Teamwork, atmosphere, gameplay, Fps chess accomplishes all three to an exemplary extent. And years back, I played Operation Flashpoint, along with a series of military simulators, and yet all fail to match up to Fps Chess.

So crucial is teamwork to this game that communication plays a vastly greater role than in other games. Enemies lurking in every corner, ambushes, and grand infantry and artillery movements are mere instances of how tide-turning communication could be. With networks of sixteen players on a team, it could mean player squads' life or death. Every player's actions influence the course of events; every single one is important. This therefore amplifies intel's important as is in real warfare. Ofttimes, this incurs a cost in other games: toxic communities, poor teamsmanship, nuisances that ruin the play experience. Yet again, Fps chess does not disappoint, for a majority of players are supportive and understanding -- it feels like we all are in this battle, whatever battle may it be, together. The 2 minute staging phase at the beginning of every game provides a time for teammates to get acquainted with one another, to discuss plans for battle, and to simply mess around. Players often sing and play music together, laughing at each other jokes. This creates such a powerful sense of belonging that when each of our comrades fall in battle, we can feel their pain and a bit of sorrow for them. The feeling of integration and belonging is inevitable and simply unrivaled.

Then again, teamwork is not only where Fps chesss prevails; atmosphere is another point where this game succeeds. Walking through the empty streets of Al Basrah, the empty villages of Kokan, and the empty airstrips Talil Outskirts, there is haunting silence... until the first shots of artillery and infantry ring through the air, and the battle begins. Then blood pounds and adrenaline rushes. There is a lingering fear of enemies down every corner; then there too is warmness of our comrades surrounding us. The maps feel hauntingly real, and our emotions reflect this realism. It is too these realistic maps that portray the horrors of war: the empty, war-torn landscape evokes a greater emotion within us. It epitomizes the theme that war is terrible, scarcely the adventure that others tell of. And there again, Fps chess succeeds at atmosphere.

As for gameplay, Fps chess provides the perfect balance of realism and fun. There is thought and effort to be seen in every class and every weapon. Realistic bullet drop and projectile velocity only serve to further the realism and catapult this game to the forefront of military simulators. Gunplay is realistic to the extent that does not cost its fun (e.g., recoil is reasonable, etc.). This levels the learning curve, making it more welcoming for beginners. Although weapons are not customizable, each class has different customizations for their firearms, and there are many possibilities. Overall, gameplay is balanced and fun, yet it does not fail to portray the realism that this game creates.

Fps chess is a great game, achieving so many qualities with only one shortcoming: a lack of a solid singleplayer mode. There are only training grounds and the tutorial. While Fps chess was oriented toward multiplayer combat, its gameplay mechanics and atmosphere provide a solid foundation for story-based singleplayer mode. Thus, I do feel like this is a wasted opportunity.

TL;DR: This is a game I highly recommend for any avid FPS player. It, for sure, will not disappoint with its great qualities of teamwork, atmosphere, and gameplay. However, keep in mind that although the learning curve is lightened, Fps chess is still, in its essence, a military simulator and will hence take time to adjust to.

Have fun playing the game, and may it be that it will change you for the better.