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Founder and chief editor of WePlayGames.net

Before The Outer Worlds 2 Arrives, Don’t Overlook the First Game

Sci-fi RPG

Outer Worlds Graphics has its specific charm picture — Outer Worlds Graphics has its specific charm

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

First Impressions and Comparisons

The Outer Worlds left me with an impression that is hard to put into numbers, but if I had to, I’d say it lands at a solid 89% in my book. It’s one of those games where, even though I played it around the time of Red Dead Redemption 2—a game that was operating on a completely different technical and graphical level—I still found myself deeply admiring what Obsidian managed to create. It doesn’t have the scope or sheer horsepower of Rockstar’s giant, but it has something uniquely its own: a world full of charm, artistic identity, and storytelling weight that really grabbed me as a sci-fi fan.

Outer Worlds city missions were interersting picture — Outer Worlds city missions were interersting

World Design and Scale

What makes The Outer Worlds stand out is how well its smaller world is crafted. The planets and zones aren’t huge, but each has its own personality, mood, and challenges. It gives you enough space to explore, but not so much that you’re lost in endless emptiness. You land on a planet, get a map that’s maybe a few kilometers across, and within that frame you have missions, enemies, settlements, and little pieces of lore scattered around. It might sound small on paper, but it feels big enough because of how tightly designed it is. The density of story, humor, and environmental detail makes every location memorable.

Companions and Side Stories

The heart of the game for me was definitely the companions. Parvati, in particular, stood out as the most sympathetic and human side character. Her personal story felt genuine and well-written, and I cared about her outcome in a way I don’t usually in RPGs. But the same can be said, to a degree, about all companions. Each one had a story worth following, and I actually wanted to finish their quests to learn more about them, which is not always the case in these types of games. It’s rare that a game makes you feel connected to the whole cast like this, and Obsidian pulled it off despite not having the biggest budget in the industry.

Outer Worlds Inside Apart of monsters you have to deal with factions and marauders picture — Outer Worlds Inside Apart of monsters you have to deal with factions and marauders

Humor and Satire

The satire is another area where the game hits hard. The corporate dystopia, where democracy is absent and everything is run by faceless, greedy boards, is portrayed in a way that’s both dark and funny. Ads and propaganda push ideas like “fixing what nature caused,” and you run into characters who have literally reshaped themselves for corporate glory. It’s ridiculous, awful, and hilarious at the same time. The humor doesn’t make the game lighthearted, though—it enriches the story without undermining its seriousness. The balance between sharp satire and grounded narrative is excellent, and it makes the world feel uncomfortably believable.

Combat and Gameplay

Combat, while not groundbreaking, worked for me. I know people online often complain that it was too simple or underwhelming, but I didn’t mind. Early on, it felt challenging when I wasn’t prepared, but as I grew stronger and had the right arsenal, I could approach encounters in a smarter way and eventually wipe out enemies with ease. I experimented with most weapon types, and I enjoyed figuring out which ones worked best against certain enemies. It never reached the intensity of top-tier shooters, but as part of the RPG mix, it was good enough and satisfying to carry the adventure forward.

Outer Worlds Halcyon planet picture — Outer Worlds Halcyon planet

Technical Performance and Style

Technically, on my old PlayStation 4 and PC, the game ran well. The graphics were never a “wow” factor, especially compared to something like Red Dead Redemption 2, but they were sufficient and, more importantly, consistent. The art design—robots, cyborgs, corporate propaganda, quirky settlements—often looked better than the actual environmental textures, but that was fine with me. It had a Fallout-like feeling at times, with that retro-futuristic style, but it never felt like a copy. It’s a different universe with its own rules, humor, and energy. Fans of Fallout will recognize the DNA, but this is its own thing.

Story and Choices

The story itself pulled me in. At first, I felt a little lost, but the threads quickly tied together, and I found myself engaged with the mysteries of the colony and the conflicts between factions. I can’t recall every detail of the factions now, but I do remember the sense that my decisions mattered. Some choices were subtle in their consequences, others more dramatic, but overall the game gave me the feeling that I was shaping the path of this world in a meaningful way.

Looking Back Few Years Since I Played

When I look back, I see The Outer Worlds as a very smartly built game. Obsidian worked within its budget and limitations but managed to deliver something rich, memorable, and charming. The characters, humor, and world design are what make it special. It’s not the biggest game, and it’s not the flashiest, but it has heart, and that’s what counts most.

