Holdfast: Nations At War Review

Holdfast: Nations At War Gameplay

Holdfast: Nations At War allows players to take part in historical battles on land and sea involving the leading powers of the Napoleonic era. The gameplay of this project focuses on the team gameplay and combination of military specializations: the game features classes like an infantryman, artilleryman, sailor, medic or even regimental drummer. The purpose of battles is simple: you have to capture the fortifications or win a field battle. Put on the red uniform of the British army or fight for Emperor Napoleon in glorious field battles; get up and hold the line, be a marksman in the light infantry or support your allies with artillery fire to dominate the battlefield.

The most exciting part of Holdfast: Nations At War is the opportunity to take part in both land and sea battles. In any of the selected modes, players can show personal heroism and teamwork. The most interesting are complex manoeuvres and interaction between the troops happen in battle: the players will be able to stand in the ranks of the linear infantry or act as a precision artilleryman. Another essential part of the gameplay is a system of classes: all characters are divided by role, weapons and gameplay style, which helps to balance the force of the squad.

Become a captain or sailor on ships inspired by real prototypes of the Napoleonic era, in grand duels of sailing vessels or battles of entire fleets. Naval combats in Holdfast happen both on the high seas and picturesque coasts with mighty forts. Holdfast allows to experience what it's like to be in the crew aboard a warship: lift your sails, shoot your cannons and be ready for boarding, working together with the rest of the team to keep your ship afloat. Work with your allies to storm enemy fortifications or support your comrades in battle with fire from cannons and mortars.

The environment of the maps and realistic mechanics of Holdfast immerses players into gameplay quickly. For example, during the attacks players will have to gradually beat off the strategic points of the enemy, using artillery to create gaps in the defence or to water the coming hail of shells and bullets from previously prepared places for protection. Another detail is the construction of the field fortifications, available to the class of engineers.

In addition to other features, players can strengthen doors, build gabions, anti-cavalry fences, use exploding barrels, and dig trenches. This variety of features makes an Engineer class irreplaceable. Also, the game features a large variety of different land maps; the developers add new locations almost with every patch. The game has realistic physics of ship behaviour: bigger ships are faster and smaller ones more manoeuvrable. Players can control the sails and turn the steering wheel, catch wind directions, throw the anchor, and use other elements of the naval system in combat.

Holdfast: Nations At War features realistic implementation of firearms. The balance of weapons is an essential quest for the team. There is a vast number of different weapon parameters in Holdfast: the range of shots, the striking power of the bullet, the number of shells, and the reload speed. There is also a choice of available equipment variations: muskets, pistols, blunderbusses, rifles and other guns. There are also different artillery in the game: field and serf guns of various calibres. They can be controlled both alone and cooperatively with allies: in this case, one player works as a gunner, the other one as a loader.

There is also close combat in Holdfast: Nations At War. The game features advanced mechanics such as the damage animation, and the damage calculation system, which takes into account several factors including speed, vector impact, range of scope and more. Besides, the game allows adjusting various details: mouse sensitivity, camera distance, and other elements.