Customer Reviews

APB All Points Bulletin

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This is a positive scored review so that the top-rated positive review informs customers that the servers for this game are officially closed, and that buying this game will get you a non-functional product. Please select this review as informative so that others do not buy a closed game.

Amazon needs to immediately remove this game. On Sept. 16, 2010 Realtime Worlds folded and announced this game is no longer available. All servers are shut down. DO NOT BUY!

It was bad anyways. They did nothing to address the hacking.

"APB has been a fantastic journey, but unfortunately that journey has come to a premature end. Today we are sad to announce that despite everyone's best efforts to keep the service running; APB is coming to a close. It's been a pleasure working on APB and with all its players. Together we were building an absolutely amazing game, and for that, we thank you. You guys are awesome!"
[...]

Just a quick head's up....Realtime Worlds has announced the CLOSING of this game.

No specific date has been set as to the closing of the servers but it has indeed been confirmed by the company itself.
[...]

The game, which shut down, has been sold and is currently being retooled for a free-2-play release with no box cost.

Get more details here [...] and be sure to check out the blog posts.

Want some more info on the game from a fansite? Check out [...].

amazon shouldn't sell it, because there is no game to play anymore. rtw said they were releasing a patch, the next day everything closed. they even closed the forums the same day, totally off. people have attempted to get private servers running, but as of yet there is nothing to show. no rtw support of any kind, & no way to play it because it's online only.

It is under closed Beta or will be soon! They are under a new company. Here is the link for you check it out [...] Yes it was rushed and released when they should not have released at first. But all of that is no more. New company has taken over the game.

Before I properly review this game I would just like to state that I have been playing this game since the Closed Beta (3rd phase/group "Sharp Shooters" I believe) and have probably logged over 100 hours thus far. I say this because I've read too many reviews by people who seemed to have not played very much of the game, considering it is similar to an "MMO" and requires more "studying", if you will. I will try to be as in-depth as possible, so that for those that are really questioning whether or not to buy the game will hopefully be able to make that decision hear. Read as much as you like.

In short, I can't pull myself away from this game. It's definitely not perfect or without a number of issues... But the mix of unique vehicles, tight gunplay, and immense customization make for quite an appealing concoction.

GRAPHICS/AUDIO
I usually would, but I won't cover the graphics or the audio extensively... I want to mainly focus on the gameplay here because that seems to be the main topic of discussion. If that's all you really care about, please skip the following:
-The graphics are good, not great. There is a lot of pop-in even on MAX settings, and there seems to be a lack of graphical settings (i.e. dynamic shadows always on). It's just a min-max slider with some Anti-aliasing options. The PC requirements are a bit much (currently a Quad core is pretty much required for a stable 30+ fps due to some dual core and Realtek issues) and what they currently list as required/recommended should probably be bumped up a bit. Also if you have a 32-bit OS, customized textures will be automatically set to low-res due to memory constraints.
-The audio in this game is quite good. Haven't played too many games that have the Doppler effect... in effect. Each vehicle has a unique engine sound, and (this also ties into the customization aspect) advanced player vehicles can choose different components that change the sound of the turbo, transmission, speaker, siren, exhaust, dump valve, and amp audio (all pulled straight from the game). The weapons are decent enough to the point where they are satisfying to shoot. You can hear bullets whiz past you... and rocket launchers... well, let's just say thanks to the aforementioned Doppler effect, the sound of rockets flying by let's everyone nearby know you mean business. It strikes fear into my heart every time I hear it. Needless to say, the audio in this game was given special attention during development, which makes me very happy.

GAMEPLAY
I'm going to separate this into Vehicles, Combat, and Customization if that's fine with you?

Vehicles
-A lot of people are complaining about how vehicles control in APB. They claim "delayed steering" and the like. And well, sadly they are right. You will often have to turn a little bit sooner than you think you should. Why do they control kinda crappy? Well it's for a good cause. The vehicles have delayed response because they are controlled server-side, meaning how well the vehicles control depend on your latency/lag/ping/etc. to the server. (Just to note, I usually have around 100ms on the North American servers, which are located in Dallas, and I'm from Chicago. Not bad, but not great for a competitive game like this.) They do it server-side so that collisions are more accurately predicted and to prevent the implementation of vehicle hacks. If vehicle control was done client-side, every time you saw yourself hitting pedestrians or enemy players, there would be a delayed response to that... Meaning that visually, you would see pedestrians slide through your vehicle and probably not react (aka DIE) until you have already passed through them. As it currently stands, vehicle collisions are VERY accurate and satisfying thanks to their decision to do this server-side. You get used to the delay to the point where you dont even think about it and it just works naturally. Trust me. It's really annoying for the first few hours, but it gets better.
-Vehicle physics is pretty spot on, the wheels have a good bounce to them. Some vehicles have certain specialties (one jeep has the uncanny ability to rarely ever stay flipped over)... both good and bad (one vehicle seems to accelerate too quickly for its own good, often popping a wheelie). The damage model is kinda.. meh. You can't shoot through windows, and you can't shoot tires out sadly. You really only see dents being made in cars after collisions. So, visually, the vehicles kind of feel dead... in some ways. It's kind of hard to explain, I guess. Hopefully some upgrades to the vehicle system will be made. Overall, though, it's enough to create satisfying driving experiences. There's nothing like taking a chase up onto the freeway with your buddies hanging out of the windows shooting at the enemy vehicle in front of us as we fly through the air due to having driven up one of the many number of ramps found throughout San Paro. It's not uncommon to see a group of people making their own race tracks in the city. Let's just say that there are MANY lols to be had with the vehicles and physics in this game (one time I jumped out of my speeding car to see that the car had just a second after rammed into my enemy's vehicle at an incredible speed, causing his car to flip over a number of times in front of me as I unloaded just enough rounds to make him explode before he stopped rolling. I didn't even know he was in front of me...)

