Warface Review

Mandatory teamwork is the glue that holds everything together in Warface, Crytek’s latest slick-looking first-person shooter which takes the fight deep into free-to-play territory. Whether you’re hoisting a squad member up to higher ground, replenishing dwindling ammo supplies, or using a defibrillator to revive a fallen teammate, a sense of compulsory camaraderie drives the intense co-op missions. If your team doesn’t work together as a cohesive unit, everyone dies. It’s a cool hook that can alternately forge strong bonds or throw your crew into bickering turmoil. But beyond its spirited cooperative battles, Warface just doesn’t do enough to set itself apart from other military shooters pushing up to the front lines this year.

One of Warface’s biggest shortcomings is its generic setup, which inspires precious little excitement. Pitting the G.I. Joe-esque Warface faction against the special-ops-costumed Blackwood forces, the bland conflict contains only subtle hints of the game’s military context, which is delivered in rambling radio chatter while you’re waiting for your chopper to touch down at the start of each co-op mission. Once the door blasts open and your squad bolts into the line of fire, vague references to terrorists and chemical compounds quickly devolve into “kill all of the bad dudes who are shooting at you.” The quasi-futuristic setting affords a few opportunities for the game to throw giant mechs and soldiers in heavy power armor at you, but otherwise, it’s all familiar stuff.