When you think of a “first-person shooter,” the variety is staggering. This genre can encompass a spine-chilling horror experience like F.E.A.R., the mesmerizing journey through Metroid Prime’s sci-fi universe, or the relentless thrill of demon-slaying chaos in Doom. Even when you boil it down to what’s considered a “military FPS,” you still find a wide range—the structured campaigns of Call of Duty, Battlefield’s massive PvP mayhem, and the tense extractions in Escape from Tarkov all fit the bill. Delta Force, the newest installment in this 26-year shooter franchise, seems to take a bit from each of these styles. Featuring a dedicated large-scale PvP mode, a separate extraction shooter mode, and an upcoming campaign, it feels like it’s juggling multiple identities. While it’s too early for a conclusive judgment, the hours I’ve spent dabbling in its world before launch have piqued my interest enough to make me eager to dive back in when it hits live servers later this week.
As this game embarks on its indefinite “open beta” phase (essentially its launch for a free-to-play title), only two of the three main features are open for exploration. The campaign is reserved as paid DLC to be released in the future. Of the two currently available, Warfare is Delta Force’s nod to Battlefield’s expansive team skirmishes, pitting 64 players against one another in large maps. During my early review period, most matches focused on the Attack and Defend aspect of Warfare. As the name suggests, one team launches offensives to capture key areas before exhausting their limited respawns, while the defenders hold their ground with infinite lives. Success for the attackers refreshes their numbers, moving the battle to a new segment of the map, and so the cycle continues—a dynamic shift of pressure that encourages both offensive and defensive strategies throughout.
These encounters certainly feel grand in scale, which adds an exhilarating energy to the chaos. With quick respawns, the battlefield teems with life, and once the gunfire and explosions begin, it all unfolds with an electrifying tempo. Hopping into a vehicle to barrel through the opposition adds another layer of fun, whether you’re in control of a tank brimming with firepower or making good use of the armed mount on a humbler ride.
Abilities can certainly give you an edge, but they aren’t game-changers.
Finding yourself on the wrong end of a tank is never pleasant, but Delta Force gives you options through its roster of operatives. These characters strike a balance between straightforward loadouts and more personalized heroism, aligning with the game’s overarching jack-of-all-trades ethos. Facing a vehicle-heavy attack might call for spawning with a rocket launcher, while open spaces could mean it’s time to dust off the sniper rifle. Each operative comes with their own special abilities, such as Luna’s Detection Arrows that can expose enemy positions. These abilities are handy, but they’re designed to complement combat rather than steal the show.
Still, the shooting mechanics could be more satisfying. The trajectory of bullets is heavily influenced by physics, requiring precision in target-leading for accuracy over distance. This, combined with a quick time-to-kill, brings a military sim flavor akin to Arma. While this setup excels on its own, it feels a bit out of sync with the aggressive push required in the mode’s objectives. Slow-moving bullets dictated by gravity can feel oddly out of place amidst the intensity of securing vital positions.
Moving into the Operations mode, this follows the familiar format of extraction shooters. Form a squad of up to three, infiltrate an area, gather loot, and dash out safely. The rewards you manage to bring back can either be stored, sold, or used in future missions, but anything lost if you’re defeated or fail to escape swiftly remains gone forever. While Delta Force doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, the solid execution makes it worthwhile.
Levels are designed as open sandboxes, rich with potential missions. Points of interest are clearly marked, such as bounty targets or safes to crack open, which is a refreshing touch. In a genre where ambiguity often reigns supreme, offering crystal-clear information provides a welcome change. I appreciate knowing what lies ahead without the need to memorize every map detail.
When plotting your route, you’ll often encounter AI soldiers, and occasionally, human players. This uncertainty of opposition requires strategic decision-making—take the shot, risking drawing attention, or stealth your way around for a safer journey. Each engagement demands quick thinking, keeping the strategy engaging. Though AI adversaries pose a significant threat, human players remain the most challenging prey, providing loot incentives that are hard to ignore.
I’ve been impressed by the variety of antagonists. From facing roaming groups of gunmen and dodging sniper fire to maneuvering around defense-shielded foes, there’s never a dull moment. In one scenario, my team was pinned by an armored foe wielding a minigun, forcing us to duck for cover and retaliate with grenades. Another surprise came when a giant alligator nearly derailed our plans in close quarters.
However, my main concern lies with the loot cycle. While there’s no shortage of places to search—from filing cabinets to enemy pockets—I’ve found myself increasingly uninterested after pinpointing the real hotspots for valuable finds. I’m optimistic that the maps won’t wear thin anytime soon, but each run through familiar grounds feels less novel.
In between matches, you return to the Black Site, your game hub. Here, you manage buying, selling, and upgrading, notably expanding your stash’s capacity. The finely-tuned loadout options allow you to swiftly assemble different kits for battle, automatically consolidating pieces from your inventory and purchasing what’s missing with ease. This seamless integration aids in bouncing back into action after unsuccessful attempts.
These impressions are still forming—judging how well the PvP mode in Warfare holds up will take more time, and I’ve yet to explore all Operations has to offer. While I’m not ready to deliver a definitive verdict until I’ve tried it out on live servers, I must admit the early stages of the extraction mode have been quite exciting. Delta Force delivers grand PvP experiences, although I’m not fully convinced that its gunplay perfectly suits the action. Nevertheless, this competent free-to-play shooter offers a little something for different FPS enthusiast tastes, but whether it maintains my attention once the initial excitement fades is a question only time will answer.
