Red Crucible: Reloaded

When multiplayer first-person shooters are brought up, things get messy really quickly, given the fact that the opinions are so strong. Some prefer simple and to the point games such as Counter-Strike, while others are interested in a more tactical approach like in the Battlefield series. However, there are many other combinations and options out on the market, so it’s difficult to find your way around them as a beginner.

Red Crucible: Reloaded is the sequel to Red Crucible: Firestorm, and although it brings some changes, the game is not that different from the first one. That’s not a huge issue in most cases, but given the fact that the original game was not much of a gem either, it’s a bit of a disappointment to see more of the same. There are some problems with the gameplay mechanics as well.

One of the defining characteristics of the game is the fact that the maps are fairly big and open, which is why vehicles are used to move around. However, the truth of the matter is that they are very clumsy and difficult to operate most of the time, so there’s not much joy involved in the process. While the maps are indeed quite big, they lack personality and they certainly won’t make a lasting impression.

Gunplay is quite obviously a quintessential part of a shooter, but things are not very pink in this regard. Every weapon feels very light and imprecise, regardless of how good of a shot you are, which really takes the fun out of the experience. Even if this is not a triple-A production, there’s no excuse for such poor physics and ballistics in a 2017 game.

Speaking of which, the graphics are very poor as well, which again, should not happen in the era of powerful free engines like Unity and Unreal Engine 4. The lighting is subpar, the textures are washed out, and the level design feels very random at times. There’s also no way to move diagonally by holding two directional keys at once, which is very frustrating to say the least.

Red Crucible: Reloaded appears to be more of a re-release than an actual sequel, given the fact that everything is almost the same as in the original game. However, it’s still free, so there’s no harm in giving it a try and seeing whether this suits you or not.