CrossfireX's campaign reminded me of the developer's earlier titles, such as Max Payne, but it was generally unimpressive
I really wanted to like Catalyst, the new campaign produced by Remedy Entertainment and published earlier this month for the free-to-play shooter CrossfireX. Remedy, the company behind fantastic games like Control and Alan Wake, is one of my favorites, and while I wasn't delighted to hear that they were working on a Counter-Strike clone, I was interested by the notion. What would a Remedy-made military FPS look like? Is it even possible for me to tell? So, I've got my response. And, while it has the feel of a Remedy game, it's still a pretty dull trip.
CrossfireX is a recently launched console-focused spin-off of the enormously successful Crossfire. Both are free-to-play shooters that draw heavily on Counter-Strike and Call of Duty. When Microsoft and Crossfire publisher and developer Smilegate announced that they will bring a new version of the shooter to Xbox, it was also disclosed that it would contain a campaign. This portion of the game would be created by Remedy and, unlike CrossfireX, would be constructed with the studio's proprietary Northlight Engine, the same technology that powered Control. This is an unusual configuration. I can't think of a recent game that included a campaign built in one engine by a developer inside another game created by a different studio in a new engine.
Aside from the unusual technicalities, CrossfireX's multiplayer stinks. I played a couple games and loathed every minute of them. Even after the developers corrected some of the game's more vexing issues, it remains a clumsy and unfun-to-play military shooter. In a world where there are games like Fortnite, PUBG, Warzone, Rainbow Six Siege, Halo Infinite, CSGO, and others, it is doubtful that CrossfireX will find or keep a large audience.
On the positive side, Remedy's first Crossfire campaign, Catalyst, is far superior! It's still not amazing, but it feels decent to move around and fire, which is essential in a shooter. (This is something that CrossfireX's online component falls short on.)
Catalyst's core structure consists of a powerful private military organization, Global Risk, at war with an equally large and ruthless terrorist outfit known as Black List. At the outset of the campaign, a small squad from Global Risk is dispatched to a fictitious nation to apprehend a high-ranking member of the Black List. Things swiftly deteriorate, and your team leader is apprehended, leaving it up to this squad to locate, save, and flee their buddy. But there's more going on than the crew anticipated, including reports of a strange, paranormal relic that may be able to let you see into the future. Oh, and one of the squad members is going insane, seeing things and experiencing events that don't seem to belong to them.
This was the most surprising aspect of Catalyst for me. Yes, the gameplay and general aesthetic are very "2012 military shooter," but the actual plot and scenario reminded me more of Control than Battlefield or Call of Duty. The game never fully exploits this universe or the narrative it builds, but if you dig through the various levels' recordings and messages, you can piece together something fascinating and strange going on. I simply wish the game displayed more of those details rather than hiding them in the collectibles menu.
Catalyst also has a button that allows you to slow down time, similar to Max Payne's Bullet Time feature. When you shoot, though, it slows down for a little period. It's a great notion that adds excitement to the game's mainly by-the-numbers combat confrontations. It also makes the game easier, which seemed almost like cheating given that I only perished once on the game's usual setting. Nonetheless, it contributed to the game's suspense anytime it deviated from its Remedy origins into "generic war shooter" terrain, which occurred regularly throughout the three-hour campaign.
At its finest, the campaign occasionally seems like Control, as the player character gradually loses their head. During these narrative sequences, you'll be walking through progressively wild and odd environments with impossible architecture, enigmatic conversations, and another Remedy staple: live-action footage of actual actors. In fact, a supercut of those moments might easily pass for a movie of "Hidden Levels In Control," since they're so strange and interesting that they make the rest of the game feel even duller.
Unfortunately, all of this—the spooky mythology, strange tale, Remedy-like touches, and slow-mo action—can't save Catalyst from being simply another bland military shooter. It looks beautiful, plays well, and doesn't linger too long. However, unless you are a die-hard Remedy fan who must play everything the studio releases, you should definitely pass on this. There is a second portion of the campaign, likewise made by Remedy, but after completing the first, I have no desire to play it. I'll simply have to wait for Alan Wake 2.
#AlanWake #RemedyEntertainment #BlackList #Control #CorssfireX #PUBG #CSGO #COD #CallOfDuty
SOURCE: kotaku
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SOURCE: kotaku
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