Review By: celtic88
Version Number: 1.0
Rating: 90%
High Points: Bots play different game types, understand defensive and offensive tactics.
Low Points: No individual bot orders, lack of maps
I have to admit I was a bit hesitant when it came to buying High Impact Paintball after reading several
reviews giving it a bad score.
However I decided to give it a shot, after all the game sells for only $19.99.
Four game types are included with High Impact Paintball, including: Free for All, Capture the Flag, Siege, and
Speedball.
When you begin the game you are allowed to customize yourself at a cost, including your gun type, improved aiming
devices, and so forth.
After you choose what you will play (Singleplayer or Multiplayer) you are presented with a setup screen where you
choose your game type, difficulty level for the bots, and the map.
The difficulty level is controlled by adjusting a slider from Easy to Hard. (It can be anywhere in between)
Sadly though, there are hardly any maps included with the game, and no signs of new ones being released.
You can have up to 4vs4 games, and you are allowed to customize your teammates (somewhat), such as if you want
them to play an offensive, defensive, or neutral game.
You can choose from pre-defined bots, some with higher intelligence, and other various skills.
Once you have everything set up, the game loads and you are thrown into an awful looking battlefield.
(The graphics look extremely outdated)
On Free for All, it plays exactly like you have prabobly guessed - every man for himself.
The bots roam around the field picking off eachother, and depending if you set the difficulty towards
"Hard", you may find yourself towards the bottom of the score list.
On Capture the Flag each team has their own base, your objective is to get the enemy flag and bring it back
to yours. (Obviously:)
You will often see bots hiding behind barriers, crouching down and then jumping up quickly to take a shot, just
to hide again.
They peek around barriers, fire a few shots, and then go back to hiding.
If you put one of your teammates on defensive, he (or she) will tend to stay back by your flag and take cover
behind one of the many barriers presented in the game. The other bots will rush the enemy flag and attempt
to take it.
You can also issue orders like "Offensive" and "Defensive", unfortunately though this is for the whole team,
however the bots don't really listen to you anyway so even if you issue a team order of "Offensive", you will still
see a bot or two staying back by the flag. (Prabobly because they were selected as a defensive player in the setup
screen)
In Siege there are two teams, defenders and attackers.
The goal of the game is to sound the air horn located somewhere in the defender's base.
Getting to the air horn is pretty tough though, with defender bots keeping themselves hidden behind barriers, only
to reveal themselves and take you out.
If on the attacking team, friendly bots try their best to reach the air horn, hiding behind a tree for a few seconds,
taking a look, and then proceeding further.
The tactics I have seen the bots using are among the best of any AI I've come across.
As with capture the flag, you also have your orders of "Defensive" and "Offensive". But once again, the bots
don't really obey your orders anyway.
If you're on the defending team, teammate bots will stay back in the safety of the base and try to hold off
the attackers.
The attacker bots will sometimes make a quick rush for the air horn, and before you know it you find yourself
on the losing side of the game.
And lastly in Speedball, it plays much like Last Man Standing. (Only Teamplay is supported)
You enter the game with up to 3 teammates and have to go about the battlefield taking out your opponents.
Once a player is hit, he or she is out until the next round.
If you are hit, you become a ghost and can roam around the level watching your reamining teammates try and win the game.
A fairly fun game type to play.
High Impact Paintball is a very addicting game, even with outdated graphics. It's worth checking out if you're looking
for a "non-violent" first person shooter, or if you simply want to see a team of bots employ intelligent tactics against
you.
