" the game, so it has a refreshing high learning curve, most others miss.
No Pay to win dlc is another +
Game sourcecode is open source and modders have all-ready made some amazing content.
Superb balance, extremely beautiful, runs better then most AAA and the RTS elements are vary fun.

Looks ok and runs ok so it is surprising they could have messed up it from there on in. The premise is promising but I am guessing the people that wrote it dont play it as anything other than Marines. For a Marine you have nice tool and feel fairly omnipotent most of the time. Especially when you have points to spend. But as aliens it is like your on the wrong side of an old school arcade game. It doesnt take a grenade to kill you or even a single burst but one bullet from a burst. Insta kill if remotely near a hit. Sort of fun for a bit as a marine but it does feel a bit hollow and people keep leaving if the Marine team is full. I wish I had known and I would have wasted money on it. The issues are glaring so hopefully it will be fixed but right now I would avoid. Could be a game if the game busting balancing gets fixed. What blows my mind is that this is so obvious yet the game was still released.… Expand

It's an excellent game with a fresh combination of First Person Shooter and Real Time Strategy elements. If you look for a new experience, natural selection delivers it!

Natural Selection 2 is a game that you will want to show to all your friends. Anyone interested in a new multiplayer experience rich with teamwork and strategy should check it out.

The game is also going to be supported and updated well beyond it's release, so there is more content to come and common issues will be promptly addressed.

Awesome! I can't stop playing it... Memories come from 10 years ago :) Though it needs some graphics optimization, performance is not awesome unfortunately.

Bad design choices, bad performance, bad movement mechanics. A downgrade from Natural Selection 1 for sure. A disappointement after preordering back in May 2009.

This game is just Epic. The work these 3-4 people did is Godlike ... I am a programmer and i am impressed ... More maps will be out soon all for Free! You will get patches and Upgrades for free the next 2-3 years like NS1... The support from the modders is big like in Skyrim

It's a good game, a faithful recreation of the HL1 mod. But sadly, that's all it is. A recreation. No real new features to speak of, ones that add to the game, that is, and we lost alot of features as well, so it comes out to less.

The game also has horrible performance, as you can see on their forums, even with a high end rig. There's numerous bugs that have existed for over two years in the beta form, that are still not fixed. At it's core, it's really fun, but lacks polish and content.… Expand

I really enjoy real time strategy games, I can certainly enjoy a good first person shooter. I love teamwork. This game rolls these ideas extremely well into one. I loved the first natural selection and I have very much enjoyed this one. This game is heavily team work oriented, it isn't likely that two or three really good players are going to carry a team in a large game.

However, there is an aspect I honestly wish for. An MMO aspect to this game. I don't mean the BS lobby version either. An MMOFPSRTS game based around this concept would be pretty amazing. In any case, this game is pretty fantastic. Counter strike source+starcraft 2 with a healthy dash of team work mechanics. Delicious.… Expand

This game is incredible. The only real major complaint I have with it is the optimization issues. My graphics card can run Skyrim on Ultra, Metro 2033 on pretty high settings, and Borderlands 1+2 on absolute max with no issues, but I had to set textures to low and remove several effects to achieve playable FPS. Other than that, it's a spectacular game that looks brilliant no matter what. The learning curve is steeper than many other games I've played, but within a day I was able to figure out the game for the most part. To start, I'd pick marines. They're far more easier to pick up than the Kharaa, who took me an extra couple games to figure out completely. I'm absolutely enthralled with this game, and were it not for the optimization issues it would be a perfect 10 in my book. Excellent gameplay, community, graphics, atmosphere, and easter eggs! Also PROTIP: Get a mic! Makes everything so much easier.… Expand

This is a must have for players who are looking for a challenge in First Person Shooters. After all this years there is a game which fits in what I was searching for. A game with brain and fast reaction which brings you to your limit. Only the huge hardware hungry engine is what feels unplaced in this genre but the netcode feels so right. I guess they will fix the performance in the future.

A game a long time in the making; originally designed for the source engine but it didn't suit their needs so the devs reaction? write their own engine that did. The result is the source engine which is still under heavy development even after the game has shipped, they are working on improving the engine and working on new content (which will be released free and not drip fed in a never ending torrent of pay for DLC) You get the entire source gameplay source code and all the dev tools to create your own maps and mods (gameplay code is LUA).

The game as it stands on build 228 (version 1.0 on steam) has now had a enough optimisations to dismiss most of the complains the people who only tried it in it's beta (which was a true beta and not a PR demo) and the servers can now support full populations for long term play with lots and lots of building and with no framedrops.