Combat
-When I read reviews about the combat in APB, they say this is where the game falls short. Why? Well mainly because of the boring, repetitive missions, and imbalanced weapons. I will not lie to you. The missions pretty much consist of running to a point and pressing the F key, capturing a circle, holding onto a task item for a certain amount of time, "escaping", and just plain ol' killing the opposition. The missions themselves are not fun, but the PVP combat still is. The missions are only there as a means of creating PVP opportunities. I mean, let's be serious here, they aren't really any different from the Multiplayer Modes found in any other online shooter, right? And these are basically fetch quests, which are found in every single MMO... except you usually do those all by yourself. That's real fun, right? In either case, the missions bring you and your opposition to areas ALL over the city districts. I don't think I've ever had a pvp mission firefight in the same area more than TWICE. And that is definitely saying something considering I've been playing for over 100 hours (75% of which was most likely in the action district). So what that pretty much means is... you won't be playing the same "map" over and over again like in Call of Duty. You can't memorize every single spot, so you can't really anticipate anything. Almost everytime I accept a mission, I'll be brought to a new and interesting area with lots of verticality, and different paths to take for flanking. There is almost always more than one way to get to an area, which is great.
-The balance. That's hard to determine. There definitely is a way for a player to gain an advantage over another new player. There are weapon upgrades, character upgrades, and vehicle upgrades that add small stat bonuses (I really mean small, like 12% reloading increase... ooooh). I won't lie, it probably does make a difference in some situations, but not to the amount of absurdity I've seen some people raise it to. No matter what your level, your unupgraded weapon can take out any upgraded weapon with the right team tactics and skill. This game is really meant to be a TEAM game. Not a go out and solo everything with one type of gun game. You need to take advantage of many ranges, and be ready to change weapon loadouts on the fly (with field supplier upgrade, allowing you to change weapons and resupply anywhere every 300 seconds or so). Usually it's best for teammates to take advantage of certain ranges. Have everyone equipped with different types of weapons for different situations. Have someone specialize in close-range with the sub-machine gun and less-than-lethal taser, while someone sits back with a bolt-action sniper rifle, picking off those that you have damaged who attempt to run away. This game is more tactics than skill based. Most of my kills have been made when my enemy was unaware of my presence or when I got the jump on him/her, or had a more advantageous position (ie, behind cover while he was out in the open). This game is not as imbalanced as other people may try to say. It's just that this game can have quite a steep learning curve for some people. It is very competitive, and you will often run into groups of clans or hardcore players that utilize every aspect of teamwork available to take you out. That's why it is almost NECESSARY to play this game in a group with some friends or hopefully people that you know. Random pub groups work better than solo, but not quite as well as with friends. I cannot stress this enough. You will have a lot more fun playing with some friends. I REALLY. Really. Mean it.

Customization
No matter what review you read, you will no doubt find that this is at least one are of the game that undoubtedly shines in. There really is limitless means of customization in terms of your character's and vehicle's appearance (and sound). Since I'm an audio guy, my personal favorite thing is the music studio, which if you've ready anything about this game you should know about. I can make full length songs and 5-second themes that play to the player I just killed, and to everyone in a mission when I've won. It's great because I can now not only show off my killing skills, but also my CREATIVE skills. There is a lot of time you can spend customizing yourself to look like anything. I won't even bother trying to explain the amount of depth found in most of the editors. Just trust me that it's enough and is only planned to continue growing. The only thing people might not like is that clothing, decals, vehicle parts and the like are unlocked as you level contacts and organizations in the action districts (done by doing missions). So you will be somewhat limited in terms of creation until you play a bit of the action-oriented side of the game. There are also many opportunities to show off your creations with display points, graffiti points, and dj studios in the social district that are purchasable, winnable, or first-come first-serve...able.