Now, with The Outer Worlds 2 right around the corner, my expectations are high. I’m confident Obsidian will push things further, especially with what will surely be a larger budget and Microsoft’s backing. I hope they keep the focus on strong writing, memorable companions, and that sharp corporate satire, while maybe expanding the worlds and deepening the combat. If they manage to hold onto the spirit of the first game and scale it up smartly, I’m certain it will be a success.

For me, The Outer Worlds remains one of the most charming and rewarding sci-fi RPGs of the last decade, and I would absolutely recommend anyone who hasn’t played it yet to give it a shot before the sequel lands.

Title: The Outer Worlds
Type of Game: Action FPS/RPG
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Private Division
Release Date: October 25, 2019
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Reviewed on: PlayStation 4 Pro

Where to Purchase The Outer Worlds

Epic Games Store Free Games & Deals: September 2025 Roundup

Epic Free Games

Mat

21 September, 2025

Samorost 2 Free on Epic Games Store picture — Samorost 2 Free on Epic Games Store

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

The Epic Games Store’s latest giveaway period continues in full swing, dishing out another eclectic mix of free titles through September 25 and beyond. It’s a weekly tradition at this point—and one that quietly undercuts the idea that you need to spend big to find worthwhile games. Some of the fall season’s most varied freebies are live now: a survivor-laced paranoia sim, a gorgeously strange point-and-click oddity, and the promise of Soulslike swords and slapstick sci-fi just around the corner. It’s the kind of lineup that rewards players willing to step outside of their usual comfort zone.

Hidden Agendas and Blizzard Betrayals: Project Winter

Free until September 25, 2025

Project Winter Character building picture — Project Winter Character building

Project Winter wears its inspiration on its frostbitten sleeve: survival is cold, and trust is costly. As a multiplayer social deception game, it’s easy to describe it as “Among Us in the snow,” but the layered systems here go far beyond party-game simplicity. Up to eight players scramble to survive a deadly environment while fending off the harsh terrain, gathering supplies, fixing escape objectives, and—most crucially—figuring out who among them is sabotaging the group.

The tension builds fast. At first, cooperation seems natural: you and your crew split up duties, perhaps chopping wood or mining ore. But as the blizzards grow harsher and resources dwindle, paranoia seeps into every action. The hidden traitors play a long game of subtle interference—sabotaging radio towers, poisoning rations, and manipulating isolated teammates. Successful runs feel like navigating a minefield of mistrust, especially when players begin dropping mysteriously.

Project Winter Gameplay picture — Project Winter Gameplay

The real charm lies in the voice chat: accusations flying, alliances forming, and betrayals hitting hard. It’s a game that thrives on the chaos of human behavior, and whether you make it out or end up frozen, it’s wild every time.

Whimsical Echoes from Another Planet: Samorost 2

Free until September 25, 2025

Samorost 2 is less about mechanics and more about mood. Amanita Design’s signature surrealism gives this tiny point-and-click adventure a dreamlike atmosphere, letting you drift through hand-crafted micro-worlds that feel like interactive collages. The soundtrack warbles like an alien lullaby. The puzzles aren’t cruel, just peculiar—logic, but bent through the lens of whimsy.

Samorost 2 Gameplay in cave and with spider picture — Samorost 2 Gameplay in cave and with spider

There’s a storyline in there somewhere—something about retrieving your dog from thieving aliens—but it never insists on itself. Instead, you click through scenes that evolve like picture-book pages: mossy landscapes covered in gears, hollow logs riddled with button-puzzles, mushroom-strewn transit pods. It’s weird in a delightful way, never too long, and entirely distinct. If you’re tired of games that yell in your face, Samorost 2 is the opposite: it whistles softly and points to the stars. Grab on Epic for sure.

Upcoming: Ghosts, Steel, and Galaxy Hot Dogs

Arriving Free on September 25 – October 2, 2025

Eastern Exorcist Free Epic 2D combat game picture — Eastern Exorcist Free Epic 2D combat game

Next week’s pair of freebies signals an unusual twist in tone and tempo. On one side: Eastern Exorcist, a deadly serious 2D action RPG set in a shadowy world of demonic corruption and sword arts. On the other: Jorel’s Brother and The Most Important Game of the Galaxy, which explodes in Saturday-morning cartoon energy and puzzle-solving silliness.

