F2PMeter: Is Planetside 2 Truly Free to Play?

March 12, 2015 10:25 ( Articles, F2P News ) 1

Our F2PMeter is back, and today it will put Planetside 2 to the test.This free to play MMOFPS takes players to Auraxis, a world at war in which they must join one of the three available factions and fight to capture and defend key territories.

It features amazing graphics and a huge world but... is truly free to play? We'll see. Remember that games start with a 100% of free-to-play-ness, and that % will vary depending on the answers to the questions.

Let's begin.

No. Planetside 2 allows players to sign up for an account, download the game and start playing without charging anything.

Yes (optional) – -15%. In addition to the F2P option, there are also recurring SOE All Access memberships with varying duration and prices ranging from $9.99/ €8.99 to $14.99/ €13.99 available for Planetside 2. Subscribers benefit from additional character slots, additional custom loadouts, marketplace discounts, boosts on XP/ resource gains and more.

No. For the time being, all updates to Planetside 2 have been free of charge and there’s no reason to suppose that this might change in the future.

Yes – -5%. The Station Cash marketplace in PS2 enables players to buy a huge selection of convenience items, including additional character slots and extra saved loadouts, cosmetic and vanity items, such as helmets, camouflage, vehicle underlights, etc., as well as experience boosts.

No. Most of the items exclusively available for paying players obviously only serve time-serving, aesthetical customisation or convenience purposes without providing customers with any gameplay advantages. All weapons and vehicles that players are able to spend money/ Station Cash on can also be unlocked by simply playing the game, which admittedly will take quite some time.

No. There aren’t any additional UI customisation options available which could be unlocked by paying money.

Yes. There are no restrictions in place, meaning that players can freely choose which of the three empires (factions) to join and which of the six available classes to play as.

No. Due to its nature, Planetside 2 doesn’t feature any auction house; trade between players simply doesn’t take place.

Yes – -10%. An inventory in the stricter sense of the term is pretty much inexistent. Instead, each character has recourse to initially two loadouts, with two additional ones to be unlocked when increasing in level (rank). Subscribers are granted three extra loadouts for each of their characters; more are available for purchase with Station Cash only.

Yes. When it comes to access to specific zones, players aren’t restricted in any way and can freely access any location in the massive in-game world.

No. Any player is able to enjoy the entire game, including everything that might be considered as end-game content, for absolutely free and without any restrictions.

Yes – +10%. Despite the option of making purchases with real-world money or even benefiting from the bonuses and perks granted by a subscription, Planetside 2 ultimately appears to be pretty fair, not forcing players to take out their wallet in order to be competitive. The game is designed in a way that skill and teamwork are far more important than having the most expansive weapon and cash obviously can’t buy any direct advantage over non-paying users.