Criminals: Overview

The most recent iteration of the hero shooter genre, LawBreakers, incorporates aspects from classic arena shooters such as Quake and Unreal Tournament, along with zero-gravity mobility, into the well-liked framework that was first introduced by Team Fortress and further enhanced in Overwatch last year. Lawbreakers is a reaction to Overwatch in certain ways, and it tackles some of the character selection/meta game debates in Blizzard's title, but if you look past a few presentation and design decisions that, at best, can make the game appear more boring than it is and, at worst, act as a barrier to entry for a game that, by definition, depends on an engaged, consistent player base, it also has its own personality and beat.

Each of the nine distinct and well-balanced classes has a variety of special weapons and abilities that may be adjusted to suit a variety of play styles and skill levels. Players are divided into two teams of five, Law vs Breakers, and the story is brief but ultimately irrelevant. All five game types are objective-based; two entail capturing the flag in a different way and two involve holding locations on the map. Blitzball, the game's fifth mode, is a fast-paced mode more akin to a sport than a shooting mode. A well-organized squad will always prevail against lone wolves searching for killstreaks in all of the game modes, which are notable for including more than simply killing the opposition.

Even though LawBreakers is limited to online multiplayer, it's a fairly basic game with nothing in the way of appearance or other features. There is absolutely no information about the game when it first loads.It's one thing to miss a tutorial in a game where you need to grasp certain skills and mechanics, but it's unacceptable to skip the character introductions through opening credits or descriptions (yes, there is a screen with the names and portraits of all 18 characters, but it's only for outfitting skins and cosmetics). It seems like starting a game would be the only practical choice. I didn't know who any of the characters were or what their skills were, so I just entered a battle and picked one that seemed like he could withstand some damage. The next 10 minutes were a painful battle for me as I tried to figure out how to manage my weapons and what the game was meant to be about. At this juncture, I see a lot of folks giving up and writing LawBreakers off as dull or complicated.

I took a quick detour to the game's website to learn how to play and gain some understanding of what was going on (there is a basic written description of the abilities available in game – i.e. while enemy players are shooting at you)). Once I was back, I knew that each character had a primary weapon, a secondary weapon that occasionally had alternate fire modes, a movement-based ability that used an energy bar, such as sprint, slide, or jet boots/pack, a grenade-type ability with a short cooldown, and an ultimate ability with a longer cooldown. There are no iron sights or zoom-in scopes on weapons; they all fire from the hip, and health does not replenish. Even in zero-g, you may attempt to target an attacker who is chasing you or control your course by firing blindly behind you.

Despite LawBreakers' desire to be seen as a challenging, high-skill game, I really thought the gameplay was very simple. Even though I'm usually much poorer than average at competitive shooting, I thought most of Lawbreakers' classes were fun and entertaining. Even while I could never understand taking on the fast-moving, squishy Wraith, Gunslinger, or Assassin, I thought the tanky Juggernaut, with his shield wall and shotgun, was a smart pick to aid my team in defending hard locations in an Occupy game. Another large figure is the Titan, who is equipped with a chain-electric cannon and a rocket launcher. If your aim is not the best, the Vanguard is a solid option because of her minigun, which becomes more accurate the longer it fires, and her jet pack, which gives her greater mobility. To make up for this, opponents may easily evade the Vanguard's ultimate ability since it is rather visible.

Each class offers a few little surprises as well as a few workable strategies; the Enforcer, with his assault weapon, is perhaps the closest similar to a classic first-person shooter loadout, albeit his skills are more support-oriented. His run increases the speed and rate of fire of his allies, while his grenade acts as an EMP explosion for the other squad. With their jet boots and laser gun, the Harriers are an excellent class that can traverse gaps in the map rapidly and bring a blitzball almost all the way to the goal in only a few seconds after kickoff. The Battle Medic is likely to be a hit with healers because of his or her powerful grenade launcher, which allows them to be an effective attacking or defensive option. Classes may be changed upon death, but unlike other comparable shooters, you won't likely face criticism or coercion from your teammates over your choice. Instead, you can play the role or style that best suits you without fearing that it won't benefit the squad as a whole.

The eight maps are pretty much sufficient; they're modest, have clear kill boxes and choke spots, and the zero-gravity sections provide just enough variation to keep things fresh for the time being. Future levels, characters, and modes will all be free, according to developer Boss Key. Since this is an online multiplayer shooter in 2017, loot boxes—which come with skins for weapons, characters, and other cosmetic decals—reappear unsightly and superfluously every time you level up. There are no additional advancement or upgrade mechanisms outside of the loot boxes; regardless of how long a player has been playing, the game puts all players on an even playing field.

As of writing, matching times seldom exceed a minute in the game, despite a few very minor technical problems in the early going following launch. Like with many of the auxiliary features in this update, the matchmaking mechanism itself appears a bit rudimentary. The primary game's absence of distractions has a certain purity, and even while the presentation isn't cheesy in the slightest, many players will be disappointed if they just get the basic feature set.

The Conclusion

Under a brazen shell of antiquated "attitude" and an unwelcoming presentation, there is a perfectly calibrated jet engine of a shooter with the technical prowess to stand out in a crowded and erratic genre. Though it doesn't always present itself to the best of its abilities, LawBreakers is still well worth the effort. It will go a long way toward gaining the audience it deserves if enough people can play the game firsthand.