Finding a place to start this APB Reloaded review is not easy.  I should preface this review by stating that the tips of my fingers ache from playing so many 5-6 hour sessions of this game. I had heard about this game on and off for years before its release. I assumed it was some avatar creating game with a clunky combat system thrown in as an after thought. I would have stuck to that thought and never played any of it, if one thing hadn’t happened. All Points Bulleting Reloaded became free.

APB Reloaded Game Play

APB doesn’t really fit into any one category. It plays alot like an FPS, but its not an FPS. All the action takes place in 3rd person. In that respect it has some similarities to GTA. The closest thing I can compare APB to is Battlefield. Large maps dominated by the use of vehicles to reach objectives, and completely focused on multiplayer.  It even has a squad system(called groups ingame).

All Points Bulletin Reloaded starts out slow at first. You get dropped into a tutorial that acquaints you with objective based play. It takes a while to get used how the game works. The hardest part being driving.

All Points Bulletin Driving

Driving in APB is not easy. It seems like they really wanted these cars to drift… and they do, ALOT. The steering and car handling doesn’t feel natural or intuitive. This really bothered me at first, but not so much now.  You get used to the goofy driving and it makes the high speed chases pretty interesting. There are about 20 cars to choose from in APB. Each with its own unique stats and advantages.

All Points Bulletin Weapons

There are so many guns in APB. You start out with a decent assault rifle. Completing missions and killing noobs unlocks more weapons from vendors.  After getting enough kills you unlock the ability to get slotted weapons. Slotted weapons can have the stats modified by inserting a class mod of your choosing into the slot. Every one has a different playing style and I love being able to customize equipment.

All Points Bulletin Game Type

APB is all about objectives.  Theres a ton of player vs player action but its all centered around reaching and completing objectives. You start off by finding a group.  After finding a group each player presses the ready up button.  APB then sorts through each players stats and finds an opposing group of similar skill. Its not perfect but most of the time matches are good.

After all that the mission starts. If you weren’t already in a vehicle you find one quick. The maps are big and objectives can be a mile away literally. APB sports a 3d map which displaces the objectives position on your HUD in bright orange/green/blue words. Finding a direct and effective route isn’t always easy but you wont be getting lost.

Its not too uncommon to run into opponents while driving to an objective. This makes for some interesting high speed combat. Usually the real fire works come from the objective site. Both teams have the objective on their 3d map so action is guaranteed.

APB Reloaded Appearance Customization

APB takes place in 3rd person so might as well make your character worth looking at. Avatars are completely customizable. Just about every part of their face and body can be made the way you see fit. Your characters look is made when you first start up the game. The look you choose isn’t permanent. It can be changed later but costs ingame money to do so.

You also get to choose what your avatar wears. Theres not alot to choose from at the beginning. As you go on more clothes and accessories are unlocked. The clothes are also highly customizable. Its possible to do basic things like change the base color of a shirt. You can also do more advanced customizations like creating your own decals for cars/clothes.

All Points Bulletin Reloaded is an interesting game. Theres never been a game quite like this before. Its nice to see a modern day shooter that isn’t based in Irag. Like every other game from the last 6 years(looking at you call of duty and battlefield). The fast pace driving and objectives are fun to mess around with.  Getting a group of friends to play together in ventrilo is good times. The game is free and you have nothing to lose so go check it out!