We can put this out there, front and center: Gamers who enjoy historically accurate WW2 battles in the form of large-scale, massively multiplayer shooters will likely see Enlisted as an absolute triumph. This type of player has high standards, as the genre has seen its fair share of games across the last decade. The detailed scenarios in Enlisted typically meet and exceed the valued checklist of gritty realism, rich gameplay variety, and tight combat mechanics and battle physics that players demand. Gameplay evokes a strong motivation to get right back into the next match. Importantly, it’s also a free-to-play game that provides new players with a generous experience.

 

As mentioned, Enlisted places a strong emphasis on moment-to-moment gameplay variety, empowering players to experiment with different combat roles and find their preferred niche in the middle of the action. To this end, players are free to jump between different soldier classes in a large controllable squad as the match unfolds. Dozens of units pack any given combat zone with organized chaos, and if you focus on the infantry ground game you’ll have an active AI squad all to your own - with the unique ability to spawn into a particular class as you advance and gain ground.

 

 

For example, you could be a machine gunner forcing a successful rush to overtake an enemy artillery bunker, take one for the team in the process, then respawn into a flamethrower infantry unit on the same squad and fire-scatter the remaining defenders making a last ditch attempt to hold the broken line. It’s a thrilling cadence of real-time roleplaying - capturing actual WW2 combat roles - and full squad management. And keep in mind, that’s just a slice of Enlisted’s extensive “boots on the ground” facet, with a host of additional gameplay variety available to players via the game’s awesome Tank Crew and Bomber Pilot roles.

 

It’s also worth noting that as you engage in battles using these distinct combat roles (among 12 specialist classes), like any online multiplayer shooter worth its salt, you will also be gaining XP and fortifying the capabilities of a particular unit. This progression system can affect each and every member of your controllable infantry squad, and also applies to the aforementioned Tank and Aircraft roles. You’ll build up several core stats like health, durability, and carrying capacity, along with specific perks to enhance a given combat class.

 

This training will help to equip your squad with increasingly more efficient weapons and gear. Better backpacks, superior ammo and grenade pouches, better performing SMGs, artillery, landmines, anti-tank ordnance - you name it. Those 12 unique combat classes will benefit from a superior armory and customized stats to mature into a well-oiled killing force after you’ve given them the experience of several hard-fought battles.

 

 

As you might expect, leaning into a few specific areas could supercharge some specializations towards a unique type of approach to combat, so after you’ve experienced a few battles and have a better feel for your strengths, you can focus progression on a playstyle that suits you best, and (ideally) yields the best results. The game also provides Battle Tasks and Missions during a match to give players smaller tasks for XP, resulting in a constant flow of mini-achievements and perk advancement as the battle proceeds.

 

Okay, let’s get back to the vehicle roles. If joining a tank crew spikes your interest, it’s well-worth investigating this powerful mechanized gameplay in Enlisted. Similar to the entertaining squad spawning scenario we detailed above, you can spawn directly into one of these armored behemoths mid-battle as a crew member, perhaps operating a key gunner position, or as the driver, plowing across the combat zone to bust small outposts or merge with a deadly flanking force to ambush enemy forces.

 

If you prefer a grand bird’s eye overview of these escalating clashes, jumping into a bomber’s cockpit might be your ideal calling in Enlisted. The context is World War II historical conflicts in Moscow, Tunisia, Normandy, and Berlin, and prop-plane classics are the staple of the period, so a pilot’s life wasn’t exactly low-risk, high-altitude precision bombing comfort.

 

 

The skies of Enlisted will be lit up with anti-aircraft munitions and tracer fire, your bombing objectives rarely assured, and the opposing team’s pilots may be more interested in an aerial dogfighting ballet than supporting their ground forces. Basically, you could be feeling the heat shortly after take-off. Developer Darkflow Software has imbued the game with intuitive action controls, however, so effective aerial combat (including ammo re-stocking fly-by runs) should feel second nature to pilots after only a handful of matches. Plus, there's an opportunity to skill-up your flight prowess thanks to the game’s progression system.

 

Leveraging the latest version of the powerful Dagor Engine, Enlisted introduced an impressive Dynamic Weather system in one of its many recent game updates. Indeed, the game can boast commendable ongoing support and new feature releases. In short, Enlisted is easy to recommend to massive-scale military shooter fans, and the game’s free access means you can give it a shot on PC right now - no strings attached. Publisher Gaijin Entertainment has a solid track record for long term game support, so you can get into Enlisted now and be fairly certain it has many years of explosive action ahead of it.