Review: Beyond the Wire

Developer – Redstone Interactive

Publisher – Offworld Industries

Platforms – PC

A few years since the release of Battlefield 1, we finally have two World War 1 shooters hitting the market simultaneously. Beyond the Wire has launched out of early access, and the developers at Redstone Interactive have polished their shooter. For over a decade, Battlefield and games like Red Orchestra have locked down the massive multiplayer scene, but this game is a fun but flawed departure from established shooters.

The focus on 50 vs. 50 action emphasizes grounded and often brutal combat. Everybody knows World War 1 by now, but the trench warfare on display here is a bit more visceral than most other titles tackling this genre.

Helping Beyond the Wire come to life are the great visuals. Great models and animations help sell the atmosphere across every mode. Every gun looks excellent, and more importantly, the power of each shot is seen and felt every time you use them. Melee combat and parry systems make this an aspect of the war that most other games in this period seem to forget. It can be a bit laggy based on the server, but it’s a welcome addition to the shooter space.

Multiplayer features a 100-person player count, with 50 vs. 50 team-based rounds in various communities and dedicated servers. Beyond the Wire doesn’t feature AI or bots of any kind, and this is, unfortunately, the primary issue with the game. In my time, I’ve only been able to play one full 50 vs. 50 matches, which took a couple of hours of legwork to set up and join.

Without any PVE modes or a steady player base, a multiplayer-only shooter lives and dies off the players in the game. This is unfortunate, as Beyond the Wire has elements that push it above similar games released, but nobody can experience it for themselves if nobody is online.

Tanks are a fun addition but can become oppressive if a team is protecting theirs well and your team does not. Various technical bugs pop up, especially if the server has high latency. The lack of radar or kill cams lent themselves to campers, and more than one of my play sessions had a couple of cheaters present. These issues can be ironed out, but a new player base may be tougher to find. I suggest finding community Discords for Beyond the Wire and playing with the community.

If you can do the legwork, Beyond the Wire is a fun shooter that is worth the trouble to get some good games in.