Free-to-play sci-fi multiplayer game Planetside 2 has received a massive update, with its last patch being eight years ago. This update adds an entire new continent to the game, new mechanics, weapons, and more for players to explore.
In the massive multiplayer FPS, this exciting new update introduces players to the mission "Expedition: Oshur" which occurs on the game's new large-scale continent, the tropical Isle of Oshur. It is the first update since 2014, and one bringing "something for everyone" according to Planetside 2 developer Daybreak Game Company.
The lore behind the Isle of Oshur involved times before the Auraxian War when exploration was most valuable, and the game's factions weren't thoroughly divided. The island features sandy beaches, tropical jungles, and vast savannahs, fueling heavy armor usage and vehicle battles on a massive multiplayer arena. There are towers known as Trident Relays overlooking the island for air support and quick responses for squad and platoons. The island separates itself from other maps as it does not include warpgates. However, a large flotilla serves as the player's main base of operations. It comes with its own protective projectile canon that keeps enemy ships at bay by shooting them out of the sky.
Water plays an essential role in this particular update. Basically, the developers had to dive deep into the mechanics of the game in order to make sense of the water usage. With the update, developers re-engineered the interactions with water in the game for vehicles, projectiles, and infantry. For example, hover vehicles now float on the water, regular vehicles skim the water's surface, infantry and track vehicles can move along the ocean floor, and all projectiles are hit with significant drag upon entering the water. These changes in mechanics add a sense of realism to the game. Another example of this realism is that traditional weapons will not fire underwater, so the developers introduced special weapons to accommodate players in this transition - three underwater rifles and a pistol.
As mentioned before, the update introduces the Trident Relays as high pads used for air support, while below, developers introduced a new facility called the Interlink Outpost. Originally a communications hub, this outpost is now a close-quarters battle zone with multiple entries for attackers to go through. These changes are among a massive list of updates in this patch and are described in detail on Planetside 2's official website news.
In celebration of the launch of Expedition: Oshur, developers are allowing specific windows to enable the map to auto-unlock itself, which will give more access before returning to regular rotation based on demand. This auto-unlock will occur between January 26 through Sunday, January 30, giving a few days for players to take advantage of the free-to-play multiplayer.
Planetside 2 is free-to-play on PC and PS4.
Source: PCGamesN, Planetside 2