[Arma3] Underdogs by Undeceived

Review by Gruntage

Overviews

The overview of each mission consist of well-chosen, thought-out images displaying action scenes or shots of characters relevant to the chapter at hand. The main overview of the campaign has a more abstract image that I believe has a thematic element pertaining to the campaign story and its main character. The image depicts the protagonist in both light and shadow, a direct connection to how the character straddles the line between good and evil. If this was intended then this is a very clever piece of work.

If I were to be critical of this aspect however, I would have preferred an image to clearly convey the campaign's contents in order to better inform the player of what is in store. Without the supplementary text and additional images, I would have difficulty understanding what the campaign is about at face value. 

Abstract images in overviews are rather complicated to assess. They are usually intended, by design, to not give too much of the campaign story away. Mystery can of course breed desire and so I can absolutely believe that the author opted for this route. The process for reviewing this particular section of a mission/campaign has been made more challenging now as the Steam Workshop allows for additional images to be incorporated in the 'overview', so to speak.

All things considered, I do believe that the author has done a good job with the overviews of the campaign. Therefore I will not grade this aspect harshly.

Cinematics

It's very clear from the first cinematic that a lot of time and effort has been spent on this aspect. I know from experience that quality cinematics require a great deal of patience and time and are not easy to craft. When an author puts in the time as Undeceived has, the results pay dividends and are there for all to see. The camera movements, the transitions between shots and the content of each shot have been very carefully considered. In fact, there are scenes in this campaign that can only be described as works of art; simply stunning.

The expository text has also been executed well; not too much and not too little. The text however is also a little small to read in places; larger custom text in a different colour or colours would have been a nice touch. I also commend the author for their choice of music in this campaign. Just like every other aspect; meticulously selected to suit whatever mood is being created.

The only real criticism that I would give the cinematics are the lack of voice acting. Voice acting would have helped massively in terms of identifying characters and conveying emotion. Voice acting would also have been a great atmosphere builder. If a character is panicked, for example, it would have been fantastic to have heard this in the character's voice, rather than being told that the character is panicked in text form. The lack of voice acting is very much the fly in the proverbial soup for me, and I think it's more of a shame because the cutscenes are otherwise faultless and beautiful to watch.

Briefings

Each briefing contains all of the necessary information for the player. The briefings are not overly complex; don't expect the level of briefing you would receive for a military operation as it wouldn't be appropriate. Each briefing contains a breakdown of the current situation, upcoming tasks, relevant markers and even additional images. Good work overall.

Missions

Each mission is relevant to the overarching story, and are crafted to a high standard. A lot of time and effort has gone into making the world feel real and immersive; everything from custom sound effects to object placement.

The missions themselves are fairly short yet action packed; keeping the player engaged with the story at hand. The player and his team are often placed in extremely challenging situations and predicaments; the term 'underdogs' being a very appropriate description.

This campaign is certainly not a cakewalk in terms of difficulty; players may find certain missions very frustrating due to the observance and accuracy of the AI. Speaking from experience, AI can be very difficult to balance, and how one person feels about the difficulty could vary greatly from another. The author has to strive to find a middle ground, and I believe Undeceived has done a good job in this regard. The player's efforts are always rewarded with a well-executed cutscene afterwards, which is always a big plus in my book.

The missions also allow for many different gameplay choices; there are multiple of ways of completing them, which makes for great replayability. Player's choices can also have an impact on the larger story. It's this aspect that makes me believe I'm playing an RPG as opposed to a first person shooter. I'm a huge advocate for player choice of execution in missions, and so this campaign is very much a breath of fresh air in this regard.

Aside from the difficulty, the only other point of criticism that I feel I should mention is that the 'revive teammate' script is at times buggy and can be frustrating to work with. At one point I had no choice but to leave a wounded teammate behind to die because the hassle of reviving him was getting me killed repeatedly. Fortunately however, the teammate in question was alive at the start of the next mission. 

I was surprised that, given how the player's choices impact the story, teammates dying did not seem to have such an impact, at least not from my experience. There could have been an opportunity for multiple conclusions to each mission and indeed the overall story based on who lives and dies. My character's decision to leave a friend behind to die could have and, arguably, should have had consequences, given how close the relationship between himself and his fellow 'underdogs' are. There could have been a thematic element, going back to the idea of the protagonist straddling the line between 'light' and 'dark'. What would the other characters have thought of our protagonist if he had left a friend to die to save himself? 

There is an awful lot more to say on the topic of consequences for actions and character reactions, but in the interest of keeping this review free of spoilers, I'll refrain from delving further. I feel that because the campaign's story is otherwise very well written, it invites more scrutiny and criticism. This shouldn't be seen as a negative, rather, the opposite.

Overall though, the campaign presents some solid gameplay and is both engaging and challenging.

Special

So what's special?

Simply put, the cinematics. These are absolutely the best aspects of this campaign, so much so that they overshadow the gameplay element. I personally found myself wanting more of the cinema and each mission had me looking forward to the cinematic conclusion. At points I was very much on the edge of my seat with excitement. Undeceived's talent as a storyteller is demonstrated fully through the cinematics. Excellent work here!

Another aspect that deserves a mention here are the little details that go a long way in terms of world building and realism. Details such as police radios, computer start-up sounds, news reports; they all contribute so much to realism. 

Overall

Undeceived has told a cohesive, well-thought out and well-executed story, with compelling characters and satisfying conclusions. When playing a mission or campaign of this quality, it honestly makes you look at how you create content and how you can strive to improve your own work. Everyone profits from a good example. For anyone who is looking for a great alternative to the usual military operation, I can certainly reccommend this campaign!

STEAM MISSION PAGE LINK