Fearless and United Guards (abbreviated as FAU-G or FAUG) is an action game developed by Bengaluru based company nCORE Games. It was released worldwide on 26 January 2021 for Android and in March 2021 for iOS. The game has been removed from both Google Play Store and App Store as of 2024.
| FAU-G | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | nCORE Games |
| Publisher(s) | nCORE Games |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Android, iOS |
| Release | 26 January 2021 |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Singleplayer |
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is the brand ambassador of the game and also serves as a mentor to the development process.[1]
Development
editThe game was first announced by Akshay Kumar through his social media accounts on 4 September 2020.[2][3] The CEO of nCore Games, Vishal Gondal said that the game had been under development since May 2020, and that developers had been recruited to develop the game before the Indian ban on PUBG Mobile.[4] Gondal stated that FAU-G would not be competing with PUBG, and that it would not be a battle royale.
Akshay Kumar claimed that the intention of the game was to support the Indian Prime Minister's AtmaNirbhar Bharat Movement,[5][6][3] and that 20% of the net revenue generated from the game would be donated to Bharat Ke Veer trust, an initiative which was implemented as a collaborative effort to support the families of Indian armed forces.[7][3][8]
Release
editThe game was initially scheduled for an autumn release in 2020,[9] and it was eventually released for Android on 26 January 2021,[10][11] and for iOS in March 2021.[12]
Gameplay
editIt features a story mode plotted upon the incidents of the Galwan Valley clash[13] in which the player goes through many close combat fights. Gondal said that FAU-G could incorporate many of India's previous historic border clashes into future episode story lines such as the Kargil incident, the India-Pakistan war of 1971, and the surgical strikes of 2016, among others.[13]
Gondal said, "Once we start getting the data from consumers and what elements they like, we will keep developing the game further. Based on feedback, various modes like a PvP mode and a Battle Royale mode can come to the game in the next few months."[citation needed]
Reception
editOn release, FAU-G received generally mixed-to-negative reviews. The Indian Express gave the game 2 stars of 5, and stated, "good graphics let down by boring gameplay".[14] India Today gave the game 4.5 stars out of 10, and stated, "an incomplete lackluster game that is no PUBG rival".[15] Techradar gave the game 2 stars out five and stated, "FAUG is basic, bland and can hardly be called a game worthy of attention in 2021. While it was rather successful at grabbing the spotlight with the announcement which led to millions of pre-registration, its shoddy content is just a waste of an opportunity."[16] The Hindu gave the game a mixed review with praise for its fluid movement controls, the smooth frame-rate and decent graphics, but criticism for its repetitive game play.[17] India Today gave that game 2 out of 5 stars and stated, "As a starting point, FAU-G is about okay as I was not expecting much from the game. However, the lack of any depth content, functionality, or even experience-wise is the main problem. This clearly seems like a rushed-up job to capitalize on the interest and nationalistic feelings around Republic Day. Though the company has stated that FAU-G is not meant to replace or copy PUBG, inevitable comparisons are bound to happen."[18]
It was also a subject of review bombing from audiences, who compared it unfavorably to other battle royale games like PUBG, but still remained the top downloaded game on Play Store.[19][20] It was the number one game in the 'free games' category on the play store, until after the reviews, it came to 11th position.
Developer's response
editIn response to the criticisms, Vishal Gondal, Founder of nCore Games, stated in a telephone interview with Gadget 360 that, "This is really quite unfortunate. We thought that being an Indian studio, we will receive support and encouragement from people. I can understand we are not five stars, but we are not one star either. I mean, we are somewhere in the middle right now." He called the prevalence of one-star ratings an anomaly.[21]
References
edit- ^ Malhotra, Vanshika (7 September 2020). "Indian PUBG alternative FAU:G game to release in October-end: Know details". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ "Desi PUBG Mobile rival FAU-G to launch soon". The Times of India. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ a b c "FAU-G Game: When will the Indian PUBG Mobile release?". The Indian Express. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "FAU-G release by Oct end; PUBG Mobile ban coincidental: nCore Games' Vishal Gondal". The Indian Express. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ SinhaChaudhury, Krishna (4 September 2020). "Akshay Kumar pushes for FAU-G, an Indian mobile game; developer to donate some revenue to Bharat Ke Veer Trust". Times Now. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "India's answer to PUBG? Akshay Kumar announces the launch of action game FAU-G". The Economic Times. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "India's answer to PUBG? Akshay Kumar announces the launch of action game FAU-G". The Economic Times. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "FAU-G - an alternative to PUBG announced in India, and the meme-fest has begun". Tech2. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ Chakravarti, Ankita (26 October 2020). "FAU-G set to launch in November, teaser shares glimpses of Galwan Valley". India Today. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "FAU-G launch date revealed: New trailer gives glimpse of first episode". The Indian Express. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "FAU-G: Fearless and United Guards Launched for Android, May Take Some Time to Reach All Users". News18. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ Washington, Vineet (26 March 2021). "FAU-G Now Available on App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch". NDTV Gadgets 360. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ a b "FAU-G gets over 1 million pre-registrations in first 24 hours, highest ever in India". indianexpress. 4 December 2020.
- ^ "FAU-G Review: Good graphics let down by boring gameplay". The Indian Express. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Tiwari, Manas (26 January 2021). "FAU-G review: An incomplete, lacklustre game that is no PUBG rival". India Today. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Ray, Bodhisatwa (26 January 2021). "FAUG: Fearless and United Guards review". TechRadar India. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Almeida, Julian (1 February 2021). "'FAU-G' game review: Is this a battle royale, with added masala?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ "FAUG: Fearless, and United Guards Game Review". Indiatoday Gaming. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ "PUBG Fans Bombing FAU-G Reviews on Google Play". NDTV Gadgets 360. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Krishna, Sai (8 February 2021). "FAUG review bomb 'unfortunate', more features launching in next eight months | 91mobiles.com". Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ "FAU-G Ratings Drop Was Unexpected, Says Vishal Gondal". NDTV Gadgets 360. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.