The Darkness
There are a ton of first-person shooter games in the market today, hell there are a lot of shooter-type games in general that are flooding the market. So, in order for any of them to really push through they have to do something special, for instance in the hero-shooter market the upcoming Marvel Rivals has a really good shot just on the strength of the Marvel license alone. It helps that the game just so happens to play really well in the betas though, and yes, I just brought this game up because I am excited for it. But the point stands, you have to stand out from the crowd in the FPS market and it just so happens that developer Double Eleven knew the assignment.
Enter their latest game and newest addition to the ever-growing world of shooters: Blindfire. Released on Xbox Series X|S, what makes Blindfire unique is its concept: most of the action takes place in complete darkness, creating a tense and strategic gameplay experience. Players are thrust into pitch-black warehouse shootouts where visibility is extremely limited. The game emphasizes slower-paced, tactical gameplay, requiring players to rely on sound and limited visual cues to locate and eliminate their enemies. The default mode, Bodycount, is Blindfire’s version of deathmatch that can be played solo or in teams. Players are given an ability called Echo, which briefly reveals the outlines of their surroundings, to gain a tactical advantage. The game still only has a handful of modes but they all are fun to play, with the self-explanatory ‘Hide and Seek’ being among my favorites.
MSRP: $8.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PC
Price I’d Pay: $8.99
The gameplay mechanics are well-designed, with a strong focus on careful movement and strategic planning. Players need to listen for enemy movements and use their Echo ability tactically to avoid being caught off guard. This ain’t Call of Duty kids, and running ‘n gunning is just going to get you found and killed. Some of this is helped by their only being a limited weapon pool currently; pistols, shotguns but no assault rifles and other heavy ‘CoD’ type armaments. Blindfire also introduces a unique reloading mechanic, where players can choose between a quick, loud reload or a slower, quieter one, adding another layer of strategy to the gameplay, where even a misplaced reload will get you killed. The nice thing is that even once a player has been taken out, they can still determine the winner of the match. Each level is filled with light traps, electric grids and other hazards that defeated players can take advantage of for their team. This helped to keep me engaged even as I was waiting for the current match to end and the next to being, sometimes its boring just watching everyone else play.
The minimalist style that Blindfire uses effectively conveys the darkness and tension of each match. The graphics, though minimalist, are still extremely well done; a lot of this comes down to the fantastic use of shadows and limited lighting throughout the game. It gives of an eerie and super immersive feel to each match, especially as levels are peppered with mannequins. This minimalist approach carries over to audio design as well, there isn’t a rocking soundtrack but the gun sound effects are suburb. But it makes sense, the lack of a loud booming soundtrack that is, in Blindfire players will need to listen to footsteps and other audio cues to help find enemy players.
Blindfire came out of the blue and its not a bad game at all on a technical level I ran into very few bugs. Truly, the real problem is that it is still another first-person shooter game in what feels like a never-ending sea of them. Upon release I was able to find matches with ease, but as the days have gone on, the wait time for matches has also gotten longer. In my youth I was a huge multiplayer fan, and young me would be loving all these games; but young me was also just that, ‘young’. Most of us don’t have time to spread among 30 different games, let alone requiring the different control schemes and strategies it takes to win in them. This is by no means me saying I want to see these stop coming, I just really would like them to succeed.
Look, honestly, Blindfire is a new and certainly unique multiplayer shooter that is bringing something new to the genre in its pitch-black setting. Between the setting and the slower, more tactical-style gameplay; Blindfire is certainly gonna scratch an itch for fans. While the game still has some limitations, such as limited game modes and a declining player base, if the Blindfire marketing team is able to successful in spreading the word; then these are issues that will be a thing of the past. If they aren’t, well then, I suggest you check out Blindfire while you can if interested.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