As for the gameplay it's a fantastic asymmetric mix of ranged and melee combat and a fusion of RTS and FPS combat for the most part works really well, overall each team is directed by a commander in RTS style and the rest of the team are playing an FPS game where weapon unlocks and creature evolutions are researched by the commander.
It's by far the most original mix of gameplay elements in many years and will appeal to players of most games apart from modern grey millsim games and chest high walls.… Expand

Almost too good to be real.
The developer (Uwe) knows how to push all my buttons with NS2.

It features some of the best and most rewarding team play you can find in any game, A huge variation in gameplay, almost endless learning curve, the most friendly and enthusiastic community I've seen since the desert combat community for bf1942 and shiney graphics with a good sound track as cherry on top.

I can't fault them for a single thing they did (and I'm a huge cynic, this never happens for me). Just a shortlist of the best things about the game.
-community support dialed up to eleven! Rcon tools, server build for community, open source engine, mod and map support, amazing spectator mode. good quality VOIP in game. (actually the ONE SINGLE thing I miss in all of this game is demo recording like in quake or half life).

-Uwe developed their own engine, which produces some incredible lighting well suited to the game, super clean image quality, extremely responsive mouse input (best since half life 1! ). Can't fault this for anything. It is fairly cpu heavy (but looks the part!) The game runs really well on my pc from 2008.

-mod support and the sheer quality and variety of the game play ensures this is one of those games you can play for years without it ever getting repetitive or boring. It only costs 23 euros on steam too, almost ridiculously high value.

-No modern game tropes like ADS, p2p lobbies, DLC map packs that would split up the community, grinding for unlocks or level ups, mouse acceleration, locked frame rates, locked FoV or any of those shenanigans that can sully an otherwise good game.
They did right by the pc gaming community with this game.

If you like team play, or strategy, or shooters, or feeling like some solid snake/predator hybrid offspring or fun in general then you can't possibly go wrong buying this.

A lot of people will give 10 or super low scores on metacritic to influence the average because they think their opinion is worth more than others , but if I were to give NS2 an independant score I'd genuinly give it a 10. It's the first game since half life 1 that I consider to be truely in its own league.
Imo it re raises the bar for all other multiplayer and pc games to come.

Don't miss out on this gem fellas, you'd do yourself a huge disservice. The joy and giggles this game brings can't be overhyped, you will not be disappointed.… Expand

"Hi, my name is Eric Neigher and I'm a Gamespot reviewer. I got my ass kicked in NS2, and unfortunately I have autism so I can't learn. Where are the potatoes? 60/100."

This is to help balance out the falsely positive reviews. Probably won't help much, but truth is this suffers what all FPS/RTS hybrids suffer: Mediocre gameplay all round. Not good at anything, forgettable at the least and annoying quite often. Bad interface, gameplay balance, hitreg, basically everything that should have been done right for an RTS or FPS hasn't been done proper in this hybrid game.… Expand

Very fun game made with lot of effort from the developers. The only problem I have with it is that I find it too difficult. It's probably just me being terrible at every game. Hohoho.

Natural Selection 2 is one of the best Tactical Shooter Games of the Year... Because no other one use a so likely concept... Good Work Unknown Worlds Entertainment!

Marvelous game, every bit as entertaining as Natural Selection was years ago. The most important thing to understand about this game is that everything was made by a handful of dedicated people with an ENORMOUS modding community behind their back every step of the way. New content will be continuously released (including combat mode from ns1) on a monthly/weekly basis including: maps, models and skins, game types, etc.
As with any mixed-genre game, getting a grasp of ns2 can be a challenge. Marines/aliens with sub-par FPS skills will be worse off than the counter-strike gods, and commanders that breathe Red Alert will be tactical masters in just a few games. There is variety of playing styles to suit you, whether its being a scout for your team to warn of incoming threats/enemy positions, supporting by building or protecting valuable ground, or endlessly assaulting the enemy base, you can sink hours at a time into this game without even knowing you've killed half of your free day.
Sadly, as with most online games (mostly the PC versions), teamwork is a HEAVY requirement. For some people this may make the game, for others it will break it, but regardless playing with friends and communicating with your team is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED. Remember, you could easily kill a few marines and look cool, or you could strategically kill the power and prevent many more from spawning.
Now for the reason it can't be a 10, and maybe never will be... Latency scripting. No matter how 'professional' or 'godlike' or 'stronk' you may be, having a ping above 100 will ALMOST ALWAYS ruin your gameplay. You might hear things like "wall hacker" and "godmode" and such, when in reality you're shooting 2 feet behind the skulk lagging like a b*tch, or biting where the marine was nearly a second ago. Sure, your damage drawer might shot -420 on a skulk, but that guy dodged every shot on his screen, and he happened to roll a 6 this time around while you got a 5. For this, all I can say is to bear with UWE until they can polish their coding. Until then, for everyone's sake, don't join a server if your ping is gnarly.
Anywho, if you played the first NS, you owe it to yourself (and possibly your childhood) to buy this game. Great remix of classic NS1, with a few additional key elements to balance it out once and for all, as well as some added quirks, tech tree elements, and skills.

