Delta Force Global Open Beta preview — A strong start

Ever since Steam Next Fest, I have been eagerly waiting for more Delta Force. Recently, I got to play a technical test with an updated version of the game. Since the last time we got to play, there have been a few tweaks and additions. With the PC Open Beta and the start of Season 1 just around the corner, let’s dive into what’s new in Delta Force. This preview will only cover the new content, as most of the old has remained the same. For an in-depth look at the rest of Delta Force, check out GamingTrend’s preview here.

Starting off, we have a new Operator to play as, Zoya Pomchenkova. Known by her call sign “Toxik,” she is an absolutely beastly addition to the support class. While the other support class operator, Stinger, heals and provides cover, Toxik buffs allies and debuffs enemies. Her addition creates a clear distinction between the roles of the support class; healer and enhancer.

Let’s do a quick rundown of her abilities. Toxik’s Tactical Gear ability is called the “Dragonfly Swarm System,” and it allows her to send forth a sweeping cloud of dragonfly-shaped UAVs that debuff enemy hearing, vision, and health. Allies hit by the Dragonfly Swarm get better gun handling. Her first class gadget is called Adreno-Buff. Toxik activates a dragonfly UAV that, like her swarm, buffs nearby teammates by making it easier for them to handle their weapons, as well as reducing hit flinch when they get shot. Any allies who get kills or assists receive an even stronger version of the buff next time Toxik uses it. I love that it has another power level beyond the initial cast, as it fits the Operator’s theme, as the team literally becomes a swarm. On another note, I’m not sure if the weapon buffs from her first two abilities stack, but if they do, that would be an overpowered combo. The next gadget is the Blinding Gas grenade. It’s basically a smoke with a blinding effect on enemies in range, so enemies have to think twice before blindly charging through it. Toxik’s passive trait is swift healing, which reduces the time it takes for nearby allies to use consumables in the Operations mode and reduces the auto-heal time for allies in Havoc Warfare.

Overall, I loved playing as Toxik. Her Dragonfly Swarm was super effective on the new map with all of the tight spaces that forced enemies into groups. I could easily debuff a bunch of enemies at once. Beyond that, the aesthetics of her dragonflies are beautiful, as their tails luminesce a neon blue color that contrasts well with the light orange and yellow tinge of their wings.

Speaking of the new map, it’s called Trench Lines. I got to play it on Attack/Defend, King of the Hill, and Blitz. I’ll be going over how it plays in all three modes, starting off with Attack/Defend. Trench Lines has the most sectors out of any map yet with a whopping five, two of which offer dual points. The first sector is a small encampment that will be easily enveloped by the attacking forces. The second sector fits the game’s namesake much better. A sprawling network of trenches offers plenty of close-quarters combat play, while the no-man’s land above offers a risky flanking route. On the sides, armored vehicles of all kinds will likely be prodding for weak points to fire down at to soften up the defenders. After the second sector, it’s all an uphill fight for the attackers, literally. The mouths of the trenches open up into an area with some crates, ruined buildings, destroyed tanks, hesco walls, and a functioning artillery piece. Just beyond that lies a small town with a smattering of buildings on a nearby hill that defenders will dig into like ticks. Between the two positions is a small river with two bridges overhead, thus offering multiple vectors of attack. Moving to the next sector, two points are separated by the hilly landscape, making it harder for both attackers and defenders to consolidate their forces. The final sector has a two-story warehouse on a hill underneath a giant flaming windmill. Its area features a security gate and checkpoints, as well as various crates for cover and sneaky flanking routes. I often saw recon players setting up spawn beacons on the windmill, allowing teammates to parachute down to advantageous positions.

I had a great moment playing Toxik on Attack/Defend. I was on defense in the small town and enemy artillery was raining down on us, so I pushed across the river to take them out. Next to the artillery, there was a broken-down tank that an enemy recon was using for cover. To the left, I noticed an enemy engineer, making the fight a 2v1. I unleashed my drone swarm upon them, which swept over the tank, successfully nerfing both of my opponents. While they ducked back, I flanked to the right, jumped up on the tank, and gunned down the recon. I then pushed up and took out the engineer who was stationed next to the artillery, before taking it as my own. I saw an enemy vehicle pushing up on the capture point, so I fired and missed. They swerved to the right in anticipation of my next shot but got stuck. Checkmate. I fired off a shell, causing the armored car to erupt. This whole scene was over the course of about 30 seconds, and it was chaotic in the best possible way.

