Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Global Agenda's developers Hi-Rez Studios have wisely mixed together MMORPG elements with FPS action resulting in an amazing online experience, which reaches its apex in the Conquest mode. It is not perfect, it must be said, but we've enjoyed it a lot!
  2. Global Agenda isn't a perfect game but there is a awful lot of potential in this well put together debut from Hi-Rez. They should also be applauded for utilizing a system that allowed optional subscription service and I hope to see this adopted by more developers and publishers in the future.
  3. 84
    Intense is the word that comes right after "Fun" when I'm asked to describe Global Agenda.
  4. Hi-Rez has created a fast paces fun FPS that has successfully bridged the gap between MMO and shooter. Well worth a look.
  5. We have to give respect to Hi-Rez Studios for taking a very daring, risky move by creating an action MMO unlike anything we've played before. Sure, it's different because it combines familiar tropes into something unusual, but it feels like a wholly new experience.
  6. Jan 3, 2011
    78
    In the world of Global Agenda it's your turn to help the agency to fight the regime of terror: unit with the thousands of other agents and defeat the enemy in various multiplayer battles. And as long as you keep playing the game in multiplayer-mode, it's quite entertaining – but nothing more.
  7. Global Agenda isn't an excellent game, but there is a lot of co-op and competitive fun to be had. In fact, the overwhelming vibe from current players is quite upbeat. Still, there's not enough content included with its purchase to keep you playing for months on end; you'll have to pony up the monthly fee for the Conquest mode to get any lasting appeal.
  8. PC Gamer UK
    70
    It's lots of fun as a straight team-based shooter, but the MMO side of things needs polish to make it more accessible. [Apr 2010, p.100]
  9. PC PowerPlay
    70
    Instead of reinventing the wheel, Hi-Rez just painted it silver, added some bling, and called it a velocity-transfer-disc. [Apr 2010, p.54]
  10. Jun 1, 2011
    65
    Global Agenda is a good game, with some good ideas that may have been pushed harder by the development team to make it more than a simple hybrid. You will probably enjoy in the beginning and for some time, but the lack of original elements may lead you away from it quite soon.
  11. PC Zone UK
    65
    Uninspired levels. [Aug 2010, p.88]
  12. One last kick to the armor-shielded gut: If you are currently playing the game using a trial version you downloaded prior to it being made unavailable, be warned that in-game voice chat may now be interrupted by audio ads-a stinky (though gutsy) move to "encourage" subscriptions.
  13. It's a shooter without eloquence or crunch, an MMO without content or personality, and as an experimental combination of the two it's missing ambition.
  14. Whether or not Global Agenda is worth paying a monthly fee for entirely depends on the player, along with Hi-Rez Studios' commitment to pump out enough updates that justify the fees. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the game, but there's nothing particularly outstanding about it either.
  15. AceGamez
    56
    The shooting elements have been watered down to accomodate MMO players, and the persistance has been watered down to accomodate FPS gamers. High Rez have attempted to make so many compromises, they just seem to have fallen short accross the board.
  16. Global Agenda's novel take on class-based combat has the potential to be exciting, but drudgery and other issues present serious obstacles to your enjoyment.
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 357 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 52 out of 357
  1. Mar 2, 2012
    1
    The game took a turn for the worst the moment hi-rez started to focus on tribes ascend, you can disregard my entire last review as it is nowThe game took a turn for the worst the moment hi-rez started to focus on tribes ascend, you can disregard my entire last review as it is now pointless. Everything about the game being skill oriented is now a lie, its all about the weapons which require zero skill. They upgraded every weapon that had zero skill to use to being the best weapons. All of the previous, skill oriented, weapons in the game now no longer have meaning. In other words they made the weapons that require you to aim to be worthless (except the snipers) and the ones that do not require you to aim to be deadly. I hate to say this but they defined it as a "player skill" oriented game, this is no longer the case after the game went free to play.

    Less than 100 players in any given channel at any given time does not make this an mmorpg/tps. The term MMORPG is defined by Richard Garriott (e.g. the terms creator) for ultima online as "Allowing hundreds to thousands of players to connect in a single, persistent, world." Hi-rez defines it by storing stats/characters on their server. What other game, which was one of the first to do so, but didn't have hundreds of players in a channel? Any guesses? No? Well its Diablo 2, which is not defined as an mmog. In other words hi-rez lied about this genre, no more than 20 players at a time in any given instance can be in the same mission, and up to 99 in a single city/free roam channel, this is not hundreds, or thousands, it means it is put into a false genre.

    There are better free games on the market, I paid 20 dollars for this game before it was free to play, there was almost no end game, just pvp end game, the same goes for now with one added end game raid zone and a new free roam/quest area. Big deal, its all broken gameplay mechanics developed by developers who have no idea how to fix it nor give a darn trying to. They are too focused on tribes ascend.

