Well, the short answer is "Yes!" But I say that as someone who enjoys Foxhole a lot. At £23 a copy on Steam at time of writing, I can confidently say that I have gotten more out of Foxhole than the money I paid in.
Other than the price though, you probably want to know if it's worth it for a different reason. Something that a lot of hardcore gamers value more than their hard earned cash. Is Foxhole worth your time? This is what I aim to answer for you.
10. Persistent 24/7 Warfare
Storm those trenches!
The tagline of the game but as a concept, it isn't really put across much to new coming players. Foxhole is an MMO at its core but it's also much more than that.
This war, at the time of writing, is World Conquest 102 on the main Able server. Currently there is only one server up but there have been others up. Running simultaneous wars. It is going on right now as you read this. Even after 102 ends, another one will start up a few days later and on and on the cycle goes.
There are players from all over the world, fighting on the front lines of this virtual war to gain and hold ground. To advance the front lines. Thousands of individuals all working in common cause.
You can log in at any time, spawn on a front, pick up a rifle and do your faction proud in the trenches, the plains, and towns of Caoiva. Be the unsung heroes of war. Another statistic in the millions of casualties. There will always be action to get into, no matter what. The war doesn't sleep.
9. The internet prosecutes a war against itself
Gamers are an online bunch. I know I am. One of the things that has interested me so much about Foxhole is just how much internet culture bleeds into the player base. The same player base that picks one of two sides then spends up to and over a month trying to beat the other.
Imagine being one of the many little soldiers in an RTS game. An RTS game where there is no overall commander. Pointing, clicking, and selecting units to go there or do that. If there is a commander, they're more than likely on the ground with you.
Some dude named "xXxSmokesWeed4Life420xXx" with (Brig) next to their name could be in two or three different Discord channels, organising artillery batteries and tank columns. Every individual person is someone who has dedicated their time to come online and fight a big war against the other side. For fun.
Faction rivalry and community banter spill out into the wider internet and before you know it, you're scrolling through memes in more discord servers than you care to count. Gritting your teeth at the news that the front you lost three hours of your life to, fell during the night to an obliterating counter offensive.
There's lovely people from all over the world, putting in the time to make the community so much bigger than the sum of its parts. People make map reports of the current war. Some people announce public give aways of equipment they've built up. Some clans even form gigantic coalitions and work together on certain regions of the map for the entire war’s length.
If you're as terminally online as I am and fear the gentle touch of grass, then this is the game for you to get stuck into.
8. The New Player Experience
I'm not gonna lie, the new player experience can be quite daunting. It can also be quite intimidating asking veteran players for guidance but please, make sure you do. For the most part, players on your side will want new players to become well versed in the game so don't be scared to ask.
There will be some players who may come off as abrasive but please don't let that get to you. A lot of people put a hell of a lot of time into this game. Planning ops, building up stockpiles for specific tasks. It can make them pretty sore if people are getting in the way. Especially when time is of the essence. It's no excuse for bad behaviour but it happens. Just don't take it personally. And if anyone accuses you of being an "Alt", just ignore them and I'll explain what that means in the next segment.
Another great thing about Foxhole is all the lovely content creators out there. There are countless resources available from articles to video guides and even an entire wiki on all things Foxhole. More than enough to flatten that learning curve.
Whether you want to fight on the front lines or have more of an impact doing something else, there is plenty for you to be able to find your niche in the game. There's no need to approach any of it with trepidation. You'll know what you're doing in no time at all with a little help from other players.
7. Alts in my walls!
Unfortunately, this is an aspect of the game that needs to be addressed. As a new player, you may be accused of being one without even understanding what the hell it means. Especially if you're hanging around in the back line hexes, attempting to do some Logi for the first time. Well, here it is.
Alting refers to the practice of buying another copy of the game on an alternative account. Logging in on that account as a soldier of the opposite faction that you normally play on. Moving freely through the "enemy" back lines as one of them and causing nefarious chaos. Usually stealing equipment, rendering it inoperable, or messing with facilities and bases.
