Bargain Ballistics- Operation 7

As the last days of the twentieth century drew near, most of my college classmates were becoming increasingly worried about the possibility of cataclysmic repercussions of the Y2K bug. With a healthy stock of Cup o’ Noodles, and my meager bank account liquidated into cash, my worst fear was that a potential interruption of power and/or internet service might have broken my compulsion for Counter-Strike. Since the beta was released a few months prior, I had entered into a small, but close-knit community who spent nearly every free moment converting kills into munitions.

Like all gilded eras, our terrorist-killing team eventually succumbed to the woes of full-time employment and advanced academic degrees. By 2001 I had exited PC gaming near completely, tempted by the virtues of the Playstation 2. Although Mercenary Wars, Combat Arms, and Alliance of Valiant Arms ushered in a new age of free-to-play first-person shooters, each diversion lacked the hook which could persuade me back to the PC battlefield. All that changed upon the discovery of NetGame’s Operation 7 robust weapon customization component.

At first glance the title doesn’t appear radically different from the aforementioned FPSs on the market. Set in a contemporary context, up to twelve-four players can compete in the game’s three main modes: Deathmatch, Survival, and Head Hunting- where each squad tries to assassinate the other team’s leader while protecting their own dignitary. After players set up an account and download the game’s 750 MB client, they are able to jump onto the Operation 7‘s rookie channels. Once gamers ascend the ranks to level five, they’ll be propelled onto the standard channel, where combatants have access to the title’s most formidable hardware. With the ability to strike the devastating one-shot-kill headshots and lean around corners, Operation 7 offers gameplay that a bit more tactical that most of its free-to-play brethren.

Yet, it’s the intricate Weapon Modification System (WMS) that truly elevates the title above its peers. While a large selection of prefabricated arms are available to players, armchair armorers will appreciate the ability to create a custom gun suited for their play-style. Each of the game’s light and sub- machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns and sniper rifles have up to six slots allowing players to add accessories such as scopes, silencers, dot sights as well as modify the barrel and gun body. As gamers level up, an increasingly powerful collection of parts becomes available- offering an tantalizing incentive to stick with the game as well as prohibiting newbies from crafting a overwhelming offense. Players also can use up to five slots to outfit their characters with devices ranging from night-vision goggles, flash-bang offsetting sunglasses as well as choose from a variety of uniforms.

Visually, Operation 7 was able to keep a fluid framerate on both low end, integrated-graphics processor driven desktops as well as modest laptaps. Although the game’s urban and rural environments may lack the detail of full-priced retail games, the title’s map design was satisfying- particularly a wheat field stage filled with an ample number of crates to provide cover opportunities. Unsurprisingly, the game’s arsenal of weapons is given the most copious detail, with each arm given a signature bank of sound effects.