In games, modern combat is often fast. Automatic weapons combined with cramped urban environments often mean that the soldier who moves fastest and shoots first will be the one who lives. Some games turn their attention to older wars and different tactics, however. Isonzo is one such game.
Focusing on the Italian Front of WWI, Isonzo bridges the gap between immersive sim and arcade shooter, with tactical gameplay that remains fast enough to be exhilarating. In so complex a game, it's unsurprising that the deaths come frequently and fast. There are some understandable mistakes that make the game even harder than it needs to be, however. Here are some of the most common mistakes in the game.
6 Using Frontline Machine Guns
Unlike many FPS with cramped arenas, Isonzo is known for maps with wide open spaces and extensive sight lines. These features leave the player vulnerable to fire from a multitude of positions. The closer to the frontline the player is, the higher the likelihood of encountering enemy fire, as that is by definition the most contested space.
Machine guns are some of the most dominant weapons on the battlefield thanks to their devastating rate of fire. Because of this, they are prime targets. Players who use machine guns near the frontline are likely to be shot almost instantly, as it's easy for enemies to pinpoint the machine gun's location and kill the gunner. Choosing machine guns farther back from the frontline is a good way to keep the player alive for longer.
5 Letting Static Weapons Run Dry
Though small arms may get the most use, some of the strongest weapons in Isonzo aren't carried around by players. Mortars and machine guns are static, relying on players to travel to their position to make use of them. Thanks to their unique damage-dealing capabilities, static weapons play an integral part in battles.
Unfortunately, many players allow these weapons to remain depleted of ammunition once they've run out. Because of the way reloading works, it's common not to realize that these weapons can be reloaded in the first place. When static weapons run out of ammo, a cooldown begins, after which the player can resupply them using the Rifleman's Ammo Box. Letting static weapons sit idle for lack of ammunition is a good way to lose battles that could otherwise have been won.
4 Rushing
Isonzo is a game that rewards slower, more tactical gameplay. Part of this is due to the large open areas and long sight lines of most maps: if the player isn't moving slowly and carefully between positions, they're likely to get sniped. Another reason that the game favors slower gameplay is the older technology available to these WWI soldiers. Smaller magazines and slower reload times mean that wasting shots is more easily punished, forcing players to value precision over reckless ammo dumping.
It's common for players used to more hectic FPSs to rush headlong into battle when they first play Isonzo. The predictable result is a lot of unnecessary deaths. Pushing the enemy unnecessarily is a recipe for disaster. It's enough to simply find a good vantage point with reliable access to enemy combatants. As long as the player can keep getting shots on the enemy, there's no need to rush elsewhere.
3 Building Wrong
The Engineer has a variety of build options available to them, such as putting down sandbag barricades or placing barbed wire in order to slow down the enemy and fortify positions for their own team. These constructs can be invaluable for holding key positions and objectives, so knowing where and when to build is invaluable. Unfortunately, it's easy to make mistakes in this process.
One of the biggest Engineering mistakes is waiting too long to begin building in objective areas. Once an area has been designated as part of an objective, Engineers will no longer be able to build there. It's critically important to know what areas will become objectives and take time earlier in the match to build necessary fortifications there, that way they will already be in place before building is restricted. Players who fail to do so will inadvertently be weakening key positions on the map and making an already difficult game even harder.
2 Neglecting Pistols And Revolvers
There's a reason that sidearms aren't the go-to weapon for most situations: their short range makes them weapons of last resort most of the time. Isonzo's large maps make long-range weapons such as rifles ideal when trying to deal with enemy snipers or hold back the rush of enemy soldiers over open ground. Too many players draw the wrong conclusion, however, and think that there is almost never a time and place for using sidearms.
Pistols and revolvers are ideal in certain situations, specifically trench warfare and other cramped conditions in which the player may face multiple assailants. These weapons have a high rate of fire compared to rifles and can thus help the player deal with multiple adversaries at once. Since their short range isn't an issue in these situations, it's almost always worth swapping to a pistol or revolver when a rifle is the only other option. The better stopping power of the revolver means that the player likely won't even need a second shot, letting them move from one target to the next without delay.
1 Build From The Back
Given the difficulty and complexity of the Engineer role, it's unsurprising that players would make multiple mistakes with it. One of the most common is trying to build defensive fortifications from the frontline backward instead of from the back toward the frontline. The frontline is, by definition, where most of the action is, with constant clashes as the enemy tries to push that line. Trying to deploy fortifications on the frontline is often pointless, as the player will be repeatedly cut down.
Even if sandbags and barbed wire are successfully deployed there, they may soon be rendered irrelevant as the enemy pushes past them. Players who begin fortifying from the back will have more success, as they have more time to set up without being under constant enemy fire. This will allow them to set up more quickly and make better-informed decisions about how to help their team survive the harsh realities of WWI.
Isonzo is available for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.