Eastern Exorcist Game picture — Eastern Exorcist Game

Eastern Exorcist looks sharp in both senses: the art style channels classic Chinese ink-brush painting, framing its parrying-heavy combat with an ethereal look you don’t often see in side-scrollers. There’s clear influence from Souls games here—methodical timing, challenging boss designs, and haunting environments—but animated in a 2D plane. It seems primed to reward patience and punish button-mashers.

Jorel’s Brother and The Most Important Game of the Galaxy Free Epic picture — Jorel’s Brother and The Most Important Game of the Galaxy Free Epic

Then you have Jorel’s Brother, which is like someone cracked open a Cartoon Network episode and turned it into a puzzle-laced fever dream. Built on Brazilian cartoon vibes and full of offbeat charm, it sets players loose in a planet-hopping narrative about media conspiracies, sibling chaos, and playing as a character literally called “the brother of Jorel.” Expect absurd logic puzzles and animated cutscenes that overreact constantly—in the best way.

Jorel’s Brother and The Most Important Game of the Galaxy picture — Jorel’s Brother and The Most Important Game of the Galaxy

Discounts That Demand Attention

HITMAN World of Assassination Freelancer... picture — HITMAN World of Assassination Freelancer…

Beyond the freebies, Epic’s sale rack beckons with substantial discounts on both major hitters and niche charmers. HITMAN World of Assassination leads the pack, and at 80% off, it’s kind of absurd how much content you get. It compiles the entire modern trilogy into one sprawling assassination sandbox. Each level is a handcrafted playground of possibilities—it’s not just about killing creatively, but thinking meticulously. If you’ve never tangoed with the barcoded bald head of Agent 47, this is your best onramp.

HITMAN World of Assassination Epic Discount picture — HITMAN World of Assassination Epic Discount

On a completely different end of the spectrum, Ranch Simulator lets you live out every quiet cowboy fantasy—chopping trees, raising livestock, fixing up barns—solo or in deeply chill co-op. Judging by the 80% sale tag, this is a good moment to wrangle your own virtual family business.

Ranch Simulator picture — Ranch Simulator

Hades, also discounted by 75%, needs less introduction. It’s still one of the only roguelikes that manages to thread clever writing, razor-sharp combat, and evolving story all at once. Even after clearing it several times, the hunger to dive back into Tartarus returns.

SAMURAI SHODOWN closeup picture — SAMURAI SHODOWN closeup

Fighting game fans haven’t been left out either. SAMURAI SHODOWN, now 85% off, mixes high-risk duels and stylized swordplay in a refined revival of SNK’s cult-classic franchise. Every swing feels heavy. Every mistake tastes like blood. And while it doesn’t hold the same cultural spot as, say, Street Fighter, its brutal economy of motion still clicks with genre faithful.

SAMURAI SHODOWN picture — SAMURAI SHODOWN

Expanding the Pasture: A Notable DLC Drop

While most DLC launches feel like cash grabs, the Ranch Simulator: Southwest Ranch Expansion Pack—marked down at 50%—actually vaults some new purpose into the sim. It adds another zone, fresh objectives, and a change of scenery that goes beyond cosmetics. Think of it as much-needed land for those already knee-deep in chicken feed and fence repair. It doesn’t resurrect the novelty if the base game didn’t work for you, but for anyone clicking with quiet rural grind, this is added value done right.

Final Thoughts on This Month’s Haul

September’s closer may not bring out AAA bombshells, but the free lineup offers enough contrast to keep all kinds of players entertained. The shift from the slow-burning treachery of Project Winter to the soothing exploration of Samorost 2 couldn’t be sharper—yet both deliver something memorable. And with Eastern Exorcist and Jorel’s Brother on deck, next week looks equally unorthodox in the best way.

As for the deals, it’s hard to argue against snatching up modern stealth classics or roguelike greats for some of the deepest discounts we’ve seen in months. Whether the genre is assassin chess, demon-slaying side-scroller, or turnip-ranching co-op, Epic’s batch this time doesn’t lack flavor.

