PAX 2010 - Impressions: FireFall

by: Sean - posted: 9/8/2010 6:24:00 PM

Red 5 Studio's FireFall is the hybrid shooter/MMO you've been dreaming of.

Red 5 Studios debuted their latest game, FireFall, at PAX, showing off a hybrid shooter/MMO style of gameplay that could only come to you from this unique team of Tribes veterans and the lead designer of World of Warcraft.

FireFall takes place on a future Earth that has been devastated by over-use of the mineral Crystite, an energy source that is used to power what's left of the globe; the majority of the planet has been covered in a black cloud known as The Melding, a place from which monsters emerge and adventurers never return. As the last bastions of humanity struggle to preserve what's left of our species, a new race called The Chosen emerge hell-bent on destroying what the monsters that come out of the Melding leave behind.

FireFall is a skill-based MMO that can be played from either the first or third person viewpoint, and frankly looks pretty impressive. It has a bright, vibrant visual aesthetic similar to Borderlands, and every surface is the game is playable; see a mountain off in the distance? Climb it , and see what you can snipe. It's a wide-open world with a dynamic mission structure that should keep players coming back again and again. Whether you get a mission to collect Crystite or save a pioneer village from a Chosen attack, they'll never carry out the same way or in the same place. Players won't have classes to choose from, necessarily, but will be able to select from various customizable "battleframes" which work similarly to CoD: MW2's class systems; this battle frame is for sneak 'n' snipe, this is for close range work, etc. Enemies drop plenty of loot to keep things fresh but players can also pay for optional enhancements.

Best of all? It's free to play.

Watching FireFall in action, i felt like I was watching the next big online sensation; the enemies were smart, the graphics were the crispest i've seen out of an online game, the entire visual aesthetic was really just top-notch, and even watching this pioneer town get slowly flooded with giant bugs and Chosen was exciting.

Find out for yourselves when the game ships next year, or by applying for FireFall's open beta at Red 5's website.