With tens of thousands of players logging in every day on Steam alone, it’s hard to argue againstFragPunk’s immediate success. If the game manages to extend this popularity in the future and whether it will become a positive investment for developer Bad Guitar Studio, owned by thesame NetEase behindMarvel Rival, only time will tell.
For now, we know thatFragPunkis doing fine. However, if you had made the questionable decision to get your game news from Steam’s store page, you’d have seen something different. For about a day following its release on Steam on March 7,FragPunkwas sitting on a Mixed rating after just 6000 reviews. Even now, it’s at the slightly better “Mostly Positive.” That’s not too bad, but it’s miles behind the (also mixed) 82.000 reviews of last week’sMonster Hunter Wildsand was even beaten by last month’s surprise indie hitREPO.
FragPunkis off to a rocky start, but it sure isn’t dead on arrival, as some Steam reviews will have you believe. However, beyond those who mockingly compare it to a mobile game and mourn their beloved beta, there are some fair criticisms ofFragPunkfound in those comments.
The most common complaint is that unlocking anything inFragPunktakes too long, and it’s too expensive. Similarly, a lot of players are less than thrilled about the nine distinct in-game currencies, which they identify as a transparent attempt at obfuscating the items’ real cost. Many others dislike the slow movement speed and fast time to kill. Some believeFragPunkdilutes theCounterStrikeformula too much, while others argue that the addition of character powers and cards isn’t enough to distinguish the game from the competition.
Even though the loudest voices are those critical of the game, we shouldn’t forget thatFragPunkis a success. It has a healthy player base right off the bat, most of which seem to like it just fine. It’s a creative mix of hero shooters and slow, tactical combat, introducing divisive but bold innovations like the Shard Cards and lots of weird new game modes.
In a world of self-serious shooters,FragPunkstands out because it isn’t afraid of being a little silly. This one is worth keeping an eye on.