SUMMARY
So as you can tell, I find this game very enjoyable when playing in a group and with my friends. I do happen to be quite decent at this game, so that may be why I don't find it as "imbalanced" as other people even when I don't have any upgraded weapons. Or maybe the matchmaking is just working like it should for me, and not posing me against those high levels when I'm still myself a low level (I played much more in beta than I currently have at release).

This game is a very promising future, though. Why? Because RealTime Worlds actually listens to us, the players. They've made some rather drastic changes to the game based on feedback (RTW item manufacturing cost removed, particular weapons nerfed), and will continue to direct the game in accordance with what we really want. We've been screaming for player-housing, and guess what? It's been pretty much verified that it will be worked on eventually as the engine was already designed for it. Melee weapons are also looking to be a possibility. And those chaos districts (free-for-all) are already being worked on. I'd recommend taking a look at the APB forums if you don't believe me, there's a Dev Tracker that let's you see every post by the developers. I've probably read through every single one since I've been in beta. These guys seem truly dedicated to this game.. and are just as excited as the players are to see what it will turn into months, years, from now.
It's a niche title, I can't at all guarantee you'll like it. The combat mechanics are hard to describe, you'll just have to watch some gameplay videos on Youtube and elsewhere to see if it fits your style. I honestly just hope that people who are on the edge will at least give it a try if they think they're interested... as you may end up enjoying it just as much as I did. It's a shame but... It seems like the most voiced people are those that utterly despise this game. People like me that really love the concept and keep coming back to it day after day... are being drowned out. I hope this helped!

the game was fun as hell. hours of fun with friends... but its down as of sept 16th. so yea... sucks

Note: Review and rating has been updated due to rising number of cheaters.

You will see a LOT of 5 and 1 star reviews for this game.

This isn't because it's a "love it or hate it" type of game - it's because this game depends on YOU to make it fun for yourself.

So instead of simply reviewing this game I will tell you what I do in the game and why I think it's fun.

I play with friends. I am ensured a group that communicates, helps out, and is organized. If I run out of ammo, I know that I can ask to be resupplied be it from a player or a car. If I get 5 star prestige I know that my team will help me out by spotting for crims trying to blow my brains out. I know I'll get picked up when I need a ride. I know that if I'm engaged in a firefight help is on the way, I know that people in my group will stay if things start going sour.

With that said, the times I have played with strangers have not been bad, but in cases where people do not use VOIP - it's hopeless. This is a team based game. If you are unable to be organized and work together you will lose and you will hate the game for it.

I play on a good and stable connection. The only time I have had issues with lag in this game was when I was on wifi in my basement, this made driving hard but shooting was still surprisingly unaffected. All other times driving has been responsive and fun. There are a lot of different cars, they feel different, behave different and react different to being rammed. Cops in an SUV aren't going to catch a criminal in a sports car; criminals in sedan aren't going to be able to ram SUV's off the road etc.

I do not use one gun exclusively and I let my team know what I am using. If I am going to be using Less Than Lethal weapons, my team needs to know this and either use Less Than Lethal as well or at least be cautious when I'm trying to make an arrest. (Also doing Less Than Lethal without at least another person is pretty much an exercise in frustration. This is why it's so rewarding. ) Your team needs to know if I have a sniper rife or a shotgun. Why you may ask? Because if I know that we have a sniper covering a road, I'm going to do all I can to lure unsuspecting criminals into his field of fire. (We've had snipers get kill streaks of 10+)

It is my responsibility to pick the right gun for the job. I would be stupid to try to go on a car chase with a sniper rifle since they cannot be used from cars, just like I'd be stupid to try to dislodge criminals camping a roof top with a shotgun as I'd never even get to it before being killed. You will not have any fun if you stick to one gun and one gun only the whole time. No matter what anyone tells you, ALL guns in APB are useful in certain situations. Yes the N-Tec is the best gun in 80% of all firefights because it's a medium range gun and it just so happens that medium range is what you'll deal with the most. No your N-Tec isn't giving you an upper hand against a 2 shot sniper rifle at long range or a pump shotgun at close range.

In short:
Play with people you know, if you don't have friends, make friends, talk to people you had a good experience playing with and friend list them. It's your job to build a good team. The game cannot do this for you.

Communicate. You will very rarely win team missions solo and never against a team that communicates.

Pick your weapons and pick your battles. If you have a sniper rifle and your objective is inside a camped building, don't pull out your pistol and charge in, go get a shotgun or an SMG. If you have a shotgun and your objective is a rooftop, go get a sniper rifle, if your objective is in the middle of the street go get what you are best with and use it at the optimal range of that weapon.

Your connection is your responsibility. I do not have any lag in APB. None. I am on high end FIOS connection. If you are getting bad lag on your budget cable line, that's your problem.

