Since launching on PC way back in October of 2013, Warface has grown in popularity with the eSports community and currently holds a Guinness World Record for having the most players online simultaneously on one dedicated shooter server. While the free-to-play online FPS did eventually launch on the Xbox 360 in 2014, this successful but short-lived experiment ended in 2015 and left many wondering if there would be more iterations built for multiple consoles released in the future.
Fast forward to last month and the official announcement that Warface is coming to both PS4 and Xbox One later this year. Having attended a recent preview event in San Francisco, I had an opportunity to experience this version of the game in all its glory and walked away impressed and eager to play some more. Here are more of my thoughts on Warface and why its a great alternative to Battlefield V and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Warfare could be best described as a free-to-play online multiplayer modern military first-person shooter. Players take on the roles of Warface squadron members as they attempt to take down a multinational military unit referred to as Blackwood. There are four distinctive playable classes to choose from including Rifleman, Medic, Engineer, and Sniper. There are also several different PvP modes and PvE missions and raids for players to dive into.
The first mode that I spent some hands-on time with was Free for All where every player is tasked with racking up as many kills as possible within an allotted time period. The maps ranged from large to small, making certain encounters more challenging than others. While this mode is typically a standard feature in most multiplayer games today, this highly competitive experience felt both natural and exciting from start to finish. It’s also worth noting that once you learn the controls, you’ll feel very comfortable playing through every multiplayer mode and may even persuade some of your friends to join you on the battlefield.
Speaking of playing with friends, Team Deathmatch also provided a great deal of enjoyment throughout my play session. These 10-minute matchups pitted Warface soldiers against Blackwood agents and the first team to score 150 points is granted the victory. If you’ve played Team Deathmatch in other shooters then you already have a good idea of what to expect from this mode. The key point to remember is that solid communication between you and your squadmates will always better your chances of survival.
In terms of PvE missions, Special Operations was easily the best and most immersive experience that I had during my entire time with Warface. These are very similar in tone and execution to raids that you might have played in other Xbox One video games like Destiny 2 but the story based objectives and varied enemy types keep things even more interesting. I’m very curious to see how this mode will be received by other console players as it very well may be where they spend most of their time once they pick up the full game. It’s also worth noting that Warface will have a 32 player Battle Royale mode but unfortunately, that wasn’t yet optional for me to play during the preview event.
The final PvP mode that I tried out was titled Plant the Bomb. This was essentially another variation on Team Deathmatch with the exception that one attacking team has to escort the plant bomber to a designated area while the defending team has to stop the other team by either killing all their players or defusing the bomb after its planted. Each round lasts for roughly two minutes and there’s no respawning within the same round after a player is killed. Much like Team Deathmatch, this mode definitely requires strong communication among teammates to achieve the best results.
After playing Warface for a couple hours across four different multiplayer modes, I can confirm that the console version of this popular free-to-play online FPS is every bit as competitive and exciting as it’s PC counterpart. The intuitive controls, beautiful visuals and the staggering amount of content for a free-to-play game will definitely appeal to many and is destined to grow the fanbase even further. If you enjoy military-themed first-person shooters and you still haven’t played Warface, then this is definitely one version of the game that you should seriously consider trying out. Stay tuned for more of our coverage on Warface over the next few months and feel free to check out a few additional screenshots included below.
Warface launches in early access on August 14th for PlayStation 4 with a full release expected sometime in September. The Xbox One version will enter early access and get a full release also in September. Are any of you planning to check out either console version of this game? Please feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