    My advise, do not waste the money, do not waste the hard drive space, do not try, it ended up in failure. I can relate global agenda to another game people know, another game that failed miserably due to lack of developer support. This game was known as Hellgate: London. Hi-rez would have gone bankrupt a long time ago if they were not receiving funding from the state of Georgia just to sit around screwing up their own products. But hey its their call on what they want to destroy since it is their Intellectual Property.

    I give this game a 1 out of 10 simply cause the graphics, albeit outdated, are still somewhat decent, everything else (including the company that made it) is garbage.

    Note: This is coming from a high level player with several characters max level who has given the game a year and a half to shape up, it has barely progressed at all, and when it did progress it was in the wrong direction.
    Full Review »
  2. Jun 27, 2011
    10
    This is a great game. I started playing when it went Free to play on steam as many people did and I ended up buying the "elite" version just aThis is a great game. I started playing when it went Free to play on steam as many people did and I ended up buying the "elite" version just a few days later. Its great because you get a unlimited and (mostly) unrestricted trial basically, the only restrictions are you cant trade (to prevent gold / item farming). The game is awesome, the graphics are great, the mechanics of flying with a jet pack in combat is great. Some people dont like the only other freely travel zone besides the "Dome" is the desert with mish that bring you from lvl 5-18 (out of 50). Honestly the things it has you do in the desert is really just the most elaborate tutorial ever! It makes you learn how to play your class solo before you go jump into PVP where it really matters. After the desert you can still do PVE mish in instances with 4 other people you go through the lvl and kill a boss and get rewards. Free players get no loot but get tokens, coins, and exp. Elite players (a one time $14 fee) get a item, double xp, double coins, and double tokens. So it speeds it up alot but you are never really required to get it. I got it because it is inexpensive and it makes the lvling go much faster and that to me is enjoyable. But what makes this game different is it has PVP starting at lvl 10 which, if your good at it (or score well), will level you faster than PVE matches. So while your enjoying the end game reward of PVP you are also leveling up to the max lvl 50. The only difference between a lvl 30 and 50 player is the kind of equipment you can equip. between level 1 and 30 you get 13 skill points and once you hit 30 your player is as "buffed" as it can be besides from armor. Overall its a great game that holds my interest since its basically all PVP. The PVP is almost EXACTLY that same as TF2 except it is much deeper. TF2 was very easy and shallow, this game is deeper, it has 100% more strategy, and for me more incentive to play. Think of TF2, better looking, with harder PVP, more maps and options, and that in between matches you get to walk around, talk to other ppl, buy and sell items (from NPC or other players if your elite) dye your armor, and just customize your play style. Full Review »
  3. Nov 4, 2010
    10
    Global Agenda is a great game on the verge of amazing. What makes it great, is the developer. Hi-Rez Studios is extremely dedicated to makingGlobal Agenda is a great game on the verge of amazing. What makes it great, is the developer. Hi-Rez Studios is extremely dedicated to making a great game that will not only make them money, but that will satisfy us customers, a rare trait today. At first GA was supposed to be subscription based to unlock the entire game. Hi-Rez didn't charge the subscription until the big update (Sandstorm) was available. Hi-Rez felt it unfair to charge extra for GA in its current state because the game didn't have the content that players expected (A bold move for Hi-Rez). Then Hi-Rez, being dedicated to their fans, released a survey asking what payment plan people prefer. Pay to play? Micro transactions? Buy once and then pay for expansions? Turns out people, myself included, voted for the buy once option. Hi-Rez listened and made the adjustments. So far Hi-Rez has a made a solid game, produced many patches, released big updates (other than just Sandstorm), and has never charged anymore than the original price. Hi-Rez is attempting to make this method work much like Guild Wars. The consumer buys the game and plays it. There are also options to buy "boosts" that will boost the amount of rewards you earn after battle (xp, money, tokens).

    I've said so much about the developer, but it should be understood that the game itself is also very good. The shooting mechanics aren't what you'll find in other shooters simply because Hi-Rez wanted a balance between the skill of a player and the rpg, number crunching aspect of the player's character. Amazing reload animations aren't extremely important because it's third person and not a part of the action (ammo is reliant on energy not rounds of bullets). However, movement animations are great and everything is smooth and natural feeling.

    Whether the game is a true persistent mmo or not doesn't matter. You can trade with people, play with people, and talk with people. It has all the social aspects of a traditional mmo. There is crafting, pve coop missions, a pve story (included with Sandstorm update), pvp, and Agency vs Agency pvp. The game seems limiting in it's gameplay modes, but once explored there is a lot to do. Hi-Rez also released more variety with each update which seems to come every couple of months.

    The critics where too hard on this game. Seems some of them where a little butt hurt that a brand new developer could stand in the ranks of legends. But I will say that Global Agenda is so much more than when it first arrived. Elements that where shallow have now been expanded. Elements that were missing have now been implemented. Some elements have even been removed and reinserted with a whole new working. It seems Hi-Rez is accomplishing everything they set out to do with Global Agenda no matter how much effort and time it takes. Some developers understand this. Most don't.
    Full Review »