Well, now that the game has reached open beta I can safely talk about my impressions on the game without fear of the NDA. Keep in mind, in no way is this to be considered a review of Section 8. I only had access to the closed beta which consisted of only a few multiplayer maps with no single player content at all. Only if I pick up a copy of the game and spend more time with it would I even consider reviewing it. Anyway, on to my impressions:
Overall, Section 8 is a pretty interesting game, but it is not what I was hoping it would be. All of the general gameplay ideas here are pretty good, and it borrows a number of mechanics from some of my favorite games. For example, the jetpacks remind me of Tribes and the burning-in spawn system is similar to the hot drop system from Planetside. When it comes down to it, most (if not all) of the various gameplay elements in Section 8 have been in other games in one form or another. So while the game has an interesting mix, it’s not the revolutionary first person shooter the promotional material has marketed it as.
Graphically the game only looks alright. There is nothing really impressive about the game’s visuals, but it is not ugly by any means. The draw distance and scale of some maps can be pretty impressive, but the overall design is generally generic sci-fi. However, the good news is that the graphics engine runs super smooth. With all of the settings maxed out I was getting well over 100 fps at all times. Bad performance can ruin online shooters, so this is great news for those of you with older systems.
Again, all of this is pretty interesting. But my major complaint about the game is that it is just so incredibly slow. Jetpacks and sprinting take ages to recharge even with modules to increase their recharge rate. The walking speed is painfully slow, and the weapons don’t seem to do a lot of damage. At long ranges, bullets only damage an enemy’s shields while at close range many guns begin to pierce shields and do damage directly to armor. As such, long range fights last even longer. A lot of the combat boils down to you and your opponent slowly strafing each other while shooting tons of ammo. The game also has a lock on feature that is essentially a time limited auto-aim. If one person jetpacks up into the air, you can be pretty sure the other will simply lock onto you as you fly over their head. It simply takes too long to kill other players, and you are so slow that aiming becomes extremely easy. Whoever wins often depends in large part to who locks on first or whose passive module selection gives them the advantage. That’s not to say that there is no skill at all in the game. Good use of your jetpack and gadgets like the mortar still count for something, but I would say that Section 8 is one of the easier games I have played in a while.
That being said, I still did enjoy the time I spent with the beta. There is no way I would have put the amount of time into it that I did if I wasn’t having some fun. From the discussions I was having with the other players in the game, some of them really seem to be enjoying the game a ton. Some even claim it’s the best game ever. Section 8 just turned out differently then I was hoping. If they would increase the movement speed and the weapon damage and take out the lock on I would be all over this game as the rest of it is pretty cool. I am still considering picking it up, but I am not sure if it’s something I would play long term. I guess I will just wait and see how much more content the full game has in comparison to the beta and make my choice then. So bottom line: if the game looked interesting to you before, or if you are just tired of the more generic shooters out there, give Section 8 a try. While its not exactly my cup of tea, there is a good chance you might like its blend.