Recent reviews by fozilla mirefox

This game has issues with some users where it will not run properly unless you limit the number of cores that is dedicated to the game. The game will consistently freeze/crash after 1-2 minutes in game and you must force close the process if it doesn't do it for you. This seems to be more of an issue if you have more than 8 cores. It is playable when you limit the system to less than 4 cores, but this ruins frametimes and results in the game stuttering constantly. This can get pretty annoying in a game where precise aim is almost all of the challenge.

Nice game to chill out with, there are some shortcomings like the G-Meter being worn down when you are on rocks. I think it would make a lot more sense to have it named as a stamina or strength meter, since impacts AND rough surfaces wear it down. I have plenty of fun with friends in it.

I believe my opinion of the game has changed. I think that now is probably a good time to buy the game, but I would still recommend waiting for a sale. The game has some issues, mostly related to NWI using Unreal. But it is still a fun game.

TLDR: This game is NOT realistic. Don't listen to anyone that tells you that. This game is a tactical, class-based, arcade FPS with hardcore mechanics. It is based on fictional conflicts in the Middle East. It is a twitch shooter where your survival is based on map knowledge and getting the drop on other players. If you like fast-paced first person shooters with extreme punishment for mistakes, give this a try. Make sure your PC is up to the task since this game has some optimization issues.

The attention to detail, audio design, and high-quality weapon customization all are amazing. The gameplay is (in my opinion) flawed and actively encourages spawn camping waves of respawning players. This has been around since Modern Combat, Insurgency 2, and Day of Infamy. This is because of the fast TTK and twitch shooter mechanics. Cooperative is the way I (and the majority of players) have fun in this game. Wave spawns mean that is extremely rewarding to wait near or have a clear line of sight to the enemy spawn with a weapon that can wipe all or almost all of an entire wave. Experience in the game tells you to wait so that you aren't part of the wave that gets killed, but a large group of your team in a casual match is going to be wiped.

Mentioning Coop also brings up how little content it was at launch given compared to the previous games. There are several variations of the singular gamemode, Checkpoint. Checkpoint is an offensive gamemode in which the players take objectives from the AI in a linear order. This order never changes or randomizes, making the mode very repetitive.

EDIT: Outpost, a defense style gamemode was added. It is basically a reverse Checkpoint. Wave based point defense with a twist. You start with no equipment but 2 credits for a rifle or handgun. I had fun with this gamemode, but on open maps with lots of teammates, you can spawn kill the bots very easily. Some maps should probably be changed up a bit to limit lines of sight to spawns (especially Hillside point A and B). They put so much effort into doing this for PVP, why not also Outpost?

They have updated the bots, which I can say does feel much better to fight against now. They are more consistent than they were before. The bots still have a ridiculous detection system which will allow them to pinpoint you through walls if you make noise. I'm not saying they shouldn't hear noise, but if they hear you once they can track you through walls until you are visible. They also can see through small gaps in models which cause a small bit of frustration.

The visuals aren't the greatest, and I preferred the style used in the Source Engine. All of the colors in this game are a mix of different shades of tan. The environment and the setting are the cause of this, but it wasn't as much of a problem in Ins2 with maps like Peak, Heights, Verticality, Ministry, and Embassy helping to mix up the colors with Afghani forests, Snowy peaks, or CQ Interiors. Ministry and Sinjar in Sandstorm look great and are a turn in the right direction.

EDIT: Tell, a remake of the map of the same name from Source was added. Tell reintroduces the dense, urban environments from Source. The colors of the map feel a bit off, but that's not something I should really complain about. As much as I hate to say it, this is a map that should have looked more like the others.

But the worst problem of all is optimization. The game is hit or miss hardware-wise. I have a Ryzen 2700x and a GTX 1080 and the game runs poorly at anything above medium settings, especially higher shadows. Inconsistent frame rates and stuttering out the wazoo. Without Shadows or Ambient Occlusion all of the colors melt into this big tan mess, but it is the only way I can get a frame rate above 60. In some parts of the maps I get 120 FPS, but looking in other directions drop it to 70. Making the game look half decent makes these values lower, with lows of 30 frames. And the stuttering makes it so that fluid aiming is a pain. The game freezing for a few milliseconds is enough to make the game feel choppy. Not to mention that large amounts of bots being active or spawning at once can be a pretty big hit to performance.

NWI definitely learned from Day of Infamy's customization. Not only does Sandstorm do it better, but it also got rid of the ridiculous grind. They have recently begun adding cosmetics that I find odd, such as bright red and blue camos that don't feel natural in the game. It feels very weird to fight these bots who look like they are wearing pajamas. They should tone this down. I believe that, since launch, the art direction of character models has taken a turn for the worse. I'm not sure if the game actually knows what conflict it wants to commit to, tonally.

The community has the same problems of mic-spammers, trolls, and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ admins that the games have always had. I have played on some of these "slow-play" servers which will kick players who capture objectives without telling the admins on the server beforehand. I had 3 other players on the point with me when one of the admins started telling me to get off the point, and then kicked me when we captured it. I assume the other players were kicked as well. (This server didn't even have slow play in the title, and no rules on the connection screen.)

The game does a pretty good job of emulating Insurgency 2's feel and gameplay. I preferred Insurgency 2 and would recommend that game much more than this one, but I think this game has the potential to get better given time.

DEATH CAM and CONSOLE RELEASE EDIT:

Since it seems to be a heated topic, the death cam seems worth mentioning. Now when you are killed, the game points your camera towards the foe that killed you, instead of the camera dropping to the floor. Personally, if this is the hill that some of these so-called hardcore fans of the series are willing to die on, then let them. This is a minor change meant to change the toxic "strategy" of sitting in one hidden spot the whole game and picking off players until you are found. So many of these people claiming that the game has a basis in "realistic" gameplay have got their heads on backward when they ignore all the unrealistic aspects of the series. The death cam is a turn to casualization, true, but it's not like this game isn't already an arcade shooter with twitch mechanics like CS and Rainbow Six.

I will update when the console release brings with it the much-needed optimization and AI changes. That's what this game needs most at this point.

I know that NWI wants to bring this game to console, but I don't think they knew what they were getting themselves into. I'm pretty confident this game will never release on Xbox One and PS4. If it did, I would be shocked. If two years of delaying the release wasn't evidence enough that NWI and their porting partners don't know what they are doing, then I don't know what will convince you. Even if it did release, I doubt it would have parity with PC. It would likely fall to the wayside of PC since that is where the community of this game resides. So many decisions that stunted the growth and community of this game will have been for naught when this game never launches on console.