When you think of multiplayer shooters these days, the big names usually come to mind: Call of Duty, Battlefield, or maybe even Apex Legends. But aside from these giants, there are always games trying to go their own way. Enlisted falls exactly into this category. The free-to-play shooter from Darkflow Software, published by Gaijin Entertainment (yes, the War Thunder guys), throws you right into the big battles of World War II – and in a way that pleasantly sets itself apart from the competition. But is it actually any good? Let’s take a look in my review.
Atmosphere and Gameplay – right in the middle instead of just watching
What immediately sets Enlisted apart from other shooters is its approach of not just sending you onto the battlefield as a lone soldier, but with an entire squad. You don’t just control your own character, you can also switch between the members of your squad. If one dies, you take over the next. That way, you really feel like part of a bigger army instead of Rambo on a solo mission.
The matches are on a large scale: tanks roll across fields, planes thunder overhead, and you fight your way with your squad through houses, trenches, and forests. What’s especially impressive is how authentic the weapons are. From the sluggish reload of a carbine to the rattling fire of a machine gun – it all feels weighty.
However, this focus on realism also has its downside: you die incredibly quickly. A couple of bullets and you’re down in the dirt. For fans of fast arcade shooters, that can be frustrating. But if you enjoy a more tactical approach, this is where the fun begins.
Progression and Fairness – here’s where it gets tricky
Since Enlisted is a free-to-play game, you can already guess: progression doesn’t come easy. You have to train your soldiers, unlock new weapons, and keep upgrading your squad. That sounds exciting at first, but in practice it can quickly turn into a grind. Especially in the beginning, you often feel like cannon fodder for players who already have much better-equipped squads.
Of course, there’s the option to speed things up with real money – skins, premium accounts, and so on are naturally part of the business model. But unfortunately, that also creates a certain imbalance. Players who spend money progress much faster. And over time, that can be annoying when you constantly feel like you’re just playing catch-up.
Another point that divides opinions: the game is split into campaigns, each representing different battles of World War II (Normandy, Moscow, Berlin, etc.). That sounds cool, since it gives you different settings and weapons. But in practice, it means you can’t just carry your progress over globally – you have to start over almost from scratch in each campaign. That feels a bit confusing in the long run.
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Technology and Presentation – solid, but not perfect
Visually, Enlisted makes a decent impression. Sure, it doesn’t look as spectacular as a Battlefield with its massive budget, but the maps are nicely detailed, the weapon models look realistic, and the soundscape really adds to the atmosphere. When a tank explodes right next to you or an MG fires off in the building next door, it feels pretty intense.
Performance overall is stable, though there are the occasional small stutters – especially when a lot happens at once. On the positive side: the system requirements are moderate, so even players without the newest hardware can enjoy the game.
The bots in the squad are a bit more annoying. They’re supposed to give you the feeling of being part of a real unit, but sometimes they just run around like headless chickens and quickly become cannon fodder. You can tell the AI still has room for improvement. Smaller bugs like weird hitboxes or animation glitches also pop up now and then. Nothing gamebreaking, but still annoying when it happens at the wrong moment.
A lot of potential with some stumbles
All in all, Enlisted is a really interesting concept. It combines realistic battles, teamwork, and historical authenticity into an experience you won’t find in other shooters. The squad mechanic is unique, the battles feel epic, and once you get into it, you can really hit that flow.
On the other hand, there are also weaknesses: progression is grind-heavy, the balance suffers from the free-to-play model, and the AI of your squad members could definitely be smarter. Even though the graphics are solid, you can tell the game didn’t have a blockbuster budget.
For anyone who wants to try something different from the usual mainstream shooters, Enlisted is definitely worth a look. But if you’re expecting a fully polished game with instantly satisfying gameplay, you might end up a bit disappointed. Did you enoy my review? I’m happy about your feedback in the comments below.