P.S. currently $10 on steam until 1/7/13… Expand

--- After more than 300 hours in the game, I can safely say this is an incredible game with a ton of replayability and amazing value at $25. It has a few issues, particularly technical glitches, but I would say they're minor, and don't take away from the main experience.

--- The game has many ideas that are either new or rare in video games:

-1- Distinct races, RTS + FPS: Each team has team resources, and each player has personal resources. Each team has one commander that guides the rest of the team. For marines, there is a very direct relationship; the commander places blueprints for buildings (such as resource extractors) that the marines themselves have to build (in first person view). The marine commander also drops medpacks and ammo to help his team during the intense battles, scans cloaked areas for them, and researches new technology that makes the marines fiercer in battle. On the alien side, the relationship is more passive; the commander still directs the team and the expansions to some degree, but there is more autonomy, and there are even some aliens that can build defensive structures using their personal resources. Distinct races are not entirely new (e.g. Starcraft 1/2 had distinct races) in RTS games, but quite rare in FPS games, and even more rare is it being this distinct, yet well balanced and fun.

-2- Fully dynamic lighting/shadows in a multiplayer game. Marines build power nodes to power their structures and their lights, and aliens can destroy those power nodes. In the dark, the marines can use their flashlights (severely affecting peripheral vision, primarily), and aliens can turn on their own unique vision, which makes the marines and structure easy to see (but makes the environment harder to navigate, because it's a little harder to recognize in alien vision mode).

-3- All the game logic/code is available. ALL OF IT! Okay, not the barebones graphics and physics stuff, but everything on top of that is available when you buy the game, and can be modded. So you can make a completely unrelated single player game with it, or add a third race, or whatever. There are already tons of mods for the game, and hopefully more to come. Yes, there are many games that you can mod in some way or another, but it's very rare that the entire game logic is available with the game, and very rare that modding would have this much support in an indie title.

--- Biggest issue I've seen people have trouble with is framerate... the things is, you are likely to have trouble getting the game to work well until you play with the graphics settings in the game (and there are many). As you change the settings, you can see your FPS change in real time, so at least it's easy to do once you know. Also, based on prior experience (and so far, true since launch), Unknown Worlds will continue to fix and improve the game, add more maps, optimize performance, etc, so this game has a long lifetime ahead and will only get better with time.

--- Do yourself a favor and give it a shot. At $25 (that's less than $0.10 an hour for me at this point), it's a bargain. Just expect to die a lot at first. :) Stick to your teammates and listen to your commander, and prepare to enjoy the best team game on the market!

PS: It's a shame that GameSpot tarnished the game with its review, but at least the review has been pulled since then: http://www.gamespot.com/news/natural-selection-2-review-pulled-6399748
Hopefully MetaCritic will remove that 6/10 critic review and add the new review by GS.… Expand

NS2 = NS1 on steroids. Just simply an Amazing MP experience. One of the best ever. When you win a round of NS2 (that can take up to an hour or more) you know that everyone on your team was working together and you literally see each others sacrifices result in hard earned area control on the battlefield. The game is balanced on a knife edge, where the thrill in the battle is the unknown of what your enemy is going to bring against you next. Did they upgrade to a shift hive or did they get jetpacks yet? One moment you feel like you are slaughtering the aliens and then a lone alien gets into your base while you're all off establishing a new front, manages to cut the power and suddenly your entire team can't respawn and the race is on to get back there before that bloody Onus arrives and starts mopping up.… Expand

The game has a lot of promise but the system in which decides the winning losing team is too quick and before you know it, you're either owning the other team or getting your face smashed in. You don't simply lose the game, oh no, it takes a while which is very frustrating. Even if you win, its a slaughter and not a very rewarding experience.

If your Commander is bad, you will lose. You know this quickly as they don't talk. Teams need to communicate which is fair enough. Just something to point out how critical commanders are. If you have friends, get them to play. Communicate a LOT and get one of them to learn the commanders role. Get some tactics and maybe, just maybe the game will be fun.

Not recommended for casual gamers.

Buy Planetside 2 or Teamfortress 2 instead.… Expand

Please, at least ignore Gamespot's review. I'll do them justice and clean theirs up for them.

