Free to play is quickly becoming the new way we game. You can’t log into Facebook without stumbling across a dozen new F2P titles. It wasn’t always like this, though. Back in the day, the only way to get a decent game for free was to pirate it (just kidding kids, piracy is bad). Now, as the market floods with more and more F2P, developers are trying harder and harder to get our attention. This is a very good thing. The bar is rising.
Free to play is quickly becoming the new way we game. You can’t log into Facebook without stumbling across a dozen new F2P titles. It wasn’t always like this, though. Back in the day, the only way to get a decent game for free was to pirate it (just kidding kids, piracy is bad). Now, as the market floods with more and more F2P, developers are trying harder and harder to get our attention. This is a very good thing. The bar is rising.
Exhibit A? Firefall. This first person shooter stands on its own two feet even when compared to full-priced titles. It feels very much like Borderlands, the much-loved Gearbox title that blends FPS action with a Diablo-like grind. Firefall works in much the same way. You constantly feel like you’re in a firefight, even though the actual damage you’re putting out is being calculated in much the same way as it would be in an RPG. Add a dash of special abilities and skills, and you have yourself a fine mix of genres indeed.
Speaking of RPGs, one in particular came to mind while I played. The bright color scheme and stylized graphics of Firefall absolutely scream World of Warcraft. And with six classes, deep character customization, sprawling PvE zones and massively multiplayer gameplay, the similarities are more than cosmetic. Who knows? Maybe Firefall will become the first FPS MMO to reach WoW’s level of popularity. Probably not, but who knows?
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