At long last, Fragpunk has arrived, joining the ranks of the Hero Shooter category, yet it’s not just another clone of Overwatch, Valorant, or Apex Legends. Instead, it innovates and redefines the genre by shattering the molds of its predecessors, demonstrating sheer brilliance.
As a seasoned gamer, I’ve been feeling the burnout from the hero shooter genre lately, with not many fresh contenders daring to challenge the titans that rule this space. But it seems like things might be shaking up with Fragpunk, a game that smashes conventional ideas and rules, promising an entirely new adventure.
Fundamentally, Fragpunk immerses players in intense 5-versus-5 conflicts, offering a selection of 13 unique Lancers and the freedom to choose their preferred weaponry. This action unfolds within a compact map that fosters swift, lethal, and dynamic combat, ensuring each encounter is unpredictable.
In truth, it’s the Shard Cards that bring about unexpected changes, making every confrontation unique and unpredictable.
Rules are for chumps
Shard Cards function as modifiers affecting both your squad and the opposition’s each round. By choosing these cards, you can bestow advantages on your team, weaken the enemy, or even transform the game environment from an urban setting into a frosty wilderness.
In a battle situation, your team possesses the power to reverse the tide of a game entirely. To illustrate, let’s say you’re engaged in Shard Clash and have been consistently outmaneuvered by the opposition who consistently plants their bomb in unexpected locations. Suddenly, with your unique abilities, you can turn the tables, leading to victory.
If you draw a Site Deletion card, it means they must move to the last remaining site, which is advantageous for you as you can eliminate them with no concern.
In most other hero shooter games, the rules tend to remain consistent, fostering predictability. However, this new game’s rapid rule-changing capability breaks that tradition, making it unique in comparison to others within the genre.
In Fragpunk, unlike other game modes where rules remain consistent (such as Search and Destroy, battle royales, or Team Deathmatch), the gameplay dynamics are dynamic and unpredictable. Here, you can’t always count on your weapon dealing a specific amount of damage, enemies performing predictable actions, or the objective remaining constant.
For enthusiasts of Overwatch, Marvel Rivals, or Apex, this might seem less appealing at first, but it actually enhances the gameplay experience by introducing an element of surprise and adaptability, making it more fun to play.
Each contest, clash, and fight carries its own distinct character, ensuring no two encounters are the same once the constraints have been lifted. Consequently, by the time you reach the fifth round in the same game type, you won’t be rehashing your strategies or predicting the opponent to tread a familiar path.
In every round, each team draws a card that randomizes their strategy for engagement, either making them more aggressive or cautious, and this is precisely the kind of unpredictability the genre could benefit from.
Stripped down fun
Remarkably, the distinctive trait becomes even more pronounced as the simplified gameplay in Fragpunk is emphasized elsewhere.
Each of the 13 Lancers possess unique, formidable skills that add to their versatility, along with distinct tactics and approaches. However, it’s in the essence of simplicity where true charm reveals itself, especially when the weapons are unleashed, marking the start of a real battle.
In Fragpunk, there’s no sneaking around (unless you run afoul of the rule-breaking exception, Axon). This means the dread of being ambushed by an opponent swiftly turning a corner with their sights set on your head is eliminated. Additionally, you have the freedom to select your own weapon, rather than being stuck with one that comes along with the character.
Incorporate it into simpler-sized maps, and you’ll find a gameplay style reminiscent of the early hero shooter era, where the emphasis was on selecting the ideal character for each task, being attentive to sounds in your surroundings, and undoubtedly using the terrain effectively.
Fragpunk skillfully merges the most engaging elements of its genre with its distinctive flair. It maintains the straightforwardness typical of shooters, yet introduces charming and endearing characters alongside the innovative card system which consistently adds a new twist to the gameplay, offering an experience that’s unlike any other we’ve encountered before.
In any multiplayer game, rules play a crucial role, but Fragpunk demonstrates that rules can often be creatively pushed beyond their boundaries.
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2025-03-07 12:24