[summaraize]
Delta Force is a very old franchise. With its initial launch in 1998, the original game helped to usher in a glorious era of high-profile, tactical first-person shooters that felt so real, especially compared to games like Goldeneye or Perfect Dark which were also popular at the time. But 15 years have passed since the last entry release of Delta Force Xtreme 2, and the demands placed upon any shooter by today’s fans are extremely high. Can developer Team Jade successfully resurrect this ancient franchise? We went hands-on with Delta Force, and have our review ready.
It’s a Military Shooter Alright
Graphically, Delta Force looks up to snuff with any other first-person shooter out there. But to be honest, it’s difficult to tell this game apart from any other military shooter. A familiar setting mixed with modern weaponry makes for a game that struggles to carve out any sort of identifying look and feel. It’s not the first game to go for the hyper-realistic look, and it certainly won’t be the last. Since this series is grounded in reality, it’s a tough nut to crack. Team Jade thinks their specialized operators will do the trick.
Each Operator has their own name, personal history, and some gear: specifically, one piece of tactical gear, two gadgets, and a passive trait that helps the player make the most of the Operator. One of the more interesting, yet under-utilized, Operator is Stinger. A Support-class soldier, you heal teammates by shooting them with a “therapeutic pistol,” which is perhaps unintentionally hilarious. But this Operator also has various smokescreen gadgets, which is a must if you intend on reviving a lot of teammates while under fire.
One of the key aspects to Delta Force, besides the legacy of the older games, is its price: free. Or as my father-in-law likes to say, “free-99.” It’s completely free to download and play, and will be arriving as such on Steam (which is where we played for this review), current and last-gen consoles (minus the Switch), and even mobile (both iOS and Android). Of course, releasing a free product is usually not a viable business plan, so there will be premium content in the form of cosmetics and a battle pass. Pretty standard stuff for a freemium game these days.
Low-Spec Hardware Requirements
Perhaps because Team Jade targeted some mobile platforms, the minimum specs to run Delta Force are not very high: a Core i3 (4th gen) or AMD FX 6-series processor with 8GB of RAM and a GTX 660, AMD HD7870, or Arc A380 or better GPU is all that’s required. We’re not sure what the game looks like with those specs, but it’s probably not great. Still, it’ll run, and for some people that’ll be enough.
During our time with the open beta, we played the only two main game modes available to us: Warfare and Operations. A campaign based on the Black Hawk Down movie wasn’t ready by the time of publication, with an estimated release date of January 2025. Warfare is the larger of the two modes, with two teams of 32 players each fighting against each other. Attackers have limited time and respawn tickets with which they must attempt to capture all indicated spots on the map. This mode felt a bit like Battlefield, with a lot of players opting to drive or fly the many vehicles on offer, and some squading up together. As with any tactical shooter, the more communicative your squad, the better you fare. Ultimately, this mode was the most hectic but also fun as you could hop from role to role in between deaths. Win or lose, each match featured intense firefights, sniping wars, vehicular destruction, and other hallmarks of war games.
Shoot, Loot, Scoot
Operations, meanwhile, sported smaller teams fighting to take their share of loot scattered throughout the map. This mode turned Delta Force into an extraction shooter, along with a roguelike mechanic whereby if you were defeated, you lost everything you equipped for that battle, with the exception of one small portion of your inventory. While most of that stuff was simply ammunition and health packs, even weapons were not spared this fate. Losing doesn’t mean you’re left with nothing, however, as you still gain experience, not only for your operator, but also any weapons you used. A starter pack of equipment was also granted following each defeat, so you’re not truly starting from scratch after each loss. Since the ultimate goal was to extract with any loot you’ve grabbed, sometimes it made sense to not engage with other enemy players (or even enemy AI), in the hopes that they’d run by, and you and your team could continue to advance towards the next objective while conserving your limited resources. As in real life, picking and choosing your battles could mean the difference between success and failure. Operations is an intriguing mode that holds the most potential for Delta Force.
Between fights, the Black Site serves as a hub where upgrades and customizations can be applied. After you modify any weapon, you are prompted to calibrate it, and can freely test it out in a firing range. The calibration lets you dig into various components of each of Delta Forces’ handful of weapons – Team Jade went with quality over quantity when it comes to weapon count. But each weapon has been painstakingly replicated, with multiple parts you can unlock by leveling them up. You can adjust things like grip position, sight type, stock length, and more, each of which have knobs to move and an instant update of what aspect of the weapon will be affected, such as aim-down-sight speed, and by what amount. For those who love customizing their loadouts, this is the place to be.
Verdict
Delta Force is a pure military shooter, with little to no fluff, and in-depth weapon mechanics that some may enjoy tweaking to their heart’s content. Having said that, the few (two) game modes currently available feels incredibly limiting. On the other hand, with an obvious nod towards mobile development, the focus on a couple of game modes ensures finding a match will usually be a quick process. With a current user review average of “Mixed” on Steam, the holiday season will likely be a “make or break” moment for Team Jade. But if you have any interest in a new take on team-based FPS action, then this free game’s entry price cannot be beat.
Score: 8/10
Pros:
- Solid, if derivative, look and feel
- Decent matchmaking times due to a focus on few game modes
- Plenty to tweak on each expertly-detailed weapon
- Free!
Cons:
- Not many game modes yet
- Hard to distinguish from other military shooters
Delta Force review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.
