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- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Natural Selection 2
Released On: Oct 30, 2012
8.5
All Platforms
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 643 User Ratings
8.5
81% Positive
522 Ratings
522 Ratings
11% Mixed
69 Ratings
69 Ratings
8% Negative
52 Ratings
52 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 643 User Ratings
8.5
81% Positive
522 Ratings
522 Ratings
11% Mixed
69 Ratings
69 Ratings
8% Negative
52 Ratings
52 Ratings
Natural Selection 2 is a game that is both a FPS game and a RTS game all in one.
There are two sides, you can either play as a human marine, running around with a gun shooting aliens.
Or you can be the commander and build the base that the marines operate from.
Or you can play as the aliens, morph yourself into different creatures and hunt the marines.
Or play as the alien commander, and build the alien hive that the aliens live in.
This game is alot of fun and is unique in its genre.
It's to bad that it doesn't have a larger playerbase.
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PC
I created my MC account because I HAD TO WRITE THIS REVIEW. I've been playing these games since the original Half-Life mod back in 2002 and this game has always been grossly underrated. I was appalled to see that this game has a lower rating than games like Halo 5 *gross*.
I am a long time player of RTS games spending most of my time on Starcraft BW+2 (masters on ladder), AOE franchise, and C+C. I believe this game delivers one of the best RTS experiences OF ALL TIME. From a Strategy perspective, the metagame is surprisingly deep and I'm still learning interesting things about the game after playing 3000+ hours. There is great diversity in the number of viable strategies in the game, with things like proxies, tech rushes, and sneaky bases. Even the drawn-out macro games with max upgrade units clashing across the map, all feel balanced and fleshed out, with the game continuing to be refined over the years When you are commander in a game you get to choose what weapons/ buildings are available for your team and you can still issue waypoint commands to your "units", but the fact that each unit is a living, breathing person, adds a huge amount of dynamics and replayability to the whole thing. People can choose to ignore your orders altogether and your teammates can also make suggestions and talk to the commander directly. Commanding in this game (which is optional btw) provides an unparalleled experience at making you feel like you are responsible for a platoon of men, with your every decision having in-game consequences for the tens of other people on the battlefield in real time. It's hard to do it justice by describing it, but let me say I have yet to play another game that delivers the same experience and sense of immersion as Natural Selection does.
From an FPS perspective, still one of the greatest of all time. I'll start by saying that most people's complaint in this area is the number of weapons, however not only has the developer continued to add content (as of July, 2019), but each weapon has a specific niche and purpose in the game and with the variance in maps and functionality of weapons I never find myself wishing for more. All in all, when you factor in the combinations of weapons and upgrades (marines can have mechs or jetpacks for example) the marines still have about 20 different loadout combinations, while the aliens have 5 playable "classes" each with 9 different upgrade paths. Ultimately replayability has never been an issue for me and I'm constantly coming back for more.
Graphically the game is beautiful and has held up very well over time, impressive when you consider that this is a small time developer that also created their own engine.
this game does such a good job at making you FEEL like a space marine exploring an infested space station. it makes you FEEL like an alien hivemind stalking your human prey through the air vents. It makes you FEEL like a platoon leader desperately trying to figure out how to push back the alien menace. Your objectives during a match feel authentic as they are not force-fed to you by the game but rather decided by whatever your commander wants to do.
I really wish more people knew about this game as even my most hardcore gaming friends have somehow never heard of it. Literally, the only downside to this game is that the community is quite small and you really need about 20 people in server to play the game at its full potential. Although small, this game still has an amazing close-knit community that is free of toxicity and a developer that cares about their product and continues to refine, balance, and stand by it after all these years. They also have increased the stability and optimization of the code over the years and included better tutorials for new players. The learning curve can be steep with this one but longtime RTS players will feel at home with the intuitive building designs. There are plenty of "rookie only" servers that are designated for those that have 200 or fewer hours in the game. From my experience, newbie players don't get flamed and harassed by veterans like they do in far too many other strategy titles. Being a newbie and asking questions is usually met with encouragement, as we all just want more people to play the game with.
Just know this game is at legendary status, and you should buy it. not only would I buy it again, multiple times, but I think more developers should attempt to make a game that combines RTS/FPS elements and I'm surprised that we haven't seen this more. Thanks to Unknown Worlds for what you have achieved with this game.
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PC
Fantastic game with many options for what you can do next and a forgiving community when you gaining your bearings in the rookie servers. Only problem in my opinion is it seems pretty unbalanced with the favor in the marines direction. The jet-pack shotgun combo is way over powered since when it comes to ranged attacks the aliens are lacking and cant match speed and mobility of the jet-pack. Other then balance issues its a fun game with few levels but the pace and tactics make those all that are needed for now.
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PC
I like the game. Got an upgrade to a brand new machine with all the bells and whistles, so on max settings the game looks really nice. Gameplay is dynamic, I like being commander. Each side, Alien and Marine have asymmetric strategies that they can use to win even if they are losing overall in tech and credits... which is important for giving people a reason to play a losing game.
My only negative experience with the game is being steamrolled by one or two really good players on the opposite team. Unfortunately, it only takes one or two out-of-balance players to destroy the game experience for everyone. Since resources are very tight early game, when one player goes 15-0 its pretty much time to forfeit and start again.
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PC
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.
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PC
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.
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PC
Summary Natural Selection 2 is a revamped version of the Half-Life mod that will be available through Steam as a stand-alone purchase.
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date: Oct 30, 2012
Developer:
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Publisher: Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Genres: