Tribes 2

The Good
First and foremost, I like the fact that you buy the game, and it's free to play. Unlike most other MMPOG's that charge a monthly access fee, once you pay only 50 bucks for Tribes 2 and that's it. No access fee.

I also love the fact that you don't have to commit hundreds of hours to the game. Since it's a combat only game, everyone is given the same pool of weapons/equipment to wage their battles. This means you can play for as little, or as much as you like without penalty allowing those of us with limited free time to have a gurenteed fun experience.

Don't take this to mean the game isn't deep. There's so much to do and learn in T2, it would take years to master everything. Will you focus on becoming a sniper, a pilot, a defender? Will you master the art of strategic equipment deployment, or become a tactical officer and command troops? Each time you play can be a fresh experience.

The graphics are, in a word, stellar. While not as detailed as some current single player games, they're honestly the best I've seen in any MMPOG. The sound is excellent, from the sounds of mortars exploding in the distance to the snow crunching under your feet, it all sounds amazingly lifelike and the attention to detail is outstanding.

The gameplay in T2 is also excellent. Unlike most FPS games where you're limited to running around on the ground, each player in T2 has a jetpack that allows limited flying. This means that instead of looking out behind you, you have to watch above, below, behind, and all around you for enemies. It might not sound like a huge deal, but it makes a great amount of difference to how you play. Control is standard FPS fare, with a mouse/keyboard combo.

Also, there's the fact that it's just just one big deathmatch (although DM is available). There's tons of gametypes, from Capture the Flag to Siege. Most require you to work with your teammates to effectivly put up a fight, and this is a huge selling point for me. I love teamplay.

The Bad
Well, I didn't like the fact that I had to upgrade my video card to play. ;) This game has STEEP requirements for smooth play, so if you don't have at least a mid range system you might want to move along.

Also I didn't like the fact that the game had to go through 6 patches to work properly. Not an issue if you're buying the game now, as you'll only have to patch once, but it was an issue for me since I bought the game when it came out. ;)

The Bottom Line
Wow. This one's tough.

First, it's massivley multiplayer. You can expect to be playing with upwards of 20 players at a time. This means no stupid AI to contend with, only stupid people. ;)

As for genre.. well, it's a FPS first and foremost. You run around with guns killing people. This in iteself is fun.. but wait.. there's more.

It's also a vehicle sim, as you can use vehicles in your battles. From bombers, to tanks, to hoverbikes, it's all there. You can even be in specific positions within vehicles, such as gunner, tailgunner, and pilot.

And.. if you act now.. we'll throw in a little RTS action into the mix. From the command screen you can watch your troops, issue orders, and lay waypoints for your team.

All this aside, I'd mostly describe this game as one you have to buy. Right this second. 200,000 players can't be wrong.