Old School Warfare
When I first booted up WWI Gallipoli: Ottoman Fronts, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. The closest thing I had played to a WWI era shooter was Battlefield 1, which Gallipoli isn’t trying to recreate; it’s going for a different audience, but you can tell the game has lofty goals. I’ve always had a soft spot for games that try to punch above their weight class, and Gallipoli does exactly that; even if it occasionally trips over its own boots in the process.
At its core, Gallipoli is a gritty, boots-on-the-ground tactical shooter that aims to capture the sheer tension and chaos of early 20th-century warfare. The developers at Blackmill clearly set out to create an experience that feels authentic and punishing. You aren’t a super-soldier who can soak up bullets and regenerate health behind a waist-high wall. You’re incredibly vulnerable, and running out into the open will send you back to the respawn screen faster than you can blink.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: XBOX (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
Gameplay will feel familiar to those that have played that Battlefield games as players are dropped into the military operation in the Ottoman Peninsula which happened in 1915. Two teams will face off in FPS warfare inland and via beach landings. One of the things that was very apparent is the team wasn’t shying away from the horrors of war. The background sounds of screams and the violent imagery sell the experience to the player. Each side can have up to 25 players and there are several classes for players to choose from. Wisely the developers have limited slots like Snipers and Officers for balancing reasons, others like Rifleman are unlimited.
Each class plays differently of course, Medics are going to prioritize pulling downed soldiers from the front lines, Officer’s have the ability to call in air strikes and artillery hence why they are limited. The game lends itself to experimentation, players will need to play around with all of the classes before settling into a favorite. Matches play out kind of like Rush from Battlefield, one side is attacks while the other is defending and it’s the attacker’s job to capture a point by planting a bomb, if they do the front lines move up; wash, rinse, repeat.
The gunplay here feels deliberately heavy. Bolt-action rifles take time to cycle, recoil is a massive factor, and every shot requires actual thought and positioning. When you manage to hold down a chokepoint with your squad or successfully push an enemy trench, it’s genuinely exhilarating. Mechanics force players to communicate and work together, which is a breath of fresh air compared to the lone-wolf mentality you see in a lot of mainstream shooters today.
That being said, the indie nature of the game definitely rears its head when it comes to the overall polish. WWI Gallipoli is undeniably janky in spots. Character animations can be incredibly stiff at times, sometimes looking like mannequins sliding across the mud. Visually, it’s a mixed bag. The environmental design is actually quite strong; the muddy, scarred battlefields and claustrophobic trenches are dripping with atmosphere. But when you look too closely at the character models or the texture work on some of the buildings, it definitely looks like a game from a generation or two ago. Thankfully, the sound design does a lot of the heavy lifting.
At the end of the day, WWI Gallipoli: Ottoman Fronts is a game made for a very specific type of player. If you’re looking for a smooth, fast-paced arcade shooter to turn your brain off to after work, this absolutely isn’t going to be your jam. But if you have a group of friends willing to squad up, communicate, and push through some undeniable euro-jank to get to a deeply rewarding tactical core, there is a lot of fun to be had here.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.