Brace for impact! Bodycam, a fresh FPS from an indie studio, explodes onto Steam Early Access (June 7th). Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it’s got gamers and streamers reeling with its hyper-realistic portrayal of combat. But the question now is, is it worth it? Here’s a bodycam game review to help you decide whether its worth trying out.
What Is Bodycam?
Billed as a tough, ultra-realistic online multiplayer shooter, Bodycam puts you in the boots of a soldier or terrorist engaging in intense combat scenarios. The entire experience plays out through a body camera, with sophisticated physics and audio design making every gunshot and impact viscerally lifelike.
Bodycam has drawn frequent comparisons to Unrecord, another announced shooter that went viral last year for its photorealistic teaser trailer. However, while Unrecord aims to deliver a narrative single-player campaign, Bodycam focuses squarely on competitive multiplayer action.
A Shocking Degree of Realism
The visual fidelity of Bodycam on high-end PCs is simply staggering. Environments are richly detailed, bullets crack realistically through foliage, and enemies crumple to the ground with unsettlingly accurate ragdoll physics when struck.
This pursuit of realism can prove extremely disturbing, however. One shocking moment saw my soldier struck by enemy fire, resulting in agonizing choking sounds and bloodied gasps for air as I bled out on the forest floor. Bodycam doesn’t hold back on making you feel the brutal reality of armed combat.
Rookie Issues Hold It Back
While the graphics and sound design are undeniably impressive, Bodycam still has some rough edges as an Early Access title. Players have reported server disconnects, glitchy animations, and issues with matchmaking.
The core gameplay also feels somewhat simplistic and unrefined compared to the top-tier theatrics. Gun controls are sluggish, maps are relatively bare-bones, and the objectives boil down to fairly basic attack/defend scenarios.
Is It Worth Playing?
For all its shocking authenticity, Bodycam in its current state feels more like a AAA tech demo than a fully-fledged game experience. The visceral action and sense of immersion are undoubtedly thrilling, but the gameplay itself has room for much more depth and polish.
If you have a high-end PC rig and can stomach the disturbing violence, Bodycam is certainly worth a look for its jaw-dropping visuals and innovative perspective on the shooter genre. Just go in expecting an unfinished product in need of more maps, modes, and refinement to its combat systems.
Otherwise, you may want to exercise patience and see how Bodycam evolves past this Early Access period, or wait for Unrecord to potentially deliver a more narrative-driven but equally eye-popping experience when it finally arrives.