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam – Massive Shooter Sequel Is Coming in 2026

Massive FPS

Mat

21 August, 2025

Hell-Let-Loose-Vietnam picture — Hell-Let-Loose-Vietnam

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

WePlayGames.net Youtube Channel – Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Official Reveal Trailer

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam — The Battlefield Shifts to Southeast Asia

A new chapter in tactical warfare is coming. Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, the next major entry in the Hell Let Loose franchise, will launch in 2026, following its world premiere at the Future Games Show during Gamescom 2025. Built entirely in Unreal Engine 5 by Expression Games and published by Team17 under Everplay Group, the sequel migrates from World War II’s muddy hedgerows to the tangled humid jungles of Southeast Asia. It’s doing more than reskinning old systems—it’s redesigning the front line of large-scale, immersive first-person combat.

A Return to the Front

Unlike the original Hell Let Loose‘s Early Access debut in 2019, Vietnam is aiming for a full-scale, out-of-the-gate launch across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam and Epic). This positional leap reflects in its gameplay systems and presentation. The franchise has already generated over $100 million in lifetime revenue and has seen peak concurrent player counts over 144,000—figures that give this sequel serious backing and expectation.

Hell Let Loose Vietnam planned for 2026 picture — Hell Let Loose Vietnam planned for 2026

Expression Games, which co-developed HLL starting in 2023, now takes the lead. The team is leveraging not just prior experience, but a new theatre of war with asymmetric combat potential. The 50v50 format returns, but a jungle terrain and Vietnam-era hardware bring tactical complexity. Players familiar with the original will recognize the disciplined spacing, punishing lethality, and cooperative necessity—but now there are twists like swimming speed, dense foliage concealment, and helicopter insertions.

Battlefield Roles Widen and Deepen

A total of 19 combat roles span Infantry, Recon, Armour, Mortar, and Helicopter units, each suited for their own layer of terrain dominance. The US-exclusive helicopter unit is especially notable: pilots, crew, and gunners turn vertical mobility into a distinct tactical axis, offering supply runs, combat insertions, and suppression drops. This is a franchise-first, and its success will depend on terrain interaction, view distance clarity, and spawn mechanics syncing cleanly under pressure.

Hell Let Loose Vietnam announced picture — Hell Let Loose Vietnam announced

NVA forces, meanwhile, bring their own unique strategic tool: player-built tunnel networks. These underground passages can be constructed mid-match, offering flanking alleys, hidden spawn points, and stealthy troop movement. If executed well, they could upend choke points on maps and allow less tech-favored factions to outmanoeuvre air-lifted US squads.

Vehicles expand beyond HLL’s ground armor focus, introducing patrol boats (like the PBR), along with transport and fire-support helicopters. Details on the boat implementation are still vague—river systems and crossings haven’t been fully shown—but it speaks to a wider scope of battlefield design.

A Jungle Worth Fighting For

Six battlefield maps will ship with the game, each large-scale and layered with lighting and weather variants. According to the Steam listings, maps are influenced by significant combat operations, though which operations—and whether anything like Operation Starlite or Piranha makes the cut—remains unconfirmed. That said, community speculation hints at a more narrative-rich approach to map environments, reflecting key terrain features and force compositions from real campaigns.

Modes include the returning Warfare and Offensive templates, plus four entirely new and unannounced styles. These new modes could introduce alternate pacing, maybe even smaller-scale tactical matches or urban incursions, but specifics are light for now. The original HLL’s mode structure emphasized layered front lines and resource nodes—it’ll be interesting to see if Vietnam experiments further with asymmetrical objectives or morale systems.

Learning Curve and User Experience Get a Lift

Onboarding is getting a serious shot of modernization. A revamped tutorial system and updated UI figure prominently into the formal store pitch, showing a commitment to clarity and accessibility—the area where HLL 2019 struggled most. With new movement features like fast crawling, swimming, and climbing, new players will need that guidance fast. The UI refresh remains unseen, but one can hope the team avoids turning into a cluttered mess—minimalism and responsiveness suited HLL’s original war room aesthetic well.

Hell Let Loose Vietnam FPS 50v50 picture — Hell Let Loose Vietnam FPS 50v50

Drag mechanics now let players pull wounded teammates to safety, reinforcing Hell Let Loose’s punishing commitment to realism. It’s a small touch with massive gameplay implication: longer firefights, harder medical decision-making, and more frontline turnover. How this feature interacts with map scale, medic availability, and suppression zones will likely define the squad cohesion meta once things go live.

