Eximius: Seize the Frontline is a unique cross between first-person shooters and strategy-like tactical games, created and published by Ammobox Studios. Its very unique detailings and generic tactical gear create an interestingly developed game that has had the dedication of its developers and artists. Eximius: Seize the Frontline is set after a world pandemic, and the people are sick of the Government to the point of turning to anarchy, creating the division between our two groups and the point of conflict for the 5v5 matches.

Looking through all the equipment in the tutorial and being taught through the very cool technical dome that sends you to the map for your simulation training was mesmerizing. The game has a very cool setup for the theme this game gives off and is very dedicated to following through and keeping it to the same theme. The tutorial takes you through the basics of using your equipment and gear, which is fine, but they don’t seem to explain how to access the commander functions.

When I finally got into the game, I had no idea what I was doing and struggled to learn that side of the mechanics. However, looking through some of the skills that can be unlocked and comparing the two sides, I feel like there might be some unbalanced aspects to the game that should be adjusting before release.

Online lobbies are almost deserted which seems appropriate considering how the game isn’t released but even through the open lobbies during the trials, there were no lobbies to look at and I ended up exploring the game with bots only. When you’ve entered a game you have two modes to work with, mapping and your strategy mode which you can access as a commander. You open a map and can command your troops, buy more equipment and reinforcements, and your first-person shooter side where you go search for more resources by shooting at your enemies.

The story of this game is… Basic. It’s set after a post/mid pandemic where its people have turned away from their governments for the lack of action around the world and turn to anarchy. The two different sides you can join are your average military-like equipment or you can join the futuristic advanced gear which is super detailed, thought out, and reminds you heavily of the gear from Destiny.

This game is well made and has been in development for a long time, however, for overall uniqueness, it’s very bland. The design of the guns for both sides is very traditional for the genres they partake in. The military equipment you can get is nothing new and the futuristic gear seems like the gear you can find in Destiny, and while this style isn’t anything new, it still appealed to my crow-like self.

As strange as it may sound, loading into the game was the most unique and interesting part of the experience, and I think they should tap more into that kind of detailing to make the game less basic as once you load in, there is no actual colour detailing, mainly sticking to blacks, whites, and greys to make the maps seem depressing and desolate.

The development of this game hasn’t finished, and that’s probably for the best since they have a few small details to adjust so it can stand out and attract the attention of people who would enjoy this genre. I think it would do well for people who enjoy Warhammer and strategy games, especially during the first-person shooter sections that involve the player more into the characters and function of the game. They do need to work on streamlining things, as I suffered from long loading times, both getting into the game and loading into maps.

Now, I wouldn’t say that I have a terrible PC, but taking 10-20 minutes to load the game, and another 10 or so to load into an offline map is a touch excessive. The AI felt a little underdeveloped, as they would rarely pursue the player, and there were times that I could stand right next to one and have it not react to me at all.

When you do finally get in to play, Eximius: Seize the Frontline is an awesome idea for a game, and I am going to recommend it to some of my diehard Warhammer-playing friends, as I think they would seriously enjoy this title.

Written by: Caitlin