FireFall

Firefall is a massively-mixed bag. The game is at its best when it forces players to frantically shoot their way through swarms of enemies while protecting an objective, but the fun found in these missions wears off when repeated over and over. I think there are a few hours of genuine pleasure to be found in Firefall, but beyond that I think it’s hard to recommend it to anyone, unless they’re just a diehard fan of MMO tropes.

48%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

57% User Score Based on 322 reviews

Critic Score 57%Based on 2 reviews

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About

FireFall is a warfare-themed, massively multiplayer open-world shooter set on a future Earth forever changed by the Melding. Players customize battleframes and weaponry to fight the Chosen, completing dynamic quests and experiencing new challenges in a living world with stunning graphics. However, prepare for some grinding and potential bugs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 324 reviews

story27 positive mentions

grinding34 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of MMO and FPS mechanics, allowing for dynamic combat and exploration.
The crafting and resource gathering systems are engaging, providing a sense of progression and reward.
The community is generally helpful and supportive, enhancing the multiplayer experience.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, impacting overall gameplay experience.
There is a significant grind involved, which can become tedious over time.
The cash shop is seen as overpriced, and many players feel that essential features are locked behind paywalls.

story
177 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
80%
5%
The story in Firefall has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over broken quests and a lack of meaningful progression, rendering the game nearly unplayable for new users. While some appreciate the game's sci-fi setting and potential for engaging narratives, the execution is often marred by bugs and repetitive mission structures, leading to a sense of disconnection from the storyline. Overall, the narrative experience is seen as underdeveloped and plagued by technical issues, detracting from the game's initial promise.
- “The main story is actually pretty engaging in a big space opera, future of the entire species kind of way.”
- “In spite of being a hammed up cliche (at times), the story is consistent within the game world, and at no point do I find myself wondering why I'm doing anything.”
- “The story was compelling enough and the landscape lush enough to just draw me right in.”
- “The storyline missions were gaining more and more bugs with each update; dropship transport was introduced (great!) then removed shortly after due to more bugs.”
- “Now it seems that the team working on this game have gone the way of the dodo birds and disappeared from the face of the planet; the game is now seriously broken all the way to the main missions glitching.”
- “The main problems with Firefall are how glitchy it is, and the boring story and characters.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
52%
6%
The gameplay of Firefall is characterized by dynamic, action-oriented mechanics that include cooperative combat, customization options, and engaging crafting systems. Players appreciate the fast-paced, skill-based shooter elements, enhanced by features like jump jets and varied class playstyles, although many express frustration over the game's decline due to content removal and lack of developer support. Overall, while the gameplay remains enjoyable and immersive, issues such as repetitive combat and incomplete features detract from the experience.
- “The gameplay is wild and frenetic, with guns blazing and bombs exploding, fun objective-based mini-events that pop up all over the map, and occasional chosen attacks and even special full-out assaults on the last vestige of humanity.”
- “The world is immersive, features are uncluttered, and gameplay is just plain fun.”
- “The fast-paced, skill-based shooter mechanics are wonderful and help keep the game entertaining.”
- “Even worse - there are so many leftover mechanics that you might be fooled to think they are placeholders for new updates when they are actually junk not properly cleaned.”
- “The overall game experience is brand new and the gameplay is good, but the problems are ruining these good features.”
- “Gameplay is average, graphics are awful, story is boring, and customization and weapons are minimal.”
graphics
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and unique art style, particularly the low poly aesthetic and vibrant environments. However, some users report significant issues, including glitches, memory leaks, and outdated graphics reminiscent of early 2000s games, which detract from the overall experience. While the game is visually appealing for a free-to-play title, technical problems and inconsistent performance have led to frustration among players.
- “The graphics were lovely (quite a big fan of the low poly look), the game played nicely, the bosses you had to think about and strategize with your team.”
- “The visuals are top notch, the effects quite dazzling and the world you play in is fantastic.”
- “The graphics are amazing, great variety of battleframes/skills/weapons prefix/etc.”
- “First, the graphics of the world and surrounding areas, like objects, trees, rocks, machinery, and many more things, are as low as 2000s games. I have a gaming PC and set the settings on ultra high, yet it didn't change anything.”
- “Gameplay is average, graphics are awful, story is boring, and customization and weapons are limited.”
- “Graphically, it looks like they are trying to marry the look of Borderlands and Team Fortress 2, and it just falls flat.”
grinding
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game features a significant grinding aspect, often described as tedious and repetitive, particularly in the later stages where leveling and crafting become increasingly impractical. While some players find enjoyment in the grind, especially when playing with friends, many express frustration over the lack of meaningful rewards and the overwhelming need to grind for materials and levels. Overall, the grinding experience is a mixed bag, with some appreciating the replayability it offers, while others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “They made an awesome beta that felt like a tech demo, got tons of money and proceeded to slowly ruin it to the point where it is now: bugged, broken, grindy, and unfun.”
