Many people associate the phrase “free online shooter” with second-rate games – graphically outdated, with a ruthless donation system. Warface is a bird of a different flight. Crytek has made a small revolution: for the first time we see a shareware game, which in terms of performance is very close to the glossy boxed blockbusters. However, it is important to remember two things.
Their goal was to make a good online shooter on free-to-play rails, which the people of Kiev successfully coped with. Secondly, Warface is at the stage of open beta testing, which means that the developers may still have something to improve upon release. New modes and maps are a real deal. However, the game is doing very well without it – at any time of the day the lobby is full of people.
There are four classes of players in Warface: stormtrooper, engineer, medic, and sniper. Attack aircraft are the main firepower of the detachment, they are the first to rush into battle and cover their comrades with their own breasts. In addition to their versatility (with the correct selection of ammunition, this class is effective at close, medium and long distances), they also play the role of a mobile ammunition box.
The engineers seem to have migrated from the Battlefield series, except that the tanks are not being repaired – the mobile equipment has not been brought into the game. Techies specialize in planting mines and are adept at handling submachine guns. Playing as this class, you have to think strategically, which is incredibly difficult given the frantic pace of matches. Engineers are poorly suited for open combat, their task is to competently analyze the situation, determine the most popular routes of enemies and install claymores there.
The medic, as in all team shooters, heals the wounded and with one defibrillator discharge can lift even a barely living soldier to his feet. Even the graduates of the meads are great with a shotgun, but in remote firefights, especially against several opponents, they are practically useless. If in PvP one can still do without representatives of this class, in PvE they are indispensable: starting a mission even on an average difficulty level without a doctor in the team is very risky.
If you die, there will be no one to lift. This is especially critical in battles with Juggernaut – a strong man, clad in armor. You need someone to distract the big guy while others shoot at his weak point – his back. Only a medic can hit a Juggernaut from any side: metal, as you know, allows electricity to pass well, and a defibrillator is a multifunctional thing.
Snipers are the most controversial class in Warface. On many maps, they simply cannot turn around: there are no convenient positions for shooting, there is nowhere to hide, and at short distances, for obvious reasons, they are of little use.
The game has six types of online battles, most of which are tailored for teamwork. In “Assault”, one side needs to capture three enemy strongpoints, and the other, accordingly, to prevent them. In “Undermining”, the attackers are required to seize three key enemy points one by one, and the defenders must fight off. “Team battle” and “Capture” are the classic Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, respectively (only instead of a flag here you need to steal and deliver missile launch codes to your own base).
In “Destruction” you need to hold a control point in order to call an air strike on the enemy. Spend three of these hits – and you can open the festive champagne. And finally – “Meat grinder”, battles on the principle “every man for himself.” No team interaction, just you and a dozen enemies thirsty for your death.
Much more interesting missions with cooperative passage. There are boss fights, and vehicle escorting, and even a kind of survival mode from Left 4 Dead with crowds of mercenaries instead of zombies. When going through a cooperative, it is important to remember that interaction with colleagues is extremely important here. It is unlikely that it will be possible to break away from the group and act solo. There are many enemies, they kill often, and if, for example, no one chooses a doctor, then the chances of going beyond the first checkpoint are few.
In co-op, Warface is revealed from a completely different side: the game slows down a little (even at a high level of difficulty, you don’t die so often), but team interaction becomes even more important. Computer opponents here are unexpectedly smart – they don’t mark time, suddenly jump out from around the corners and painfully beat them on the head with truncheons.
You have to creep along the ground to hide from snipers, lure enemies into cubicles, where they are welcomed with bread and salt by their comrades, and help friends in difficult times. The absence of at least one representative of each class significantly reduces the chances of winning. At such moments, Warface resembles Syndicate multiplayer – a smart, beautiful and, most importantly, hardcore shooter.
Speaking of joint play, one cannot fail to say one more important thing. Still, the local co-op missions cannot be compared with full-fledged single-coil missions in ordinary shooters. There are no particularly complex plots, beautiful videos and staged scenes here. But as a supplement to multiplayer, the local PvE looks quite fresh, and it’s interesting to play it.
But what one cannot help but find fault with is the tightness of the locations – both in PvP and in PvE. There is less space on the levels here than even in Call of Duty. Opponents literally step on your heels – that’s how the respawn points are located. They don’t live here for a long time, after a minute or a half (unless you are, of course, a sniper) you will have to heart-rendingly call a medic for help.
The maps resemble real labyrinths with dozens of passages. Opponents now and then kill at the most unexpected (and, as usual, inappropriate) moment, jumping out of an inconspicuous hole in the fence. Sometimes there is no breath even at your own base: you will not have time to be reborn, and you have already been killed again. At such moments, curses are thrown off the tongue by themselves.
Only tackles, one of the main innovations of Warface, save from heavy fire. If you press a special button while running, the fighter will fall to the fifth point and travel several meters on it. This simple technique perfectly confuses enemies, makes them smear. Until they come to their senses, you already have time to stuff them with lead.
As the character develops, a new product appears in the local store. It is advisable to update the equipment more often – some items have very useful properties: for example, kevlar gloves speed up reloading, and a reinforced body armor provides more reliable protection.