Verdun is a squad-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game set
during the First World War. It was released on the 28th of April 2015 on
the Steam computer game platform, after more than a year in Steam Early Access.
Verdun is inspired by the infamous 1916 Battle of Verdun in France. The game
includes historically accurate period equipment based on real battlefields of
the Western Front. The game runs on the Unity engine and
was created by independent studios M2H and Blackmill Games.
Development The game entered open beta on 9 June
2013. It was Steam Greenlit on 28 June 2013 and entered Steam Early Access on
19 September 2013. After more than a year in Steam Early Access, it was
released on the 28th of April 2015 on the Steam computer game platform.
Gameplay Verdun is a squad based game set in the
trenches of the First World War that can be played with up to 32 players. There
are 3 game modes in Verdun, the Frontlines, Attrition Warfare and the
Rifle Deathmatch game modes. Frontlines game mode In the Frontlines
game mode, players can choose to join one of the 2 historic sides of the First
World War, the Central Powers and the Entente. Each side fights over a
turn-based frontline map that consists of multiple sectors that can be captured
by either side. Staying true to the typical attrition warfare of that time,
both sides attack and counter-attack each other in turn, so you will be
forced to defend each captured sector of trenches. The goal is to capture the
enemy‘s HQ sector in order to win the game.
The battles fought over these sectors are fought in a FPS battle. In such a
battle each player, from either the Central Powers or Entente side, is part
of a 4-man squad. There are up to 7 squad types that the players can choose
from, all based on historically accurate units such as the German Stosstruppen,
the British Tommies or the French Poilus. Each squad has a set of
abilities and perks based on its type. Players in a squad can then choose one
of the available classes that is determined by the type of squad he
joined. Each class has a different role within a squad, and each squad has in
turn their own specific tactic. As a squad earns more experience, perks,
equipment, uniforms and even classes become available to the squad members.
Experience is divided among the squad-members, rewarding those that
stick together with the same players. As a squad gains more experience, they will
also visually change, getting more advanced uniforms. Players can also earn
individual experience called Career Points. They can use these to unlock
classes, weapons and equipment. Attrition Warfare game mode This is a
variant of a team deathmatch battle. Each team, the Entente and the Central
Powers, start with a number of tickets. These represent the amount of manpower
that each side has at its disposal. Every time a player is killed and
respawns, a ticket is deducted from the side he belongs to. The goal of the game
is to diminish the opposing side’s tickets before losing all the tickets on
your side, because a player cannot respawn if there are no more tickets.
Rifle Deathmatch game mode In Rifle Deathmatch, players fight in a free for
all battle, armed only with one of the rifles they can choose from when joining
the game. This is a pure skill-based game-mode, where your marksmanship and
tactical cunning are rewarded. Players can earn experience by killing other
players, and with that experience can level up their rifles, gaining extra
equipment for it such as a bayonet or scope.
Reception The game has a very positive user review
on Steam and a favorable user score of 7.4 on Metacritic. The game was also
reviewed while in early access by the PC Gamer magazine. The game was also
reviewed by Rock, Paper, Shotgun and Game Revolution.
References External links
Official website Developer website for M2H
Developer website for Blackmill Games