CrossfireX, preview of the Remedy campaign
Index
An important project An FPS with a story to tell Certainties and Doubts CrossfireX is taking on the outlines of a particular case within the Xbox Series X catalog, which emerged more clearly after the presentation of the Campaign that took place during the Xbox Game Showcase, demonstrating how this feature, apparently secondary to the type of game in question, is receiving enormous attention from the developers instead. On the other hand, if you set up a collaboration with Remedy Entertainment for the creation of a single component of a game, you understand how Smilegate and even Microsoft itself are focusing in particular on this title as a prominent element of the lineup. The particular case is therefore this: Crossfire is a real mass phenomenon in Asia, where it has remained the most popular multiplayer shooter from 2007 to today, although it is practically unknown outside that continent.To launch the series in the west, as well as simply bring these parts to the already established structure that has made famous the brand in the house, the developers have decided to focus on the opposite features to those that have made the famous Crossfire, or a Campaign mode with a story from the film cutting. To build this component, you are obviously not too in tune with Smilegate which has always focused on the other elements to the series, the company of korea has decided to turn to an expert team in the context of the experiences, single player or otherwise story driven as Remedy Entertainment, and the results apparently to be seen. The Campaign CrossfireX, already at a first glance, proves to be much more than a simple added accessory, representing a characteristic element of the game, that could push many players, little accustomed to the competitive multiplayer and enter in the world of Crossfire.
Distributed to the episodes , the plan of Remedy is to have the first two chapters ready to launch the main game, which does not yet have a date but should arrive by 2020, and probably in close proximity with the release of the Xbox Series X. Each of the two episodes should last about three hours, but have not yet known the plans on the forward progression of the mini-series.
major project
with regards To the multiplayer part of the CrossfireX, we have already published a tried focused on the demo released in June, in which we expressed a certain interest for some modes of the game (especially the Spectre) but also some doubt on the possibility that this might be able to emerge, in a market already filled with competitors of large caliber, for lack of original features or be able to give an identity that is marked in this title. Well, it seems that the Campaign to give a hand in this area, saw that the hand of the Remedy it is well visible, as shown recently and can really create interest in the game apart from its multiplayer features predominate. On the other hand, the mode in question seems to have been in development for 5 years, with a substantial amount of freedom granted to the Finnish team despite the strength the now historical of the brand, which could make it difficult to carry out digressions and alternatives such as a story from the cut film within the lore's not very deep in the game.The Campaign is built on the Northlight Engine of the Remedy, which is used by its productions such as Alan Wake , Quantum Break , and Control, which helps you to create that particular note in the graphic style that is recognizable immediately, in graphics quality, choices, directorial and special effects. In a field overcrowded as the first-person shooter finds himself in the fight against the real giants like Call of Duty and Battlefield, so the challenge is not simple but has been approached with great courage and confidence from the Finnish team, with the intention to tell a story significant to the inside of the frame which at first sight does not seem to provide a context for the great narratives involving. What came out is a Campaign that will be sold separately as a Premium Pass on the the base free-to-play CrossfireX and will be distributed to the episodes, which suggests a possible dynamism is greater in the content management, that could easily be expanded in the future.
A FPS with a story to tell
This attention to the directing, the narrative and the spectacle on the film have emerged, evident in the trailer for the Campaign CrossfireX shown in the course of Xbox Game Showcase, a mix of scenes of adrenaline, which provide you with a great appetizer of what we will be on the screen at the exit of the game. In the first episode , the story focuses on Luis Torres, a civil and a skilled thief who gets involved in the clash between the two factions that give life to the central war in the universe of Crossfire, i.e. Black List and Global Risk . Despite the extensive use of special effects and filters, visible especially in the scenes of intermission, during the gameplay the graphics are particularly clear and clean, making it very clear the action on the screen, the most important thing in a shooter game based primarily on speed and dynamism, which arise directly from its competitive component. The gunplay and the structure of the shooter on the other hand, are a direct derivation of the multiplayer mode, of course: CrossfireX moves at 60 frames per second, and focuses on speed of execution and accuracy in a firefight.However, in particular in the Countryside there are elements of gameplay that emerge to vary the action. It is a question of special abilities called combat breakers , which are also present in multiplayer, but probably in the story mode will be more related to the specific characteristics of the characters, whereas in multiplayer you can count on a certain degree of customization in the evolution of its fighter. Louis Torres, for example, is able to activate a sort of bullet-time reminiscent of Max Payne, allowing you to hit enemies with more accuracy in situations that are more chaotic, but there are also other skills to take advantage of, which can return well-suited to Remedy, and is used to construct the mechanical shooter on the addition of these peculiarities of the gameplay. The first episode of the Campaign shows already a remarkable variety of settings and situations, which bodes well for the continuation: the story is also told from the opposing points of view, with Torres that shows us the events from the perspective of the Black List, while other missions will help us to interpret the members of the Global Risk, making it even more dynamic.
The multiplayer demo of CrossfireX not impressed us so much, especially for a certain lack of originality and stain within a field already crowded with big productions as the shooter competitive multiplayer. The Campaign, however, may represent a considerable incentive to jump into the game: the style of Remedy you see and gives a remarkable depth to a story that, while remaining anchored to the stereotypes of the FPS to the setting of war, does not seem very deep, making it still exciting and spectacular. The story in single player, therefore, could prove to be the true weapon of a title that is a multiplayer free-to-play, using the particular touch of the Finnish team that goes precisely to fill what seemed to be a gap greater than CrossfireX, that is, its lack of a strong identity.