A Clean Line Between Fact and Rumor

Despite some community hoping for additional factions like the ARVN, USMC, or Australians, no such sides are confirmed. For now, it’s strictly NVA vs. US forces. Likewise, although map names being thrown around suggest real-world referents, the official page only vaguely claims “key historical operations” as inspiration. Hell Let Loose has never been about tight scripting or reenactment—it’s lived off the friction between real-world tech and dynamic player autonomy. That philosophy still seems intact here.

There’s also no mention of Early Access—PC Gamer’s early preview implies a clean, singular launch. That’s bold, given the franchise’s sandbox complexity, but likely supported via the strong commercial legs still under the original Hell Let Loose, which continues development even into the sequel’s release window.

Anti-cheat systems now include kernel-level Easy Anti-Cheat drivers on PC, and all platforms will benefit from integrated cross-play. That’ll ease player base fragmentation—a major boost for a game whose experience relies entirely on population and cohesion. Official support for 10 languages at launch also ensures broader accessibility beyond its core audience.

Too Early to Call, But It’s Not Too Early to Get Hyped

From what we’ve seen, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam isn’t just a palette swap—it’s an expansion of design, technology, and wartime philosophy. It aims to increase verticality and density without losing Hell Let Loose’s heart: brutal lethality and tight coordination.

New heat, new systems, but the same unforgiving battlefield—that could be exactly what this franchise needs to thrive in a landscape saturated with arcade shooters. If Expression Games can maintain the performance and scale of HLL’s best theatres while carving new ones from Vietnam’s terrain, the next few years of tactical multiplayer might belong to them.

Announcements From Gamescom 2025 Opening Night Live

Gamescom 2025

Mat

20 August, 2025

Gamescom People.jpeg picture — Gamescom People.jpeg

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025: Brutal Brawls, Comebacks & Chaos Await

Bigger, bolder, and somehow even more chaotic than last year, Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 threw a digital avalanche of reveals straight at our eyeballs—and honestly, it was glorious. From returning cult classics to VR insanity and bold new ideas you probably didn’t expect, Geoff Keighley’s annual hype tornado proves it still hasn’t lost any wind in its sails.

Old Favorites Reforged

Between Dawn of War 4 and Ninja Gaiden 4, you’d be forgiven for thinking Gamescom turned into a time capsule—but both of these reboots arrive looking dangerously fresh. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 makes its comeback with the kind of ambition you don’t see often in RTS. Two hundred years after the last installment, it’s bringing 70+ missions and core PC focus in 2026. If Relic is behind it again, tacticians are about to eat.

Xbox Developer Direct 2025 Ninja Gaiden 4

Meanwhile, Ninja Gaiden 4 slashes through your nostalgia with a gritty new trailer and an October 21, 2025 release. It promises high-speed bloodletting and the kind of punishing action fans have been mourning since the franchise went dormant. Add Lords of the Fallen 2 into the mix, and 2026 is shaping up to be disturbingly masochistic for action-RPG fans. The sequel promises better combat flow and a world that’s even darker than its predecessor—let’s just hope the AI has finally graduated from dummy school.

Direct Hits from Left Field

It wouldn’t be an ONL without curveballs, and this year fired off a whole magazine. The wildest? Bubsy 4D. Yes, really. The furball mascot that somehow survived the ’90s is coming back in full 3D-platformer glory. No word yet on if it’s ironic or sincere, but its existence alone generated a baffling amount of buzz. Right behind that jaw-dropper came John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, a fast-paced co-op FPS oozing grindhouse charm. Slated for early 2026, it’s Saint Row meets Left 4 Dead through a VHS filter, and that’s not a complaint.

Gamescom 2025 logo

And then there’s Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight—a surprising pivot from typical Lego whimsy into Arkham-esque territory. While still built brick-by-brick, this 2026 title claims to carry some of the moody combat DNA from Rocksteady’s iconic series. If they get that balance of grit and humor right, we might finally have a Lego game that punches as hard as it jokes.

