Delta Force (formerly Delta Force: Hawk Ops) was originally announced at Gamescom 2023. Developed by Team Jade and published by TiMi Studio Group, this free-to-play tactical first-person shooter has been having one hell of a year thanks to positive feedback from participating in Summer Games Fest, Gamescom 2024, and Steam Next Fest.
With so much high praise circulating throughout the gaming industry, I grew eager to try out the PC global open beta before the December 5th launch date. After some intense gameplay sessions over the last few days, I firmly believe this game is a true force to be reckoned with.
Delta Force isn’t just an incredible FPS but is also firmly on track to be one of the best multiplayer shooters of 2025. Before I share more thoughts on my time with the upcoming game, let’s talk about what you can expect from the beta.
A Quick Briefing
Delta Force is the next installment in the popular tactical first-person shooter series of the same name, which NovaLogic created and released in 1998. Tencent acquired the rights to the series and selected Team Jade to develop a new game.
This free-to-play game revolves around military operators engaging in various operation missions and showdowns across the battlefield. Optional cosmetic items and premium battle passes can be purchased but the game will remain free-to-play. Here is an overview of the three gameplay modes that define this entry:
Warfare – A no-holds-barred PvP experience where players are divided into two factions and battle for control across a huge map. Vehicles and battlefield call-ins can be used and some of the modes available in Warfare include Attack and Defend, King of the Hills, and Timed Modes.
Operation – Participate in high-profile operator missions, collect loot, face a main boss, and successfully extract from your location. Hazard operations and raids are two modes that will be available to play.
Black Hawk Down – A single-player story campaign based on the 2001 Ridley Scott film of the same name. This campaign is built entirely in Unreal Engine 5 and will launch in 2025 when the game hits full release.
Graphics and Performance
While the single-player campaign is an Unreal Engine 5 project, all multiplayer modes are built in Unreal Engine 4. The visual presentation is impeccable thanks to painstakingly detailed characters, intricately designed settings, and crisp animations.
Knowing how amazing this game already looks on PC makes me very curious to see how the campaign turns out. If you are planning on playing the beta, here are the recommended and minimum specs to get the best performance possible:
Minimum System Specs:
- Windows 10 OS 64-bit version 1909 (19H2) or later
- Intel Core i3-4150 or AMD FX-6300 Processor
- 8GB memory
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 660, AMD HD7870, or Intel Arc A380 Graphics Card
- 2GB VRAM
- 60GB SSD
- DirectX 12
Recommended System Specs:
- Windows 10 OS 64-bit version 1909 (19H2) or later
- Intel Core i5-6500 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500x Processor
- 16GB memory
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 5GB, AMD RX5500 XT, or Intel Arc A750 Graphics Card
- 5GB VRAM
- 60GB SSD
- DirectX 12
My current system includes an Intel core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 graphics card, and 2GB of VRAM. While I didn’t encounter any performance issues during the beta, this is one game where I think my PC needs to be upgraded for the best experience.
I’m also curious to see how the game performs on Xbox Series X/S and PS5/PS5 Pro consoles to compare the differences. Now that we have covered all these things, let’s dive deeper into my gameplay impressions.
My Unreal Experience
The first feature I tried was the Warfare Attack and Defend mode playing on the new Trench Lines map. In this mode, one team is assigned as attackers while the others are identified as defenders. The main objective is for the attackers to capture and control every strategic point until they have outscored their opponents within a set time limit. There were a handful of operator classes to choose from with the expectation that more operators would be released later.
Attack and Defend was a wildly fun and chaotic experience that reminded me of Battlefield and Call of Duty Warzone. Even if you are careful when sneaking up on enemies, you are guaranteed to be taken out at any time. Once you die, it only takes a few seconds to respawn on the map and continue fighting. Several people gained access to tanks and helicopters during these sessions. This made encounters both more exciting and intense. The maps feel as massive as advertised and the realism is on another level. I didn’t get to try out the other new maps as this was the one I kept getting redirected to but I’m eager to try the others.
The other feature I spent some time on was the Hazard operation mode. I had a brief tutorial I played in the beginning to familiarize myself with the gameplay mechanics including shooting enemies and accessing loot. It’s worth noting that the beta doesn’t yet have controller support so you’ll have to rely on keyboard and mouse commands to get through it. After that introduction, I received a briefing on the mission and was thrown into a scenario where I worked with teammates to complete an operation and extract. Unfortunately, our squad didn’t make it to the boss battle but the mode was a lot of fun and made me want to return for more.
Final Verdict
While my time with Delta Force was short, I have seen more than enough to be sold on what this game can become. Team Jade has created something outstanding that honors the franchise and will certainly be in the best multiplayer shooter discussions next year.
This preview was written based on a digital review copy of Delta Force for PC provided by Team Jade and TiMi Studio Group.