The game is amazing. But it is multiplayer only. So if the community dies, you no longer have a way to play. Well, you still do, but awfully. The developers need to keep the game fresh, and that's purely on them.

The learning curve is giant, and it expects you to learn things via youtube videos. Which works, but an actual ingame tutorial works 5000x better. HOWEVER, unlike Gamespot made it out to be, the learning curve is easily learned once you've had the chance to play around as the marines and aliens enough. After about 4-5 hours, I'm pretty confident in my ability on either side. Commander is a totally different field though, and you'd have to watch the videos to understand that, or walk into a room and command without knowing anything.

The game itself is amazing. Just hope that it doesn't lose support anytime soon.… Expand

Natural Selection 2 is a game that rewards teamwork and skill with amazing victories and surprising comebacks. A good game can last an hour, or twenty minutes, depending on how well your team bands together to defeat the other team, be it the ranged-combat Marines, or the close combat Kharaa (or Aliens.) Each team has one player that plays from the perspective of an RTS. That player sees the game from a top-down perspective, places structures (which Marines have to build for the Marine team,) and works to guide the team. The main goal is to take out the other team's command station (that is, the Marine's Command Stations or the Alien Hives.) Thus, if the game isn't over quickly due to a Zerg-like rush from the Aliens or a stomping Marine power-play (which is fortunately rarer and rarer,) the game becomes a mix of putting pressure on the other team and capturing resource nodes and tech points. Each team does this quite differently. The Marines get all sorts of technological upgrades, like teleporters, mobile siege turrets, jetpacks, grenade launchers, shotguns, and the amazing Exosuits. The Aliens get biological upgrades, or evolutions, that provide additional abilities to their life forms. Examples of this are Carapace, which gives the aliens additional armor, Leap, which allows Skulks (the base life form that can run on walls.) to leap a good distance, and Stomp, which allows the Onos (the massive Gorilla-meets-Rhinoceros alien) to send a shock-wave through a team of Marines that knocks them down. There are many more than these, but you get the idea.

The graphics are slick, the gameplay is extremely well balance (if you read anything else, they were on a bad team or fighting a bad team. Two competent teams will have a balanced match.) and the teams are fun to play. Shooting is very solid, biting a little, tiny bit less solid, but still good enough on its own. Commanding is a blast once you get the hang of it (I particularly enjoy leading Aliens to victory.) Overall, this game has a little of everything, including unmatchable mod support, and community support. Unknown Worlds Entertainment owe their existence to the community, and they don't forget that.

10/10
Pros: Balance, Aliens are awesome, Marines are awesome, RTS elements are well done, maps are good, graphics are slick, performs fine on an i5-750 @ 3.0 GHz, 4 GB RAM, HD 6970 2GB.
Cons: Load times can be a bit long (should be addressed in a patch this week,) server browser can be laggy, occasional crashing and freezing for some users.… Expand

Perfect game, its not unbalanced to any side.. its unbalanced if you get a **** commander and team thats all. Real fun game, i prefer aliens due to the play style and I can say it definately is not easier for marines.

Its been years since this was a CS MOD and loved it. Now its back and its a Official game?! WhAT! saw it, bought it, LOVE IT. marine or aliens there both equally fun.... i sense no un-balance, feels both side equal witch i love. Win or LOSE! i cant stop saying.... I LOVE IT!!!!! i thought i was gonna be bored after awhile but still its so open with options of team work....i cant never regret buying this for 24.99 when normally i expect to pay 59.99 Lol, its a must have! Add my steam ID "Shinigami4Life" this is one of a kind game that best discribs the perfect game lol... no serious! :D i would write more to show the passion for this game but ill just end it here hehe :P… Expand

Game is good. Get it. Don't pay attention to the Gamespot review by that one guy called Eric Neigher.

Eric Neigher can suck my peepee while neighing like a horse.

Possibly the best multiplayer game I've ever played. Strategy and teamwork are absolutely crucial to winning a round, and the feeling of satisfaction you get when your team moves to victory like a well-oiled machine is intensely gratifying. This, combined with frantic, fast-paced alien combat, makes for an absolutely fantastic multiplayer experience.

This game is deep and fun but overall is very original, having played the original mod all those years ago, its been created as a standalone game masterfully and has embarrassed the CoD clones in how the game plays and its intelligent design, ignore the haters its a masterpiece of MutiPlayer gaming.

