Powered by the Unreal Engine 3, with all the associated lighting, physics, and animation, Parabellum stole the hearts and minds of hardcore and new gamers alike at this years Austin Game Developers Convention.

The free-to-play, micro transaction based Parabellum features two distinct game play modes: a team deathmatch, and non-linear campaigns.  Based on fast gameplay, one non-linear campaign pits a player (and four other counter-terrorist teammates) against the clock with just 10 minutes to locate and disarm a nuclear weapon in NYC.  Of course it’s not a simple walk in (central) park, as a number of battle tactics will need to be implored along the way.  If this sounds a bit like Counter-Strike, you’re spot on, as it’s intended to be.

Developed by Acony and distributed in the US by K2, Parabellum sets out to keep the campaigns short and the action long.  Each campaign gameplay should last between 10 and 40 minutes, with the map list varying depending on which campaign you’ve chosen to tackle.  These short play format campaigns were the Acony goal since the inception of Parabellum.  Keep the rounds short to keep players interested and engaged all the while providing a congruent and cohesive experience.  Combine that with no up front fees, minimal system requirements; a mere 2GHz P4 and 512 RAM, and a whole lotta customization and Acony is poised to have a sure fire winner on it’s hands.

Speaking of in game customization, Acony doesn’t stop short with a few tweaks here and there.  Even at it’s pre-launch phase players can customize their Parabellum experience with:

• Player uploaded battle music (I highly recommend Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyries)
• Turning off in game advertising
• Clan logos
• Two hundred available character costume customizations with many more planned for post launch.  Players will be able to customize individual pieces of their character, weapon, and equipment, thereby making it easier to identify friends and foes in a hectic battlefield.
• And a whole lot more ‘undisclosed’ content

Not to leave bragging rights out in the cold, Parabellum also features a full-fledged Web Portal where players can check stats including headshots and kill counts, accuracy, who took the most damage, and more.

Acony is quick to point out that any microtransactions features are designed to provide a customization to the game, and NOT provide an unfair balance to players with large gWallets.  Weapons mods such as scopes and silencers will not be available via microtransactions, but must be earned via experience and level.

Acony’s Founder, Frank Trigub sees Parabellum to be a mix of the pace of Counter-Strike, the social and customizations of an MMO, and a business model that fuels continued development and collaboration with the playing community.  Trigub nails the microtransacion business model on the head when he speaks of a game with no financial barrier to entry, the road to profit lies in listening to exactly what your customers want, and turning these changes on a dime.  Acony has made its commitment to Parabellum very real with a scheduled 5-year development plan.  This certainly indicates that Parabellum is no flash in the pan, here today, gone tomorrow title.

For quite a long while, we’ve heard the, “Free-to-play’s just don’t match the quality that you find in a subscription game” argument.  With Acony’s Parabellum and EA’s Battlefield Heroes, perhaps these intriguing free-to-play shooters are the new wave of the genre, finally putting this age-old conception to rest?