It's a very underhanded tactic that the developers have been trying to address. It may be that it's more talked about than actually happening but it can make veteran players very paranoid. Hence, why low ranking players (new players) can sometimes be accused of it because they aren't sure what they're doing.
Although this writer wonders where people find the time to have multiple accounts, it is something that still happens. It goes against the code of conduct and can result in a ban. It's also reprehensible, unsportsmanlike, and an all-round dirty tactic. So don't do it.
If you see it, report it. As I said before, a lot of people put a lot of time into this game which makes it fun for everyone. People cheating like this ruins the game for both sides. Until it is effectively stamped out, it will always be an issue.
6. The Rank System
Foxhole has a unique rank system which, in my opinion, works exceptionally well. It's a way of spotting which players have experience in the game and have a general idea of what they're doing and why. It's also completely driven by other players which is something that I love.
The way it works is this. Your level is separate from your rank and visible to you by pressing F1. This level increases the more time you put in and the more stuff you get up to.
Your rank, however, is visible next to your name by all other players and also visable to you when you press F1. You can only rank up by being awarded a certain amount of "Commends" and only other players can award you them.
What this means is that there is a wonderful dynamic where you gain in rank by doing things which other players see as helpful or by simply doing something that other players deem worthy or commendable.
It can also lead to a phenomenon known as rank boosting. Especially in clanmen and content creators but it's few and far between. Most high ranking players are people who have dedicated a lot of time and effort over years into the game and the war effort for their faction.
Ranks also carry over to the other faction so if you do decide to switch sides, don't panic. You will still be the same rank and thus, people will know how experienced you are in the game, regardless of which side you're playing for.
The enlisted ranks are anything from Pte to WO1 and are generally referred to as "Low Ranks". It's not an insult so don't take it as one. Having a high rank does not come with any kind of command authority. Having a low rank simply signals to other players that you aren't as experienced in the game just yet.
It's very easy to rank out of the low ranks by doing Logi as you can shuttle supplies to the front line and get commended for it. A little tick box will show up to anyone with their spawn set at a base. This will prompt them to commend the Logiman who has just dropped off supplies. You may have seen this yourself on the fronts. Don't forget to click that green tick and give your thanks to the Logi dudes.
Doing Logi is also a very good way to experience how the game works on its larger scale. You'll be able to glean a lot of experience just from all the guys hanging around the Logi hubs. Doing the important work that needs doing.
The low ranks only take so many Commends to rank out of but once you hit the commissioned ranks, that's when things get gnarly. It takes hundreds of Commends to rank up the officer ranks and that number only increases the higher you go. The lofty heights of staff officers have thousands of Commends to their names and have more than likely taken years to get to. They're the vet players who you can guarantee know what they're doing.
It's precisely why I intend to remain an OCdt so that no one can ever accuse me of not knowing stuff that I shouldn't. I don't want the responsibility of being looked at like I know what I'm doing. The dude fits right in there and abides so I do too. This is Kezzer saying, if you see me in the field. Don't commend me.
All in all, the commend system is a good way for the game and players to show their appreciation of other players’ time and efforts to make the game fun and the war winnable for their team. While it may seem that the game might not value your time, you can be sure that other players certainly do.
5. Building
The forgotten love child of the game and, unfortunately, the shit in the sandwich. Right now, WC (World Conquest) 102 is an update war. A newly released update dropped and players are playing around with new features added in by the developers.
While building has sucked for a lot of players for a lot of years, it is arguably one of the most important aspects of winning the war and the one that seems to get the least appreciation. The new update appears to have only made things worse for them.
Any structure that is built in the game and has AI soldiers (static, unseen soldiers that exist inside pillboxes and such, that fire on the enemy when they're in range) require supplies to maintain it. These supplies used to come in the form of Garrison and Bunker supplies that would be consumed at a certain, calculable rate. Dependent on how big the base was and how much AI it had. While not perfect, builders could be sure that as long as their bunkers had enough supplies, they could log off for a few days and come back with a resupply to keep it going.
