A while back, I reviewed the Japanese version of A.V.A, but since then, A.V.A has went open beta in Ijji, in English! I have thus decided to write another review for the Ijji version.

What is A.V.A?

Not sure who the good and bad guys are, the blue guys have a masked guy and the red has a hooded guy...

A.V.A, or Alliance of Valiant Arms, or the game with too long a name that don't quite mean anything is a typical Online FPS that has two sides, a few different game modes and the ability to purchase various weaponry. 

However, unlike games like Combat Arms from Nexon with whom I still have a gripe with, it does things slightly differently.

The Look

A screen shot showing the detail textures of the character, the shadow system, etc.

Using the Unreal Engine, it is arguably the most pretty looking game in it's genre. Of course, This would mean a higher minimum system requirements, but the game still does look pretty good even at the lowest settings. But a game is not only based on it's looks, so let's move on to the other unique features.

Details like rank and clan badge can actually be seen on the sleeves of the character, though, usually you don't notice them.

Game Modes

You have your usual "round-based bomb area A or B" of Counter-Strike fame. You have the faster pace Team Death Match. You will soon have AI and Zombie "Survival Modes" as they are already out in the Japanese server since I last played. 

Take this to it's destination. Sadly, the main cannon is unusable.

But the one unique mode that other games do not offer is the "Escort" mode. In Escort mode, one team has to escort a tank from one point of the map to the other. And the other team has to try to stop them. It is a game mode that requires a lot of coordination between members, and a little selflessness to sacrifice kills to repair or blow up the tank, it is the main game mode that has kept me stuck onto A.V.A throughout the months of playing it.

Classes and Progression

The 3 different classes from the two teams.

In A.V.A, there are classes and skills. There are 3 classes, namely the Point Man, the Rifle Man and the Sniper, each with their own set of special skills. These skills are not gained by reaching a certain rank, or by distributing points in a talent tree or skill list.

Instead, skills are gained by constantly playing, and fulfilling certain criteria to gain the skills, which does give significant, but otherwise non game breaking advantages to the player. From throwing grenades further, sprinting faster and being able to switch between weapons faster, these small boost could save your life!

In addition to skills, players can gain medals and ribbons, medals being a per game "achievement", and ribbons being a more long term accumulated achievement, each having rewards based on it's difficulty.

It is a nice touch to the game, giving you something to look forward to other then just that new weapon or a higher rank.

Combat

Combat is fast and deadly. And yes, helmets fly, and play a crucial role in protecting your noggin from being turned into slush.

Depending on your class and game mode played, Combat can be a rather fast-paced affair, where kills and deaths come quite frequently. Weapons are all lethal and fill their own niche in the game. For example, the Bizon, an SMG with high ammo capacity, is great for racking up multiple kills as long as you are not being fired at. In contrast, the Uzi, a fast Rate of Fire SMG, kills much faster, but would almost always require a reload after a kill.

In a sense, just finding out each weapon's optimal usage and being good at that is fun in it's own right. What makes it a little more interesting is the modifications that can be done with the rifles. Mods are generally not visually noticeable on your weapon unlike Operation 7, however, can drastically change how a weapon works, allowing you to customize a weapon to your liking, to a certain degree.

Issues

Nope, she isn't an issue, but I would say she is my solution. She does look like a solution. I think.

Unfortunately, the Ijji version of A.V.A suffers from certain issues, like a unique bug that occurs randomly. It isn't due to lag, nor the person hacking, but it certainly seems that way. When one is affected by the bug, it freezes the person in place (to everyone else), but to the person, he is running around, and killing people who can't see him. This then does actually translate to them getting shot and dying out of the blue. I have since called this the "Ninja Bug".

But, just stick in there, I am sure that the issues are being worked on at the moment. And as always, be slow to anger but quick to react, sometimes, a little patience goes a long way!