User:NegativeMP1/Frontlines (Roblox)

Frontlines (stylized as FRONTLINES) is a 2023 first-person shooter video game developed by MAXIMILLIAN on the video game and game development platform Roblox for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, and Xbox One. The game takes inspiration from 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and features two teams of up to seven players competing for the highest score in a ten minute match using a variety of customizable guns and gadgets to defeat the other team or complete other objectives such as capturing a zone. The game features a skill system, allowing players to give themselves advantages in combat, such as health regeneration.

Frontlines has been acclaimed by players on the Roblox platform and has caught the attention of numerous gaming publications as well as Roblox Corporation themselves. It has been considered to have "revolutionized the Roblox platform" and was nominated during the Roblox Innovation Awards as a result. It has since been compared to releases such as 2022's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II by numerous publications.

Development
While the game began development in 2019 with a team of five people, the first public look at Frontlines came on November 10, 2021 in the form of a teaser trailer posted by a developer, showcasing the graphics. This teaser trailer would be acknowledged by Roblox itself on Twitter. On February 2, 2022, a game play demo was showcased by the same developer, which would lead into a demo version releasing on February 22 of the same year that lasted for a few weeks. Both the demo video and demo release became vastly popular, sparking positive reception from critics and Roblox players.

The full game was released a year later on February 23, 2023 with four maps and four game modes. In an interview with Pocket Gamer shortly after the games release, developer and director Clarence Maximillian stated that Frontlines was initially inspired by the 2009 video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but in the future would be reworked to incorporate collaborations with celebrities and music albums into the games style. He also assured the goals of making sure devices up to '10-15 years old' would be able to play the game seamlessly.

Promotional events
The game was part of a Roblox collaboration with metal band Metallica in April 2023 for the launch of the album 72 Seasons. During the collaboration, players were able to earn in-game Roblox merchandise and badges (the Roblox equivalent of achievements), with players being able to earn a Roblox t-shirt in Frontlines, specifically. The in-game music was replaced with music from the album 72 Seasons for the event.

Also in April 2023, the game collaborated with music label Lucid Monday and numerous artists for the launch party of Issue 05 of the Lucid Monday magazine. At the launch party, the game was played by artist F1LTHY. The event was sponsored by Razer.

Gameplay
The gameplay of Frontlines consists of two teams of up to seven players competing for the highest score in a ten minute match or to reach a specific point. Every player can customize their load out of various weapons and gadgets with a variety of different attachments. The game also features a skill system, allowing players to choose up to three of various advantages for themselves in battle, such as gaining health regeneration upon kills.

The game features four different game modes with their own way of earning points. These four games modes are Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed (Team Deathmatch with the requirement of collecting enemy 'tags'), King of the Hill, and Domination (King of the Hill with three different zones).

Frontlines also features a leveling system where the player can unlock newer weapons, attachments, gadgets, and skills. These items can alternatively purchased with an in game currency, also earned via leveling or can instead be purchased with Robux, the currency of the Roblox platform. The leveling system has been controversial amongst players, with some considering it too slow to unlock items. Various additional mechanics include sliding, an enemy radar, and 'tactical sprinting'.

Release and reception
Initial responses to the release of the demo version were positive and the game received the attention of gaming publications and amassed a large player base quickly. Responses towards the graphics and game play were overwhelmingly positive and were the primary focus of media coverage, with many stating that it "revolutionized the Roblox platform". However, some criticisms from critics and players alike were drawn towards the leveling system, which many have considered to be too slow. The game within a week of release had 3,000-6,000 average concurrent players.

The game has been praised by gaming publications, who have compared it to releases such as Call of Duty and Battlefield, with some considering it a 'clone'. Kotaku Australia and GameRevolution praised the game for revolutionizing the Roblox platform. VideoGamer.com and Jeuxvideo.com directly compared the game to 2022's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and praised it. In an interview with VentureBeat, Wagner James Au, a Metaverse journalist, stated that the game was "visually indistinguishable" from Call of Duty. Members of FaZe Clan praised the game for similar reasons.

From Roblox itself, the game was nominated for Best Use of Tech at the 2022 Roblox Innovation Awards, but lost to puzzle game Tunneler. Roblox itself would acknowledge the game once more upon its release, stating on Twitter that the game pushed the boundaries of the platform, but was "only the beginning".