Recently, the supplies have been merged into one, all encompassing Maintenance Supply. Not only that but their consumption rate is now determined by server activity and buildings in the same region.
Without writing a novel on how this new system works, suffice it to say that it has made building and maintaining structures unpredictable and tiresome. The system itself is still in the middle of its first war but its teething issues have already taken a massive toll on builders in the game.
Bunkers that would have lasted days are decaying within a few hours. Without giving up all things in meat-space and taking on building as your sole life's purpose, you're going to have a bad time being a builder right now.
This is a massive shame and something that everyone wants to see remedied very quickly. Builders are burning out like there's no tomorrow and fronts are becoming too stretched as a result. Such is life when you feel that the game no longer respects your time. Even more so in an area that is vital to keeping the game and the wars going. The good news is that the developers are constantly working to tweak features. The biggest testing environments are the wars themselves and with it being the first time players have had to get their heads around this new system of maintaining structures, I can guarantee that adjustments will be coming down the pipeline.
4. Faction Balance
Something that is almost always complained about in the Foxhole Community. Because the factions are asymmetrical, balancing them is quite the task. It's a unique and fun aspect of the game. Having two factions that are different, play different, and have different gear.
However, this has its drawbacks. As more content and features are added to the game, the game becomes a lot more complex. Its complexity can lead to the scales of balance being tipped slightly off kilter and can skew in one faction's favour from time to time.
It's been happening in pretty much most of Foxhole's history as a game. I certainly remember a time when playing Colonial was not fun at all due to a certain Warden PvE tool burning out all of our builders. But this isn't about me and my perceived biases. The pendulum swings both ways.
There will be times, especially around updates, when the faction balance may seem off. This is a problem that compounds. Vets burn out and take indefinite break wars. People sick of losing, quit en masse.
It's a tragic consequence of trying to balance two different, unique factions to keep the fight fair. Fortunately, the developers do eventually respond to these after seeing how the gameplay has been affected. The hyper-online community also has its part to play by making their grievances known on the plentiful forums.
Other good news is that a lot of the balance issues are so complex and intertwined with a lot of the game's systems and loops, that it's very difficult to notice them too much as a new player. If you're fighting on the front line most of your time, you'll hardly notice much. It takes hundreds of hours before you start noticing more and more of the meta plays happening during the wars.
You can rest assured that the issue you took a break for will eventually be resolved and salty vets will have something else to complain about soon enough.
3. Burnout
A common occurrence among a lot of Foxhole players, regardless of their experience. In fact, it's probably more common in the more experienced players. Players who took part in huge, multifaceted clan operations that required a lot of effort and planning. After a war is over, with only a few days between the wars, it's completely reasonable to take a war or two off.
These wars can go on for up to and over a month. No one will ever judge you for taking some time out if you've spent a lot of time absorbed in the current war. There will always be another one around the corner.
It's important to remember that. When the game stops being fun, it's probably time to touch some grass or chase a game dragon somewhere else for a while. Get your head back on straight and come back with a clean mind.
Foxhole is a game where you get out what you put in. If you decide you want to put in a lot, it will take more out of you to do it. It's all part of the game. Just make sure that when you are burned out, you take a nice break before coming back.
2. Unique experiences
When I play Foxhole, I am constantly recording. Capturing every moment because you just never know what might happen. A lot of players do this as well because Foxhole is one of the only games where such unique, one off experiences can happen in the blink of an eye and never happen again.
There are a plethora of videos and shorts out there on YouTube showcasing the random chaos of these giant wars in hilarious, dumbfounded ways. Take yours truly right here. I logged in for some front line action and ended up with a bunch of randomly assembled Collie Comrades for an amphibious landing behind enemy lines.
As far as I know, there isn't a single game out there that offers these kinds of unscripted, player driven events. Where both teams try to come at each other from any angle available to them in the game and the outcomes are never the same.
