14 DAY TRIAL // Even before launching Crysis 3, German developer Crytek made clear its intention to focus on the free-to-play segment. One of its forays into this genre is Warface, a multiplayer first-person shooter that has already gained traction in territories like Russia.
Now, after a period of closed beta, Warface has entered open beta all around the world, allowing anyone to sign up for an account via the Gface social service.
After completing the registration and downloading the initial files, you can use the service to choose the gameplay mode – Co-Op or Versus – and then browse for actual servers and matches.
First up, as you can see in the gameplay video above, I went with a Co-Op match and, while I was paired with just one person out of a maximum of four, the game handled pretty well in terms of balance. The actual shooting was solid and the maps were relatively varied although a bit on the linear side.
Unfortunately, playing co-op feels a bit like a shooting gallery, as the targets appear in big numbers from a single location most of the times, leading to a clown car effect. The objectives were also a bit bland and there wasn't that big of an emphasis on the cooperative moves you can pull off, such as climbing tall ledges.
In the competitive mode, things also respect the classic multiplayer shooter tradition, especially since I was placed into a Team Deathmatch game.
The map was quite balanced, managing to keep from advantaging one team or the other in terms of layout. The action was quite intense, especially once you start pulling off sprints and slides on the ground in order to surprise foes.
Unfortunately, while there are four different classes, including a special medic, not a lot of players opt for the medics. This means that, when you die, instead of waiting to see if a medic will come to your aid, it's probably better to just press a button and respawn in your own base.
Graphics-wise, Warface looks pretty impressive, especially when playing on high and with all the settings kicked up to the maximum.
In terms of sound, things aren't that intriguing, as the background music isn't interesting while the character taunts repeat themselves quite often.
Overall, Warface is a fun free-to-play shooter that allows for varied experiences. It does, however, require a bit of patience and time in order to really allow you to access its best features and better weapons.
Check out the gameplay video above.