Excellent RTS/FPS hybrid, based on the original Half Life mod. Almost 10 years in development and it shows. A team of seven guys (only 3 the first few years) were able to put out something more refined, balanced, and enjoyable than most triple-A multi-million dollar titles. Incredibly unique gameplay, brilliant art direction, and jaw-dropping visuals. There are a few minor kinks with the initial launch, but the dev team is constantly on top of things, gathering community feedback, keeping everyone informed, and releasing tweaks & updates. Do yourself a favor, check this one out, and support an indie team of less than 10 guys that dedicated a decade of their lives to make this happen.… Expand

The game is really good, but it is a little uneven & is only partially baked. UWE is planning to use a TF2 model & continue to support the game with additional tweaks and content, so the question is whether the current experience will drive & sustain enough sales to make that happen. ++ art, modeling, environment -- the vision obscuring effects are overdone & are too stackable ++ asymmetric playstyle, roles - provides a lot to learn & if you want to specialize & avoid certain parts of the game you can do that & still contribute
-- into the fire learning - no tutorial, can lead to frustration. game really needs some rudimentary bots & scenarios to extend the explore mode.
++ fantastic moments in both individual and team play, possibility for some fun sandboxing
-- overly extended games on pubs when the outcome is a forgone conclusion - either with turtling Or an attacking team that doesn't close the deal & drags it out too long

++ extendable platform: mod tools, game source, steam workshop
-- performance: uwe has done some miracles here considering the game architecture, but it is still lacking for low/mid level machines. tools are ok, but need a pass to improve them. API doc is pretty much read the code.

++ marine experience is familiar and is fairly complete - tech paths across games are quite similar though, varying a bit in timing depending on available res.
-- aliens are playable & are sitting around a 50% win rate, but they still need a fair amount of work & UWE is working on doing this: improved movement, scaling, lifeform viability, tier3 abilities

++ community - passionate & ihere is a sense of ownership so opinions run high. the game is benefiting greatly from contributions so I think it will improve/grow much faster than if uwe was doing it alone.
-- sometimes UWE listens to the wrong people :)… Expand

In it's current state the game is a ton of fun but rates an 8/10. With future development and for its groundbreaking genre it could be a 10/10. The game play is a ton of fun, the community has been awesome, and win or lose me and my friends always have a good time. There is work that needs and will be done on the game, it can only get better. If you enjoyed AVP you will LOVE this game.

Excellent game. This game easily competes (and exceeds) with AAA titles graphically and game-play wise. If you are looking for a game that doesn't cater to console gamers and puts the skill back into FPSs this is your game. No levels or achievements here, your reward after hours of game-play is sharpened skills and better strategies. In NS2 teamwork is crucial but finds away not to force it. The game as a whole will only continue to get better with free content updates and patches. If this product is just the beginning i cant wait to see what Unknown Worlds does next.… Expand

Fantastical concept, fantastical execution, fantastical game.
I loved NS1, so I may be biased, but I really like this game and I have spent all free time I have playing it. It's really a great successor to the original and it does what it sets out to do, for sure.
It needs some polishing, some balancing and maybe a couple of performance-fixes - But the potential is just oozing and it is a game that is already awesome in spite of the rough edges.
For only 22… Expand

This game is absolutely amazing. Community is great. Game is asymmetrical but still balanced. Kill are difficult but rewarding. Initial loading times are long but worth it. Commanding is hard but rewarding. Love playing every time. Really the best part of this game is the people. when you get a good talkative group together its less about winning and more about having fun. That's why i love this game. I recommend it for anyone who wants a real and challenging FPS or a interesting new type of team work based RTS. Mod support is really good too.… Expand

This game was/is created by the community. It is a complex, but rewarding game. The learning curve is steep, but worth it. The game is open source as well, meaning you can do whatever you want (modding wise). There are consistency checks when you log into a server, so there are not hackers all over the place. 95% of the people I have talked, and played with are very helpful, and would take the time to explain any questions to a new player. I can't write enough about how the game plays, feels, looks, because it has to be seen/experienced for yourself.

I gave this a perfect score because even now, post-release the developers are improving the game play, the maps, the art, the load times, and putting new things into the game (more buildings, more abilities)… Expand

One of the Innovates games Out there!

Wall-running as a Skulk like an Alien in AvP, deep Strategic elements like in Starcraft, true Requirement of Team-play and a Fascinating Replay Value.

As a Pure Multiplayergame, this Indie Title from Unknown Worlds Entertainmant is a Masterpiece of its own Genre/s!

This game has the same vibe and feel of the first one, a game which I spent days of my life playing years ago. There is some room for optimization in the engine (it is brand new). I feel like the engine just needs a bit of work to make everything appear smoother, but the game-play is there, and I'm just as excited as I used to be to launch Natural-Selection 2.