For someone who loves to tell stories, I can't help but find these experiences inspiring. There are players from all over the world working together and shaping these battlefields. The other night, I had to man a push gun for a French clan after one of the crew was killed. I held that gun for as long as I had to until the crewman had spawned back in and came back to retake their position. You will not find anything else out there that offers this kind of immersive, cooperative experience.
1. Faction culture
Some people could argue that this is a bad thing but I beg to differ. I always make it obvious to anyone that I'm a Collie at heart. The Colonial cause has been dear to me since I started playing Foxhole. When the queues to join the Wardens were too high so I just went with the lower pop faction. That was back in War 87.
Although there have been times where multiple servers are open so that I can play with the Warden toys, I've pretty much been a Collie on Able for my Foxhole career. With my bias out on the table, I'm gonna tell you that you shouldn't pick Collies just cause this writer is one.
With that out of the way I want to talk about the faction cultures. It's a big draw for me personally that both sides have managed to cultivate their own unique cultures, call outs, and daft spam chants whenever something good happens. This is the first and only game that I've found so far that seems to capture the camaraderie of being in a real armed force.
There are discord servers that act almost like Facebook for the individual factions. To allow users to coordinate and organise with other clans and people within their faction. There are even entire coalitions where clans have grouped together in order to "take shifts" on fronts while some clans get some shut eye.
Groups of players formed dedicated roles specifically to manage tech trees. What the faction is going to unlock and in what order. The Colonials had the Quartermasters and the Wardens had the lovely Tech Maids. Their roles have been reduced due to the implementation of facilities which is a shame really as these unsung heroes played an important part in every war and went pretty much unnoticed by the lay players like me.
Locations within the game hold significant meaning as well to the faction lore. There are places named after the Warden Emperor Callahan. Statues of him at the Bulwark. Hell, the Bulwark itself has its own significance. To Wardens, it’s a line once held. To Colonials, it’s a symbol of imperial oppression. War is grey.
On a personal note, I’ve come back towards the end of some wars that I haven’t even been playing just so I can serve in the honour guard of Thea Maro’s final resting place once more and smash the Wardens upon Cerberus Wake. It’s good fun.
The community around Foxhole is all incredibly detailed and thought out. And this is all outside of the game. The developers had no hand in the community growth although they are pretty plugged into it when they want to be. Not a bad thing, Devman. It can probably get hard to focus on the task at hand when the salt is flying in the subreddit.
Regardless of how you want to play the game. To be a loyalist or a noot (Neutral) you will be welcomed with open arms and before you know it, you’ll have hundreds of hours and throwing salt all over the subreddit over the latest thing that’s got everyone fussing over balance.
Conclusion.
As much as my bias probably bleeds through in this review, Foxhole is still very much a work in progress. They’ve just dropped a new update and things are always being tweaked and tuned to fit. New content adds new things to play with but it also adds more complexity. More complexity that inevitably comes with issues that can only really come to light when they’re used and tested in the wars.
The approach to asymmetry is commendable and one that I really love about the game. But this is not without its issues as I want to make clear. If you don’t value your sanity, feel free to check the subreddit. There is always something being moaned about.
For the most part though, the people who play Foxhole are a friendly and amicable bunch who just want to have a fun little war. Some put huge amounts of effort in and some only put in whatever they can. Both ways are perfectly valid and your enjoyment is completely dependent on you and what you want out of it.
It is communicative cooperation. A very sociable game to play (if you want it to be but I highly recommend it) and a rewarding experience for those willing to get stuck in. Just don’t burn yourself out taking it too seriously. As a veteran I can say that it is much more preferable to play silly war games than go to actual war.
While there may be times that it feels like the game isn’t respectful of your time, there is no reason that you need to keep playing if that’s the case. There are thousands of players doing their part and the wars will always be there when you feel like coming back. The issues that prevented you from enjoying it will normally have been ironed out. All in all, Foxhole is a unique and enjoyable experience and very much worth it. A game for £23 that can provide hundreds, if not thousands of hours of enjoyment.
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