At the time of writing, though, much remains to be seen: micro-transactions for real-world currency have yet to be implemented in the European Combat Arms, which went from open beta to official launch in mid-January, six months after the American launch.Ĭombat Arms joins other free-to-play titles set in a comparable modern warfare context, such as War Rock and the controversial US army 'recruitment' tool, America's Army.

Combat Arms - a Counter-Strike-style multiplayer FPS from the Korean pioneers of the freebie MMO, Nexon - gives the impression that it's going to be reasonably tolerable, more Windsor Davis than R Lee Ermey. They manage this with varying degrees of subtlety. Most notably the fact that, inevitably, the games will encourage you to get out your wallet and pay through 'micro-transactions'. Then, of course, there are the aspects of free-to-play games that cause that suspicion. Although you might well be suspicious of so-called 'free-to-play' gaming, there are some aspects of it you just can't argue with.

Who made combat arms classic