Team-based, objective-oriented FPS Dirty Bomb is available to anyone who wants to try it out today. Download it on Steam for free, but be warned — developer Splash Damage has made it clear that this one is not for the noob-hearted.
Yes, “difficult to learn, impossible to master” is the motto of this hardcore shooter. There’s no secret being made of the fact that if you’re not playing well, and playing as a team, you will lose in a manner befitting a pub scrub.
The open beta begins with a traditional Objective mode, with an attacking and defending team, and Stopwatch mode, in which teams switch side and the victor is decided by who completes the objective the fastest. Note: No Team Deathmatch. I could kiss the devs.
Five maps and twelve mercenaries will also be available from the get go, with a rotating roster deciding which mercs are free.
While the loot depends on a random system of buying cases (similar to Counter-Strike or TF2) and hopefully getting the rarer items within, one thing refreshing element of the loot system is how up-front Splash Damage is being about its drop rates. Anything that has to do with function and gameplay will have a high drop rate, but there’s a 0.1% rate on the ultra epic vanity items, and they’re not trying to hide it.
This is one of those games I’d love to see lots of people playing, not only because it needs it and deserves it, but because it’s kind of heartbreaking to see a well designed game not make it due to player populations. There are so many games out there asking for our time these days.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars wasn’t the best thing ever, but it didn’t exactly get a fair go, what with being released in the middle of Team Fortress 2, Unreal Tournament 3, and the first CoD: Modern Warfare. That was frankly way too much awesome for one holiday period.
Splash Damage’s next FPS, Brink, got even less of a chance at greatness, despite being released at a quieter time.
On the plus side, even in hardcore shooters like this, communities tend to be friendly because everyone realises the playerbase needs to grow. Anyone who was a fan the old Enemy Territory mod should give it a go.
It’s for that most special of prices, anyway: Free. Though of course, being founded by ultra-competitive gamers, there’s no pay-to-win in this model. Just pay-to-look-cool.
Check it out here.
Comments
5 responses to “Dirty Bomb Goes Into Open Beta Today”
So are there any dedicated servers? If there is then count me in fo shure
Yep – local and dedicated
Yeah I’ve been playing this game since closed beta. I like it, but it can get really frustrating when you are on a team and they play it like CoD. It’s very much a team game, and needs to be played liked that. I think there are a few things to work on (obviously), but for the most part I like it. Runs smooth, looks good enough (UE3) and there’s that hook with the card loadouts that will surely secure the devs some money if they get the crowd.
It’s actually good to see that pretty much all AUS servers (20+) were full, so hopefully that’s a good sign. It’s a shame what happened to Brink, probably a game before it’s time, or just needed a slightly different approach.
Massive problem. Frankly, part of why I don’t bother with MP-only games anymore. They’re only as good as they’ve got players, and that’s close to launch or a sale. You’ve got to be hip and with it and get it when it’s hot, as opposed to on your own damn time.
For every Evolve or Titanfall (itself in decline), there’s just as many worthy LoadOuts, Shattered Horizons, Quake Wars, Brinks, Hawkens who didn’t get – and now won’t get – the attention they really deserved.
And that’s not even thinking about the tiny indie titles that have next to no players even on launch, like The Showdown Effect and its ilk of even lesser quality. The Steam store is littered with their next-to-nothing box-price remnants of shattered dreams and empty servers. Worse yet is when they rely heavily on listening to the whims of their niche-by-definition beta-testing/crowdfunding-backer community, such that when actual launch rolls around, the general interested public is subjected on ‘day one’ to the brutality of jaded veterans with years of testing experience under their belts, eager to feast on the fresh meat… who, of course, go elsewhere, starving the game of the population it needs to survive.
The multiplayer-only indie scene has got to be the most tragically self-defeating exercise in game development. I say tragic, because of all the art assets and solid, satisfying game mechanics that go to waste. There is zero point to buying one of these failures after their community dries up, years or even months after release. None. Absolutely none. But at least if there were a fully-realized single-player campaign, that effort might actually serve some kind of point for the casual passerby, be appreciated instead of skipped over.
I don’t understand anyone who willingly creates one of these games expecting to make money. Why do they all shoot themselves not only in the feet, but blow off their own kneecaps as well?
Competitive shooters have been in decline for a long time, Moba and RTS games dominate the pro scene now, even the one game that breaks that rule, counter strike only really took off (again) once people could pimp their gun. Before that most players were hardly interested. Counter strike is a incredible game, but it took that feature to get the massive following it has now, I am sure players who started because of those features also love the tactical side, but that is not what drew them in.
I really think this type of shooter has had its day, people will play it for sure, and it will have fans but hardly be a success like titans of the past have been. MMO’s have been going through the same, so many look at making the next big thing but the players just are not interested in that anymore, even great mmo’s go free to play in a year. I am almost certain that Moba’s will experience the same thing.