Delta Force: Hawk Ops Alpha Hands-On Preview – Danger Close

While the Delta Force franchise hasn’t seen a proper “core platform” release since Black Hawk Done in 2003, that’s about to change with Delta Force; Hawk Ops — developer TiMi Studio’s first foray in the AAA shooter market. Luckily, we don’t need to wait long to experience it, as the studio has the game running on PC via closed alpha test.

MP1st was invited to dabble our fingers into this still-in-development shooter, and we’ve played enough to formulate our hands-on impressions so far. Curious how this upcoming free-to-play game compares to the competition? Is this the Battlefield replacement fans have been looking forward to? Read on to find out.

Party Like It’s 2042?

By now, you’ve probably seen plenty of other outlets and content creators throw the word “Battlefield killer” around. It’s not something I entirely agree with myself, but I fully understand why the terminology (outside of view chasing) is being thrown around so quickly. I mean, look at Delta Force: Hawk Ops, and then look at Battlefield 2042. They look pretty darn similar, and if anything, Delta Force: Hawk Ops could easily pass off as Battlefield 2042 if you placed them side by side. 

However, unlike Battlefield 2042, the lead-up to Delta Force: Hawk Ops has nearly zero expectations. That meant TiMi Studio wasn’t bound by some rules that would instantly receive backlash if deviated from, as the last Delta Force title was released over 15 years ago. DICE, on the other hand, has had a series that has always followed a specific formula, seemingly losing its way as new iterations dropped, with Battlefield 2042 being the biggest departure as it felt more of a trend chaser, removing key features that made Battlefield, well, Battlefield. 

Sure, it may puzzle many in the community why there’s so much praise for Delta Force: Hawk Ops when it can be summed up as a better Battlefield 2042, a game that practically everyone has criticized, but it’s because it does certain aspects better that makes it a far more enjoyable experience to many. 

It’s not a trendsetter or some innovative experience that’ll break new grounds, but it does borrow many mechanics, not just from Battlefield but also from the likes of Call of Duty, Escape From Tarkov, and other shooters, and tidies it up in a well-packaged experience. 

The gunplay and general movement especially stand out as being snappy and responsive, yet with enough weight to give it a bit of a military sim feel. Mind you, this is more on the arcade side of gameplay, but it’s nowhere near as quick as Call of Duty. Mouse input feels fantastic, with hit registration that actually works, making firefights fun to be in. Even if I end up losing in most situations, for the most part, it feels more of a skill issue rather than the net code deciding to act up.

The maps available are also very well designed. They’re massive and perfectly suited for 64 players, with a spawn system that ensures you’re kept in action with no massive periods of roaming around. And even then, should you find yourself in an open field, there’s plenty of coverage to take, whether in the environment or some manmade structures like a small barricade or partially demolished building.

It helps that the game modes help keep the pacing of the maps flowing, with Havoc Warfare akin to Battlefield’s Breakthrough and Rush modes, with capture points to defend and attack, and map progression tied to them. I especially like the setups of each map, especially Ascended, which sees attackers riding on boats to storm a beach, drawing clear inspiration from WWII’s D-Day Operation. It’s the most cinematic-like experience you could get from a multiplayer shooter, all being done in-game without and all in the hands of the players. Things get crazier on the map as you progress through it as an attacker, going from open zone combat to close quarters, Operation Metro-like scenarios, with tanks and helicopters getting in the strangest spots to wreak havoc. Yes, it does feel like something straight out of Battlefield, though I don’t expect any large-scale destruction of any kind. 

I’m not much of a fan of the extraction shooter genre, but there is a mode called Hazard Operations that is extraction-based. It’s alright, mostly does what you’d expect from an extraction game. Whether that’ll be a massive success is hard to tell, but it will be interesting to see how the studio balances out two modes, as both are geared towards completely different players. 

As a free-to-play game only in the alpha stage, there’s also a level of polishing you’d expect to see from a AAA studio. That’s not to say don’t expect any bugs, because I’ve seen quite a few in the alpha test, but those mostly pertained to visuals and odd physics. As stated, The gameplay and character movement all felt very responsive and on point, almost as if it was in its final stages of development and nearing launch. That may change, of course, but the current mentality doesn’t feel like one of a studio saying to ship it now and hope to fix it later, but instead, something that they possibly feel confident about, with the alpha solely being to weed out bugs before they’re ready for release. 

Again, I don’t think this is so much a Battlefield killer, as it’s primarily being compared to Battlefield 2042; a game many felt couldn’t be further from being a Battlefield game. But TiMi Studio clearly took what could be learned from Battlefield 2042 to help craft Delta Force: Hawk Ops, making an experience that one could rally behind and be more accepting of. Based on the alpha, I think TiMi Studio is “succeeding” where DICE failed to envision Battlefield 2042, proving that perhaps it wasn’t a bad idea; it just had to find the right franchise to do it with.

Off to a Promising Start…

But that does make Delta Force: Hawk Ops lack a bit in the identity department, as the go-to comparison is Battlefield 2042. It doesn’t help that many UI elements and general art direction look like it was taken right from Battlefield 2042. That’s very unlikely to change by the time the game comes out, and while I think it does look pretty, it’s hard to move past the comparison and not think about Battlefield 2042 when playing. 

Still, as a free-to-play game, Delta Force: Hawk Ops looks very promising and, as it currently stands, looks to be lined up for quite a success. There’s little for me to really complain about the title outside of wanting to know what the content pipeline looks like because if it’s going to chase after what DICE tried to succeed at, it’s going to need a very robust and steady stream of content.

MP1st was given early access to try the game’s alpha build on PC. Delta Force: Hawk Ops is set for release on PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and even mobiles, but has no firm release date set yet.

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