Natural Selection 2's game design is amazing. a seamless blend of RTS and FPS pits marines versus aliens in a fight to destroy the opposite teams command center/hive. While the game does suffer from the occasional crash or lag spike, it isn't very often and you'll hardly care because you will be having so much fun. One thing to note is that the Alien team does generally require a bit more skill to play effectively then the marines but after playing the Aliens for a day or two you will have mastered the tools you need to be an effective killing machine.… Expand

I created an Metacritic account for this game alone, for such careless Reviewers causing the game to orginally get a score of under 80%, which inturn put off at least 6 people i know not to buy the game despite my temptations. Savege 1 and 2 were both great games ahead for its time and exactly the same formular RTS/FPS
Now that Natural Selection 2 has been released the Type of game hopfully will mature to all walks of life.

Quickly sum it up:- Star Craft like RTS + Counter Strike/Team Fortress 2 Class FPS system + Quirky Combat from Alien Vs Pred that synagies really well is a game that will mature and survive, not to mention fully open source modding, to allow endless creations and fully Game Conversion Servers for Years to come!

A True Game, Made by Gamers, for Gamers!… Expand

I applaud the effort put into making this game, and the risk the developers took starting a new company and going with some new ideas. I didn't play NS1 Half Life mod, so I was turned on to this game by a friend. As soon as he said "FPS/RTS combo" I was sold. It really is a neat concept, but it is very poorly executed. On the surface, it seems like this should be a game of possibilities: the two sides being different, the team play, the RTS/FPS combo effect, the individual purchases and group upgrades. The end result, unfortunately, is a game of limitations. You will spend most of the game using either an ineffective assault rifle or spamming the space bar, trying not to lose proper perspective while biting. There is little variety in what you are allowed to do and the few things you can do you will not really spend much time using. Marines die quickly, so purchased weapons will be lost, aliens get greater variety but it isn't much to speak of. The levels are all the same, a function of the aliens being only melee, which gets stale quickly. The RTS as commander is a bit hard to get used to but solid once you figure it out. However, commanders don't get too many options for things to do. The game is very rigid in the build/research paths and there isn't a lot you can really do to customize the force available. With aliens you get a bit more than marines, but you can't really follow a research tree to anything unique or amazing. All in all, the limitations on what is available, and with the high prices of evolving/buying coupled with the short lifespan inherent in corridor combat games makes it a pretty unremarkable experience.… Expand

What a fantastic game - a very original hybrid of many different genres of games, love every moment of it.
Apparently the developer made this game with only 7 people working on it, which is freaking astounding, now when you consider they made their own game engine from scratch, and the game is so polished and wonderful - I am in complete awe.

Get this - You will not be dissapointed
(Just please take some time to understand the mechanics and stategies in this game, otherwise you won't fare well - its a team game, you have a leader that you must follow to have a chance at winning)… Expand

Game performs well since latest patch, graphics are ok, audio ok. It's a really neat concept.

The unfortunate part is that the game is tremendously unbalanced. The marines have every advantage and it's only made worse by the fact that Friendly Fire is permanently OFF. This lets the marines spam aoe attacks non-stop. Playing as a marine is limited fun because of how easy it is. Everyone likes to win but when it is made so easy it quickly loses its shine.

With the aliens, the team has gutted their abilities and limited their buildings from the original game.

I think their plan was to make the game only for 'pro' players and expected to only sell to people who would want tournament play. I don't even like to play any longer because it's just not fun being way overpowered or being way underpowered.… Expand

This is quite simply one of the most unique and ambitious pc titles to come out of today's market. A truly remarkable community, asymmetrical sides, and necessity of teamwork define the charm that puts ns2 as one of my currently most played games. This game is living proof that you do not need persistent leveling, aesthetic promotions, over exaggerated bloom/visual stimulation, and expensive DLC to create a worthwhile game, and this is something seldom recognized by all the big name titles in the current industry. This is the kind of game that more people need to try, especially those looking for something different from the routine modern military shooter trend.… Expand

This game is not Call of Duty and it doesn't want to be like COD. I don't think there is greater praise that can be said about an FPS in such a stagnate modern warefare shooter day and age. My problems with the game comes from the community. It seems like there maybe a few hacks out for the game as I've seen some shady stuff go on in games like being tracked through walls and instagibbed repeatly by a player with 50-2 or a commander having way to much res compared to the amount of resource gathers they have and the amount of game time elapsed.… Expand

Very good game, very unique. Has it very own style. I really like it. I hope they bring a demo soon for the undecided buyers among the players. Have fun with that game.

