If you're into Battlefield-like massive warfare 1st-person shooters with tanks, helicopters, armored vehicles, and weaponry, then maybe direct your gaze toward the upcoming free to play Delta Force: Hawk Ops. BF 2042 was such a letdown, so perhaps this one will have the chops to fill that large-scale battle void. However, there is a catch that could represent a bad omen.
Initially launched in 1998, Delta Force on Windows PCs was a tactical first-person shooter. Sadly, it didn't feature Chuck Norris because you can't catch lightning in a bottle. But do you know who can? Exactly, Chuck Norris! And guess what; he doesn't even need a bottle.
The press received Delta Force well. It got an 8.7 from IGN, a 9.1 on Gamespot, an 8/10 from CNET Gamecenter, and 89% from PC Gamer (US). On the GameRankings aggregator, which later became part of today's Metacritic, it ended up with an 80% score.
Not too shabby overall. It spawned the Delta Force 2 sequel and some spinoffs, including a multiplayer version, but the series died out in the early 2000s. Now, however, Chinese developer TiMi Studio Group, owned by Tencent, is bringing Delta Force back to life. Only this time, it's mainly focused on modern large-scale multiplayer battles featuring 20 to 64 players, not unlike Battlefield 2042.
It's modern in a sense, because the action takes place in the not-so-distant future of 2035. There will be three main gameplay modes: Hazard Operations, Havoc Warfare, and Black Hawk Down.
Photo: TiMi Studio Group
The first of the bunch is a tactical cooperative adventure, pitting three players at a time against enemy AI. Upon completing your objective, you must go to an extraction point. All of this sounds a lot like DMZ from Call of Duty.
Next, Havoc Wafare is where the cool kids are with massive battles over land, sea, and air. You will drive armored military vehicles, heavy ATVs, and battle tanks. You'll also pilot Black Hawk helicopters, airplanes, and assault ships. Ten types of vehicles will await you in this all-out warfare mode.
As you might have guessed by now, Black Hawk Down is Delta Force's single-player campaign. Given that it's free to play, I wouldn't expect to get more than 4 or 5 hours out of it.
Like in most military shooters of yore, there are four main Operators, each limited to one class at launch. The exoskeleton hero type, Kai, can accelerate his movement speed and weapon fire rate. The coolest-sounding part is that he regains health on eliminating enemies. Luna is a soldier who uses a tactical bow to scout her targets while marking damaged enemies.
Photo: TiMi Studio Group
Terry is an engineer who utilizes special gear like a Sonic UAV to unleash period sonic suppression while also being able to slow down and damage enemies with his Sonic Trap. Lastly, Roy is a medical expert who heals his team using a high-tech gun and other gadgets. Eight more operators are in production and will follow after launch, with even more to come.
Now, let's get down to basics. Delta Force: Hawk Ops is a free-to-play title that's supposed to come out sometime in 2024 on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC on Epic and Steam, but more importantly, on iOS and Android devices.
This translates into a few good and bad things. The most urgent aspect is that because of the mobile and old-gen versions of the game, the graphics and gameplay will be severely limited by the power of these platforms.
Not only will it drag down the visual fidelity or photorealism, but it will also hinder the gameplay from having advanced features like simulated destructibility. The developers say players can destroy certain parts of the map, but we don't know to what extent.
Photo: TiMi Studio Group
At the same time, the team may have figured out a praise-worthy compromise where the PC and new-gen console players won't even notice the difference. The good news is that this brings cross-play and cross-progression into the mix, meaning you can pick up and play the game on whatever device you choose, and your progress gets saved and transferred.
Unfortunately, those looking for a battle royale experience will not find it here. The team has said they don't have any current plans in place. However, things evolve in time, just like Fortnite did, so who knows where this game will be five years from now, if alive and kicking at all?
You can pre-register now for a chance to participate in upcoming tests. It's pretty popular, given that over 808,000 people have already signed up. Hopefully, this won't be just another cash-grab mobile title, but one with substance and emphasis on fun before any other element. Also, an essential aspect that will give the game legs is its own identity.
It needs to feel like its own thing, not just a Battlefield or Call of Duty cheap knockoff. The best part is that if this is a bust, it will happen quickly because people will tell immediately if it was built for gameplay or profit.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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