Myth Meets Mayhem

Games inspired by Chinese mythology continue to surge. Black Myth: Khong Zui was teased ever so briefly, letting Game Science flex just enough to make sure eyes stay locked for whatever comes next. Its spiritual sibling, Swords of Legends, takes a more grounded third-person action RPG approach but still drips in operatic scale and ancient aesthetic. If you liked what you saw in Black Myth: Wukong, there’s more on the dragon’s tail.

Speaking of ancient battles, Capcom revealed Onimusha: Way of the Sword, casually confirming that samurai demons aren’t out of style. It’s back, and if Capcom’s hot streak holds (see: Resident Evil), this could turn out to be a welcome return to tighter, more methodical action combat in a genre oversaturated with dodge-roll spam.

Reloaded and Ready

Games we’d already been watching finally pinned down their release windows, giving fall 2025 a monstrous lineup. The Outer Worlds 2 drops its irreverent space-faring satire on October 29, promising more companion-driven chaos right from Xbox Game Pass launch day. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7—yes, we’re at seven—showed co-op campaign gameplay and confirmed a November 14 drop, supported by an October beta.

Blood-feasters and stealth-ninjas go head-to-head on October 21, when both Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 and Ninja Gaiden 4 launch. If you like your combat either lightning-fast or morally compromised, mark the date. On the more methodical side, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II offers up its second expansion just before that on September 9, while Indiana Jones and the Great Circle gets its first meaty expansion September 4. Oh, and the base game is coming to Nintendo Switch 2. Yes, Switch 2. It’s officially real enough to start porting to.

VR Mayhem & Crossovers

Marvel’s Deadpool VR flung a katana-shaped grenade into the Meta-exclusive scene, confirming a November 18 release just in time to ruin holiday family gatherings. If there was ever a VR game where constant head movement and quips could make you vomit with joy, it’s this one.

Monster Hunter Wilds x Final Fantasy 14 is one of those collaborations you half-dreamed about after too many Red Bulls, except now it’s actually happening. The crossover begins in Monster Hunter Wilds in September and hits FF14 in October, which means we’re going to see Palicos and Chocobos in the same breath. Reality clearly bent a little tonight.

Silksong Sighting and Legendary Expansions

Silksong continues to inch toward release, now officially landing sometime before 2025 ends. More importantly, it’s playable at the show. That alone pushed fans into a frenzy. We also saw a meaty update for Age of Empires IV, which gets a PS5 port and new expansion, Dynasties of the East. That’s huge for console strategy gamers—what few of them exist.

Elsewhere, Silent Hill, Resident Evil Requiem, and World of Warcraft: Midnight showed new gameplay that demonstrated publishers are finally remembering how to keep tension and expectation alive across reveals. No filler CG trailers masquerading as gameplay: just straight to the point.

Endgame Surprises

Just when you thought it was over, the show threw two more non-game grenades into the fray. A Sekiro anime was confirmed—because apparently, decapitating bosses while yelling about honor is more digestible in 2D. And finally, the Fallout TV show served up a sizzle for season two, reminding everyone that post-apocalypse storytelling isn’t exactly out of ammo.

It’s a lot—maybe too much—but that’s kind of the point. With so many brutal sequel.

Free FPS Delta Force Coming To Xbox And PlayStation Today

FPS

Mat

19 August, 2025

Delta Force Feature image picture — Delta Force Feature image

Delta Force Returns in August 2025: What to Expect on Xbox and PlayStation

Next-gen consoles are finally getting a shot at Delta Force, the revived tactical shooter franchise that’s been making cautious ripples on PC and mobile. Launching globally today on August 19, 2025, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, players can expect a high-octane blend of open-scale warfare, high-risk extraction missions, and a cinematic campaign mode—all wrapped in a clean free-to-play package. With Team Jade at the helm (under Tencent’s TiMi Studio Group) and Garena covering select regions, Delta Force (2025) positions itself not as a genre revolutionary, but a competent combat sandbox packed with modes and platform flexibility that might just convert a few shooter loyalists.

Delta Force Gameplay picture — Delta Force Gameplay

Release Timing and Platform Focus

Unlike the flashed-around upgrade patches of live-service games, Delta Force is launching as a native Unreal Engine 5 project on consoles—at least for its single-player and PvEvP components. Notably, multiplayer runs on Unreal Engine 4, a decision likely made to maintain performance across varied matchmaking pools and possibly tie back to mobile parity. Console players in North America receive early access a full evening ahead of schedule, with doors unlocking at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET on August 18. Preloads start around August 17 (2:00 UTC), and there’s no Xbox One or PS4 support—this is unapologetically a next-gen-only affair.