- “The grind... it is a very, very, very grindy game.”
- “Repetitive quests, go all the way over there, ya, 1597 meters away, kill that young dog to make that small amount of shade disappear that was blocking a crazy thing, walk all the way back, because most missions have the enemy at the lowest spot on the maps, then walk 1597 meters to go back to the person who wanted the quest done, then go 344 meters to get to the quest board and do more grinding.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. While some acknowledge that such issues are common in newly released titles, the lack of effective patches or support exacerbates the problem, leading to a frustrating experience for players. Despite these challenges, some still find enjoyment in the game, particularly in solo play, but caution others about the frequent need for restarts and workarounds.
- “The tutorial levels are now broken and the game has hundreds of bugs and glitches.”
- “There are random crashes and lag problems, some in-game glitches, and difficulties with balance and crafting.”
- “Barring all that, the game is still insanely fun when you can play it, but don't be surprised if the game freezes completely when you are loading and the only thing you can do to get it unfrozen is a cold restart of your PC.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization has deteriorated over time, leading to significant performance issues such as stuttering and severe frame rate drops, which can render it nearly unplayable. While it initially offered smooth performance and noticeable improvements with gear upgrades, current stability problems have overshadowed these positive aspects.
- “Good graphics too and runs smoothly on a proper PC.”
- “Performance and stability have gotten progressively worse as well.”
- “This brings on at first minor stuttering and intermittent frame rate drops, then progresses to chokingly bad frame rates that make the game nearly unplayable.”
- “Back then it was skill-based, with gear upgrades offering small but noticeable changes in performance.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Users express a deep sense of disappointment and heartbreak regarding the emotional trajectory of games like Firefall, which suffered from glitches and a lackluster story, leading to a decline from its initial promise. The overwhelming tutorial experience in Wildstar felt artificial, detracting from genuine emotional engagement, while the dwindling support for Firefall has left players feeling shocked and saddened by its decline.
- “I am shocked and appalled; I have had many fun moments in this game, and to see it squandered now, with only one dev working on it, is heartbreaking.”
- “The main problems with Firefall are how glitchy it is, along with the boring story and characters.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The music in the game is generally described as decent but unremarkable, with some players expressing a desire for more engaging compositions. However, there are notable issues with sound quality, including instances of missing audio for weapons, vehicles, and background sounds.
- “Music is decent, though I might have expected more.”
- “Music is decent, nothing special but okay.”
- “The sound could be improved, not just in terms of music but also normal sounds. There are times when I lose all sound from a certain weapon, vehicle, or even the background sound.”
- “The music is decent, nothing special but okay.”
- “The music is decent, though I might have expected more.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability through its engaging battle mechanics and the ability to switch frames, allowing players to level up various characters at any time. Users appreciate the sense of impact on the game world, enhancing the overall enjoyment and encouraging multiple playthroughs.
- “Excellent game, very good battle mechanics, pretty nice story, excellent voice acting, a lot of replayability when switching frames. You can level up at any time with any frame you have access to, and most importantly, you feel you can make a difference in the world.”
- “It's not only playable, it's replayable and enjoyable.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game often arises from unexpected combinations of events that lead to chaotic and amusing situations, such as counter-attacks occurring on a player's thumper. Additionally, some of the voice acting is perceived as so poor that it becomes unintentionally humorous, adding to the overall comedic experience.
- “Sometimes a combination of events creates funny scenarios and mayhem, such as when a chosen counter-attack spawns on your thumper.”
- “Some (but not all) of the voice acting is so bad that it's funny.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its uniqueness, providing an engaging experience that allows players to enjoy their limited free time. The presence of distinctive mobs further enhances this immersive environment.
- “The atmosphere is great, and as a busy person with limited free time, this is a really nice way to spend a few hours once in a while.”
- “It has a very unique atmosphere and distinct mobs to encounter.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is free to play and features microtransactions, primarily allowing players to acquire items from the cash shop using in-game currency. However, some users have expressed frustration over the inability to make in-game purchases at the moment.
- “It's free to play; microtransactions are present, but for the most part you can get items from the cash shop (red bean store) with currency earned in-game.”
- “At the moment, it isn't possible for me to make in-game purchases, which is the only issue I have.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The reviews highlight that while the game's graphics are smooth, the character design is notably impressive, suggesting a strong emphasis on visual appeal in character development.
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with them.”
- “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; there was no real growth or change.”
- “The choices I made didn't seem to impact the characters in any meaningful way, leaving me feeling disconnected.”