Very similar to the original Half-Life mod as you might expect, with some nice refinements to visuals and gameplay. The graphic enhancements are the obvious stand out and the changes to gameplay make it feel a little different but I have to say, once I got past my feelings of nostalgia I really felt like they could have pushed the original concept much further. For a small team what's there is quite an achievement, the down side being that you should expect it to come with more flaws than bigger developer titles. There's still a fair bit of room for optimization and more content. Then there's the steep learning curve for fresh players, something I think they should seriously consider providing more help with to encourage a new following.

Overall, it's as fun as it was back then and I'm positive the UWE team have more to come for this title.… Expand

Ok, to all the people saying "it's only fun as marine" watch the tutorial videos and you'll see how to play as an alien because playing s an alien makes it a completely different game from being a marine. A marine plays like A N Other FPS but the aliens require tactics and learning your chosen form. Personally now I've learned it I prefer playing as alien and it really makes the game when you get on a server where people understand how to play as aliens and you end up with a great game.… Expand

This game is an amazing blend of FPS & RTS. If you like team-based games, you're in for a real treat. The only reason I don't give it a 10 out of 10 is that sometimes I don't like how you know you have won or lost a game, but it takes another 20 to 30 minutes for the game to actually end. Still, I highly recommend!

This Autumn is reach for great indie games. Not **** ones with pixel art, cubes and anime style, but for real titles not dumbed down by some publishers. First one was a Chivlary: Medeival Warfare. The second one is Natura Selection 2. They both came out of nowhere for me, and as for NS2, thrill of this game is on par with monsters like DOTA2 . Really, a game from indie studio on self-made engine easily beats most modern online games. There are few issues, lack of normal training mode but fear not. Once you learn how this game work, you'll spend days in it. P.S. While game engine is not some sort of DX11 monster like Frostbite 2 or CryEngine 3 I can tell for sure, infestation animation is the best visual effect I saw this year on PC.… Expand

15 years ago I played StarCraft, 12 years ago I played Aliens vs Predator. Now these two games combine to create a spectacular mix of strategy, tactics, teamwork, and FPS. The game sucked me in like no other this year. I recommend it to every fan of the abovementioned titles. Despite some flaws (engine optimalization not at its best, no commander = no fun), Natural Selection 2 merits universal acclaim!… Expand

This is my favourite FPS/Strategy game so far. If you're fan of NS1, then for love of the god buy it. I really like the changes they did compared to NS1. The graphics are nice and gameplay is smooth too. Teamwork is key to success in this game, I really recommend to try this game. It's worth every penny.

The game is pretty fun for a little while definitely well built, but I uninstalled after about 20 hours of game play due to the sole reason that balancing was apparently done for tournament play. As a casual gamer I expected to lose on the pub servers, but when over 3 days playing as a marine (which I enjoyed better than aliens) I managed to win only 1 game barely due to the fact that the teams were stacked is a pretty good indicator that this is nothing but an exercise in frustration.

For a multiplayer game such poor balancing for casual gaming is inexcusable and the community will probably die in the upcoming months. If you are looking for a game that will last you a while there really is nothing here.… Expand

Yes! After years of waiting i finally get to play NS2. For me it's hard to imagine what new players might be thinking of NS2 judging from the launch trailer and some game play videos on You Tube. Since this page is already filled with great reviews i will try to give you a subjective impression of why NS2 is so special:

1. Team play and communication:
To me NS1 has always been the only sufficiently intellectually satisfying MP-game. And so is NS2! I've tried many great source mods. I am thinking of mods like "Dystopia", "The Hidden: Source" and the shamefully under-appreciated "Eternal Silence". Great games, but i always missed the kind of communication and teamwork i knew from NS. You simply have to work as a team if you want to stand a chance!

2. Versatility: even as a lone wolf with great aim you can make a difference (here i disagree with most reviewers. You still h. Taking out 3 unsuspecting Skulks can be a big blow to the alien team during the early stages of a match. But you better be an excellent shooter if you are going to try moving out alone. And if you aspire to aggressively fight back against Fades and the mighty Onos you better master your Jet Pack! For players like me sticking with a squad or defending an outpost is the more suitable task. Is the action outside of that 2. Hive location too hot for your skill level? Are you feeling like the most useless canon fodder? Move to the far end of the map and kill 2 or 3 resource towers. Your team will actually see the results in a reduction of the pressure put to the front line by the opposing team.

3. The community and the developers: even as a socially awkward bystander you can feel it! They gave away a free key of their game to every player who had purchased it during the beta just to celebrate the launch (and of course further spread the title). It's just incredible to see what these guys have achieved. I can only thank Unknwon World Entertainment for thousands of hours of fun both in the past and and in the future.

