There is no question that the Call of Duty franchise has been incredibly popular over the years, with each new entry in the series becoming available for download on various platforms almost immediately after release.
The franchise takes inspiration from a variety of sources – primarily the Battle Royale genre and its rich history, as well as shooters like Ensemble Studios’ own Wolfenstein 3D series – and builds upon this basis to create something unique and entertaining. Aesthetically, the games are often breathtaking, with each new entry in the series being a glorious culmination of many years of technological advancement and innovation in gaming.
It comes as no surprise, then, that developer and publisher Activision would want to cash in on this trend and create a battle royale mode for its own most famous IP. And while it’s easy to see how this mode could become stale after so long (the idea behind the genre was simply to eliminate the weakest player alive), it seems that Activision has really outdone itself with CSGO Lockerz.
This unique twist on the battle royale genre gives players the opportunity to use their real-life funds to participate in some pretty amazing Halloween-themed shenanigans. As well as acting as an entertaining distraction from the stresses of daily life, players can use the game’s currency, CSGO Lockerz, to purchase cosmetic items and special weapons for their characters.
The Basics
You’ll need to have a working knowledge of how to play CSGO in order to take part in the action. If you’re looking for a no-frills, pick-up-and-play game, you might want to look elsewhere – or at least, prepare to spend some dedicated learning time. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a game that’s as close to being skill-based as possible, then CSGO is the one for you.
The Game
As mentioned, the idea behind CSGO Lockerz is to utilize real-life funds to purchase items that can be used within the game. This is pretty much the antithesis of traditional battle royale games, where you’d use in-game currency – usually either a premium currency or a combination of gems and gold packs – to purchase upgrades and equipment in order to improve your odds of surviving the competition. In CSGO Lockerz, you use your real-life funds to purchase items that can only be used within the game. This introduces a level of strategy that wasn’t present before and adds an extra layer of interactive content for players (and even more opportunities for scamming and cheating).
This is also where the game’s primary drawcard lies; the idea of utilizing actual funds to purchase items that can be used within the game is a clever twist that makes for some fascinating gameplay. It also provides an additional layer of excitement for those looking to play the game on a cash basis.
The Community
While most battle royale games draw their inspiration from elsewhere, namely the Battle Royale genre and its rich history, the fact that CSGO Lockerz incorporates elements of many different games – ranging from Hearthstone to Diablo – means that it has the potential to appeal to an audience that’s bigger than just those who play the game.
In addition to being an interesting mix of genres, the game also incorporates many interesting mechanics that haven’t been seen before – such as the purchase of wagers that allow users to affect the outcome of the game – and this, too, could prove to be a selling point for audiences that weren’t already sold on the basis of the game’s unusual setting and premise.
The sheer volume of content that’s available for download from within the game’s official forums also shows how engaged and interactive the CSGO community is – with users regularly posting gameplay tips and helpful advice, as well as engaging in a variety of other discussions around the game.
Betting
One of the more interesting aspects of CSGO Lockerz is how it handles betting – providing players with the opportunity to wager on the results of games and influence the outcome through a variety of mechanisms. It’s unclear whether all of these bets actually affect the final results of players’ games, but the opportunity to do this certainly adds an extra element of strategy and planning to the game – and, as mentioned, money is one of the game’s major themes.
The Goods
It’s always nice when a game offers something new and exciting and doesn’t just rehash ideas that have been done before. That being said, there are some clear advantages that CSGO Lockerz has over other battle royale games that were released around the same time. First and foremost, the items that you can purchase with real-life funds – and the unique weapons and armor that these funds can buy you – are of fantastic quality and look fantastic when worn by the character models within the game. The icing on the cake is that these items can only be used within the game, so you don’t have to worry about your in-game items breaking or wearing out.
Customization
While the items that you can purchase with real-life funds in CSGO Lockerz are generally excellent, they lack that extra little customization element that most gamers enjoy within this type of game. If you’re looking to increase your odds of surviving, you can wear helmets, vests, and ghillie suits – as well as lots of camouflage and tinted eyewear – to completely change your character’s appearance. This could prove to be an interesting way to personalize your gameplay experience and make it that little bit more exciting.
Overall
Overall, it’s a great game and one that has the potential to evolve with time as more people get involved in the discussions around it. At this point in its life cycle, however, it’s still a relatively minor title in terms of overall popularity and exposure – probably best known for its unique premise, which has made it a topic of interest for those who want to play the game on a cash basis, as well as an interesting mix of genres that could attract a lot of attention from a variety of gamers. If you’re curious about playing CSGO Lockerz, you can download the game from Android’s Google Play Store or the Apple App Store – for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices – or visit the game’s website to get the Windows version.