Next up are the King of the Hill and Hill of Iron modes. They’re basically the same game mode where you need to capture points to gain resources to win, but the latter has heavy vehicles. It’s basically conquest from Battlefield, but instead of draining the enemy’s tickets, you’re gaining them. The map is good, as it has strong movement flow and point placement, but it has a critical flaw. The mode is only 16 vs 16 players, and the map can clearly accommodate over double that. This means that the volume of players in any given area is ludicrously low. Quite frankly, between the woodland area and the scarcity of encounters, it felt like I was hunting cryptids. I have had more action in minutes of Attack/Defend than I did in a whole match of King of the Hill. Even under these conditions, I liked the map’s layout and aesthetic. The solution here is to double (or more) the player count.

Moving on, Blitz is the polar opposite experience of King of the Hill. The playable boundaries only encompass the trenches, and so players are treated to a meat grinder experience. Throw in semi-random spawns, and you’re in for some fast-paced, turn-your-brain-off fun. I would highly suggest playing characters with areas of effect damage. Uluru’s Loitering Munition and Composite Incindiary, and Toxik’s dragonfly abilities all shine here. Overall, I liked it, but I didn’t get to play it that much, so I’ll refrain from judging it too harshly or praising it too highly.

There’s also a new addition to the Operations mode called raids, which are purely PvE missions where you don’t lose your equipment if you die. I was placed into a raid without any teammates, which was an awkward first experience in the mode. I fought as hard as I could and as efficiently as I could, but there were more enemies than I had bullets. I eventually got gunned down while I ran around like a madman, knifing enemies left and right. The second time I was placed with teammates, and it was a much smoother experience. The raid is broken up into segments and separated by debriefing screens and cutscenes. First I was dropped off by boat at night into a town overrun by terrorists, and then I was disarming bombs strapped to a bridge, and after that I was riding down country roads in a truck, getting into high-speed shootouts. It was very much a theatrical experience. I’m actually surprised how well the combination of tactical shooter and over-the-top campaign-style fun mixed.

On the other hand, there were a few times when the combination was clunky. For example, in the aforementioned high-speed shootout sequence, I was completely exposed and getting shredded by incoming fire, but my health wouldn’t drop below zero and I couldn’t die. I guess that design choice was so that the segment could be simple fun, but my armor ended up breaking, and that carried over into the next section. I also couldn’t loot enemies, and the only ammunition I could find was religated to boxes stationed throughout the level.

While the levels were linear, there was still some room for exploration. I could enter the buildings, get onto rooftops for a height advantage, and flank around enemies through an alleyway. Another time, I found a hidden locked door that was emitting Morse code next to a keypad. Miraculously, my teammate had a friend online who also knew Morse code, and they cracked it. There was nothing behind the door, so I look forward to seeing what they add in later. There are definitely a few sections where they could refine the experience, but overall, it’s a strong start to a fun subsection of the Operations mode.

Another area we got a clear look into was the cosmetic options and microtransactions. You can buy 60 Delta Coins (or Doins if you will) for 99 cents. As is common with in-game currencies, buying in bulk will get you some bonus coins. Looking at a pack that comes with three gun skins, as well as three other cosmetics like player profile banners and sprays, the cost is 1,500 Doins. Of course, you can find cosmetic loot boxes called Mandel Bricks for free in the operations mode, but one Quantum Key, which you use to open the brick, costs 60 Doins. In addition, while I was looking at skins, it seems like they’ll have variations in rarity and condition like skins in Counter Strike do.

As we approach the release date for the Global Open Beta, it’s nice to look back at just how far this game has come in such a short amount of time, and before the game is even released. It’s clear the developers are actively listening to the community, as shown by how bots have been removed from the game. Looking at the content added during the technical playtest, some of it is rough around the edges, but there’s still a plethora of strong additions with a few easy-to-fix issues. I am confident that Team Jade will continue to deliver on their promises, as well as supply the community with high-quality content.

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