Multiplatform support is cohesive, if not technically ambitious: full cross-play and cross-progression unites PC, console, and mobile players into a consistent account ecosystem. Console and PC users get the most fluent technical experience, while mobile remains a curious but accessible alternative.

Game Modes Built for Variety — and Pressure

At the core of Delta Force’s gameplay suite are three primary offerings. “Warfare” mode delivers 32v32 large-scale PvP chaos, crowded with land vehicles, helicopters, boats, and specialty operators. Physics and hit detection don’t reach Battlefield-tier finesse, but there’s meat here for committed team players, especially with voice comms and faction loadouts enhancing emergence.

“Operations” is where the stakes inch higher, offering a PvEvP extraction format similar to Hunt: Showdown or Warzone’s DMZ mode. Players engage AI enemies and rival teams while scrambling to loot resource zones and escape via exfil, hoping their gear doesn’t get left behind. Interestingly, this mode isn’t just military paint slapped over DMZ; early demos like the “Tide Prison” puzzle scenario suggest lightweight co-op problem-solving that adds some personality. Hardcore PvP threat plus low-key puzzle instances feels like a risk—but so far, they’ve earned intrigue instead of eye-rolls.

Finally, the “Black Hawk Down” campaign—bundled free at launch—is a linear, narrative-driven retelling of the 1993 Mogadishu incident, unapologetically based on Ridley Scott’s film. It’s framed as a solo/co-op mode rather than a static campaign-on-rails. Early PC reviews have been mixed here: while the map detail and character models show care, moment-to-moment engagement sometimes falters, leaving the mission structure feeling dated rather than evocative. Still, for free content right out of the gate, it’s an appreciated nod to military thriller fans.

Visual Fidelity and File Size Expectations

On Xbox Series X/S, the install size clocks in around 98GB—a fair footprint given the mode diversity and triple-platform content syncing. Load times and asset streaming benefit from new-gen SSDs, and while some visual flaws carry over from mobile roots (especially in vehicle models and water physics), high-motion moments still carry the punch you’d expect from Unreal Engine 5 environments.

PlayStation Plus Subscribtion Service Logo

Character animations and UI design show an attempt at modern parity—not on par with Call of Duty’s high-gloss kinetic polish, but comparable to mid-serious shooters like World War 3. Regardless, a free game delivering 32v32 engagements and multi-scenario campaigns at this visual fidelity is respectable—though it’s fair to question how much of that 98GB is invested in pure art direction versus system compatibility layers.

Monetization and Security Implications

Delta Force may be free-to-play, but it’s taking the “cosmetics only” oath seriously. No weapon power boosts or armor gates tucked behind a battle pass, at least as of current builds. Still, microtransactions are clearly baked in, and cosmetic marketplaces can shift tone fast if rarity and grind become pressures later on.

Delta Force Black Hawk Down PvE campaign picture — Delta Force Black Hawk Down PvE campaign

A more pressing concern is security architecture: Delta Force uses Tencent’s ACE (Advanced Cheat Eliminator), a kernel-level anti-cheat system that dives deep into user OS control spaces. It’s effective—very few early cheating reports broke surface on PC or mobile—but it sparked privacy debate due to its elevated system access. Console players may feel more insulated, but it’s another tradeoff in the modern fight against aimbots and ESP hacks.

Community and First Impressions

Delta Force isn’t shouting about its return, but for early adopters on PC and mobile, the tone is cautiously optimistic. Comments across Reddit and niche FPS communities paint it as a “low-pressure, big-battle shooter with just enough teamwork to matter.” One take compares it to Battlefield, admitting, “It’s a step below in presentation, sure—but if you’re in it for the chaos and coordination, it’s still a blast.”

The campaign continues to divide—some appreciate its gritty nostalgia, while others wish it had invested in a more original war narrative. But for a zero-dollar barrier and generous platform features, its existence is more opportunity than risk.

No one’s hailing Delta Force as the new face of tactical shooters. But as a platform-fluid, content-rich combat package that asks for just your drive space and time? There’s something clever here—and possibly even enduring.

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