And now for a last round before i go to sleep...… Expand

Awesome sequel to NS 1- team gaming at its best with select changes from NS1 in my opinion all more or less positive with the gorge role (now a defender/healer/support rather than builder, on the other hand the bellysliding rocks!) being an exception and on edge whether i liked the old model better.

Big changes from 1 is heavy armor becoming Exoskeleton (with manliness points off the scale with power fist & minigun), siege turrets now siege tanks, marine base requirements and alien commander and infestation/power grids.

Only required add to serverside would be a autodump after 2 mins from round start so no queues to winning team. Note also that the GameSpot review (which is the only negative one by critics so far) was PULLED BY GAMESPOT because of blatant inaccuracies and slack job, so the actual critic score is at least 10 points higher as soon as metacritic corrects the issue.

strongly recommend this as a early christmas gift to everyone out there.… Expand

I created an account just for reviewing this game. The one ' yellow ' review was a mistake and cannot be corrected due to metacritic policy. I hope people see this and will not let them stop from buying the game.

450hrs in beta and continuing to add now its released, this game is addictive. My only problem is the high system requirements. This has a tough learning curve, I would strongly suggest going into "explore mode" and learning the alien classes. Buy a microphone, this game actually requires team work. The blend of RTS and FPS means commanding troops is often stressful but also rewarding.

If your bored of the CoD and Battlefield rehashes every year, give this a try. Its unique.… Expand

The best word to describe this game is simply "Amazing." Natural Selection 2 has great graphics, awesome game play mechanics , and a good RTS/FPS mix. On top of that there are many mods you can download for it which really helps with re playability. Natural Selection 2 is also only 25$. There is no reason to not get this game!

This is that classic alien vs humans game you've been waiting for with an element for ever type of player with great graphics it can over power computers that are not up to date but its actually built to run on a lower range graphics card a gtx450 so anything high should. fly i know mine does. I love the true team base play of this game as it brings players together to play as a team quite quickly and if your new just try asking a couple of questions in game and follow the others around the commander will help you out if there a good one. over all this game is a must play for team based shooters.… Expand

I hate giving a game like this such a low score because you can tell a lot of passion and effort went into making it. I played the old natural selection mod for 1 day but it was still unfinished at the time and I didn't really understand it so my review is not from the perspective of everything in NS2 should be like NS1. Starting with performance, this game is about as bad as they come with optimization. If you're buying this game make sure you have an i5-7 processor or AMD equivalent because from what I've read this game takes all the processing power you can throw at it. My video card is decent enough and plays many games at max settings 1080Hd res but if I go anywhere near mid-max settings on this game the video starts to stutter. According to the forums the problem is caused by my weak processor (8400 wolfdale) and not by my video card so I run the game at very low settings to make it playable. In my non-expert opinion the small dev team should have just licensed some game engine and used that instead of trying to invent their own. Now to the gameplay, this game is treated like a casual fps multiplayer where players can drop in and out of a game and switch teams but this style of matchmaking does not work with the gameplay which is far from casual. I would say 80% of your victory/loss relies on the commander which is a lot of pressure to put on one position that can be taken by simply walking up to the hive and pressing E. I held off on writing this review until I played in some more "advanced" servers but I noticed they behaved in a similar fashion to the "rookie" servers. Lack of commanders and bad commanders doing nothing (no upgrades, no communication). Without upgrades or communication from the comm the game is over yet you have to sit through the whole round unless everybody drops out to the lobby. Why not require a comm to be picked before the round starts and maybe add an ability to vote for comms if multiple people want to command. The current system is just absurd. If your team gets behind because there is no commander or there is a total idiot with no communication skills commanding the round is over. I have yet to see a team recover from such a setback. I have no problem with unforgiving team games (I play a lot of dota2) but at least structure the matchmaking properly with rating systems or voting systems or something. When you break it all down I don't even think voting or ratings would help the game because it is structurally flawed by putting too much responsibility on one position. In the 20 NS2 games I've played, about 1 or 2 were evenly matched. Im not giving up on the game because I think it could offer some unique teamplay aspects but to stay sane I might have to start learning to be a commander when nobody else steps up to the task.… Expand

Make some maps for this game please! There are only a few good maps (tram, mineshaft, summit, refinery), and of those, only summit is a truly good one. This game is marketted as having a user-friendly, powerful map making engine, but in all the years of development it has only been able to squeeze out a handful of small, dry lumps. This really hurts the replay value of the game. Yes, obviously there is more to the game than just maps (I could mention snail's pace devepment,or silly gameplay mechanics that were removed from NS1 for good reason, but have inexplicably made their way back into NS2 because Flayra thinks they are "cute"), but they are well covered in other reviews.… Expand