FragPunk, the vibrant 5v5 hero shooter, burst onto the scene on March 6, and to be honest, it’s a sleeper that, surprisingly, people aren’t talking about. The free-to-play hero shooter, developed by Bad Guitar Studio and published by NetEase, is a fast-paced 5v5 hero shooter with power-up cards, known as shard cards, that change the rules of engagement. FragPunk boasts a variety of selectable heroes with unique abilities to choose from. The primary mode is a familiar search-and-destroy mode called shard clash. However, each round has a two-and-a-half-minute timer, and the time to kill is pretty fast, so the rounds go quicker than your typical search-and-destroy matches. If Search and Destroy isn’t your bag, FragPunk includes a team deathmatch and arcade modes. The vibrant art style, kick-ass soundtrack, and fun, replayable gameplay give players a reason to return.
The Shard Card system is by far the biggest draw for FragPunk. In each round, both teams vote on cards to put in play for the coming round by adding shards to vote. Each card has an associated number of shards required to buy it. The shard cards change the rules entirely for each round. With over 150+ cards to discover and choose from, the variety seems limitless. Examples include a card that gives you a double jump, reverses the roles of attackers and defenders, and engulfs your bullets in flames. Each round brings a new challenge, as well as advantages and disadvantages for your team. The variety of the Shard Cards makes each round feel unique, fueling the replayability of FragPunk. Shard Cards also play a strategic role within your team dynamic. With each player accumulating shards each round, players must work as a team to choose what cards will be most advantageous for the team’s success. Saving up enough shards between your team to purchase more expensive cards can change the tide for a series.
The primary game mode for FragPunk is its Shard Clash mode, which pits five players against another team of five in a best of seven rounds. Like other search-and-destroy modes, one team is the attacker, and the other is the defender. The attacker aims to take the converter to one of two sites and plant it so it explodes. The attackers’ win conditions are killing everyone on the opposing team or successfully planning the converter and defending it until it detonates. The defenders win a round by killing all the attackers or defusing the planted converter. Each series consists of a minimum of four rounds but can last up to seven, which brings into focus another innovative part of FragPunks’ Shard Clash mode: tiebreakers. In FragPunk, tiebreakers consist of a group solo duel. If your match gets to the sixth round and it’s tied up, “The Duel” triggers. All players will compete in a 1v1 duel against an opposing player. The player who wins stays in the duel with the same amount of health as the previous round. The team that eliminates all five players wins the duel and the match. I do not typically play the search and destroy modes in FPS games because the mode is slower-paced. FragPunk’s quick rounds and smaller map sizes force players to play quicker and end the rounds as quickly as possible. FragPunk also includes a 6v6 team deathmatch mode and a couple of arcade modes that felt more like an afterthought. I didn’t play much of the team deathmatch or arcade modes. I was having a blast in the Shard Clash mode. The gunplay feels much like Apex, so firing, aiming down the scope, and popping off at people was familiar. Once you get to rank 30, ranked play opens up. You know how sweaty lobbies can get if you’ve ever played any ranked mode in video games. I didn’t feel out of place and held my own occasionally. The dev team has done a nice job of converting someone like me, who doesn’t typically play search-and-destroy modes, into successfully having a good time in their version. To me, that’s a huge win!
FragPunk launched with a diverse cast of characters. There are 13 Lancers for players, each possessing three unique abilities. The Lancers cover an array of abilities that can swing battles in your favor. The hero’s abilities help in assault, control, defending, and healing. Players can choose their Lancer each round, which is nice if your team wants to switch up their strategy mid-match. One aspect that falls short is giving players a reason to care about the Lancers. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by Overwatch and the level of depth that they have built out for each character and the cinematic films they put together for characters. FragPunk has a comic that gives some context to the characters, but I was not very interested in the lore.
There are around 20 weapons in seven categories for players to choose from. Like the Lancers, players can switch between weapons each round. The flexibility to change up your team’s strategy is a boon for players. The variety of weapons is what you would expect from an FPS game, featuring a range of options including assault rifles, snipers, submachine guns, and shotguns. There are a couple of specialized pistols, like a smoke grenade pistol, but the weapon variety is basic.
The art style and music in FragPunk complement the fast-paced gameplay. Everything from the character designs, menu UI, and environments scream vibrant punk vibes. It’s a bit much for my older eyes, but I can see how the vibrancy is appealing to a younger crowd. The levels are beautifully designed to match the vibrant punk aesthetic. The maps essentially have three lanes: left, mid, and right. FragPunk launched with ten maps, seven specific to the Shard Clash mode. Combined with the card system, a good variety of maps keeps the game fresh.
A couple of issues came to mind when I played FragPunk. With the game being free-to-play, the monetization methods are similar to those found in cell phone games. Once they log in, players are aggressively hit with advertisements for the shops’ skins, charms, stickers, and other accessories. This is typical of NetEase-published games, which often come across as more annoying than a genuine issue with the gameplay. I get it; the company needs to make money, but there are less aggressive ways of getting our money from our pockets. Another concern I have is the lack of a clear roadmap. With the free-to-play/live service model, we’ve seen many games come and go over the last few years, but few survive the inevitable culling if frequent updates aren’t distributed throughout the year. This is a significant indicator of whether a game at least has a plan for longevity. The biggest issue by far had to be the delay of FragPunk on the console. It reminds me of that meme of the guy hurting the other guy and asking him why he’s hurting himself! The devs over at Bad Guitar Studio announced on March 5, the day before the release, that they would be delaying the console release due to unexpected technical challenges during the compliance testing process. I’m not sure how that process works, but one would think that the guidelines were laid out somewhere so devs don’t have to guess. Regardless, this delay, which still does not have a release date yet for console, is having a substantial negative impact not only on marketability but also on your buyers’ market who don’t have access to the game. Talk about an enormous boondoggle!
FragPunk is a quick-paced first-person shooter incorporating innovative gameplay mechanics like their Shard Cards and tie-breaker system. The fast-paced gameplay is complemented by its high-octane soundtrack and vibrant color palette. Unfortunately, this sleeper of an FPS game doesn’t feel like it will have enough to last the long haul. I wouldn’t be surprised if FragPunk were shut down by this time next year. It is an excellent attempt by Bad Guitar Studio at making a hero shooter that feels different enough from the others in its genre. With the free price tag, FragPunk is a game I’d say check if you’re into quick-paced FPS games.