With all of the above said - the game has flaws. Some a big deal, some not so much and it depends on your perspective which is which.

The one you will hear a lot about deals with hit boxes. Yes this game does not have location damage, yes shooting a foot does as much as a headshot. Yes all characters, regardless of the avatar, have the exact same hit box that is usually a little larger than the character. This is a balancing issue as otherwise the skinny female would have an easy time dispatching tall fat men who can be 2 times as big as she is. This is a problem for cases when you think you are behind cover but can still be hit. If you want CoD or CS style fights with precision aiming and instant kill headshots. This isn't it. The strongest gun in the game requires 2 shots to kill.

Yes there is faction grinding. But considering that the grind is just doing missions - which are what you'd do anyway - it's not really a grind. It's just what you do in the game. You can just pick who to work for.

There are only a handful of guns in the game. This is true - sadly this is no Borderlands. All guns are useful and all guns are situational. Yes the N-Tec is the best to have most of the time but there are also plenty of times when it's the wrong gun to have.

Yes the matchmaking can be awkward. For the most part it will put you up against what's available rather than what's ideal for your rank. There isn't really any way around this. If you are forced to fight a superior team, make the best effort and maybe you'll learn something and be the better team next time. (I've seen quite a few public groups go "Oh it's these guys again - they owned us last time!" and give up before even firing a shot.)

The mission locations turn into unbreachable camp fests. This is true for some mission locations, especially in cases where it's a VIP mission as this allows the VIP to hide in places that can only be accessed by one path that can be covered by multiple snipers. Little can be done about this short of eliminating all hiding spots which I think would be a loss to the game. If you as the VIP managed to get to a safe spot and setup your team to cover you, you already won - regardless of how 'lame' your opposition thinks the spot you hid at is.

Money is worthless in the game. This is true. Money is meaningless. So are 99.9% of the items. If you are in a clan - and you should be. You will receive league rewards, which will be unique guns, cars, upgrades, etc. I have not had to pay for the majority of guns that I own. I am rolling in money and blow it on unique cars. This has the scary potential of forcing the APB market of turning to RTW points which are tied to RL currency. Either way, if you expected this to be like WoW, it's not. Nobody will be impressed by your 'rare' car or your 'rare' gun.

Bugs, cheating etc. Personally, I've not seen any cheating first hand in the 40 hours that I have played the game. I have heard plenty of people complaining about cheaters, calling other cheaters etc. Here's the thing. I have played against people who were accused of cheating - they were good but they were not the CoD aimbots that I've played against before. If there are cheaters in APB, you can go 40 hours without seeing any of them. (Yes my playtime does include KttC event which is where you'd expect the most cheating due to disposable keys.)

Racism, Nazism, profanity etc. Yes you can customize your character in any way you want. The game will not stop you from drawing a swastika on your forehead and sticking SS logos on your back/red car with a giant swastika on the hood. You will get banned for it - eventually, but I'm sure you'll be able to offend plenty of people first. So if you are the kind of person who is easily offended by - well anything, this isn't for you.

VOIP cannot be turned off. This means you will hear what other people close to you are saying, even if they are not in your group. Yes this means that you'll hear other people talking to their wives while playing the game, you will also be forced to hear people scream insults at you. Once again, if you are easily offended, this game isn't for you.

Payment scheme. Yes you can pay per hour, yes you can pay per month, and yes you are paying for a first person shooter with a lobby and not a true MMO. It's not a big deal to me. If it's a big deal to you, don't buy it.

To me, all the flaws of the game don't come anywhere near outweighing all the fun you can have in it. I am enjoying it, and loving the flexibility and the in game VOIP. Hearing the people you kill curse in frustration or better yet spew out insults as you arrest them is absolutely priceless - but here you can have it for $50....


Update: Well - I've met some cheaters over the weekend, confirmed cheaters. Yeah I saw some shady stuff before - but not entire groups like this.

Over the weekend I've run into at three groups who were exclusively composed of aimbotters and wall hackers. I switched servers to avoid one, only to run into another. Switched again to find yet another group and at that point simply quit. Like I've said in the review, I've not run into such obvious botting before yet confirmed sightings of hackers obviously caused my enthusiasm for this game to sink fast.

The groups were impossible to beat. You could not flank them as they knew where I was coming from and would open fire as soon as I came around a corner. (Half the time I'd drop dead before I could back up as two people engaging me instantly would kill me right away.) They shot from moving vehicles with perfect accuracy, be it with an OCA, N-Tec or Obeya. (Their weapons were upgraded sure but only for ROF and DPS. Everyone in the entire group never missed. Never. Not even with spray and pray SMGs.

Until the cheating is dealt with, this game will not be fun. I'm ok with all of the previously mentioned issues, but cheaters make a PvP game impossible to enjoy.