The remake of 2003 Delta Force campaign finally touched down on the game. Many anticipated the Black Hawk Down campaign as a free post-launch expansion which breathed new life to the game franchise. Here’s a Delta Force: Black Hawk Down review and what should you expect.
Brutal Difficulty That Divides Players
This campaign stood out for its intensively difficult level that divided players’ opinion of it. It came out as a “shooter soulslike” as described by the developer team during previews. However, many players seem to think they’ve gone too far with how extremely hard it plays to be. Based on some Steam reviews, the difficulty appears “impossible” instead of fairly challenging.
Also, reports were stating that enemy AI can headshot players before they even appear visible on screen. Meanwhile, the friendly AI teammates only provide the team with minimal support. Plus, every bullet is lethal as a few shots can make you cripple and reduce big chunks of your health. Moreover, popping out of your cover even just for mere seconds will lead to your character’s death.
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down review observes how, unlike many shooters, players can’t seem to shrug off bullets. For some, they appreciate the tension and methodical approach needed to excel in the game. Yet, others think it comes off as frustrating with a lack of health pickups and resupplies which makes progression a memorization challenge.
A Campaign at Odds with Its Multiplayer
This time, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down has a dramatic difference from the original game’s multiplayer experience. When playing the main game, is more of “a twitchy arcade shooter through and through.” This appears to have similarities with popular shooters like Call of Duty. But the campaign took it to an extra level by twisting its formula completely.
Unlike the fast-paced multiplayer experience, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down campaign feels more sluggish. It featured cramped environments, slow animations and movements throughout to create an unusual situation. So basically, players get to experience two different games together which is a win for gamers at any time.
Although it may appear appealing only to players who want variety in their playing sessions. Some fans were confused about what the game’s identity was really about after the campaign launched. After all, the multiplayer has Battlefield, Escape from Tarkov, and Overwatch elements together in a pot. Then Black Hawk Down is more of a stripped-down military simulator with extremely lethal bullets.
Technical Issues and Poor Optimization
Other than gameplay concerns, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down reviews reports on several technical problems on the campaign launch. There were a lot of negative Steam reviews out of poor performance and optimization issues encountered in the game. Regardless of hardware specifications, it affects the players’ experience topping over the features.
It’s really bad for Delta Force: Black Hawk Down now as they have a “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam. There were only about 36% positive reviews out of the over 3,700 posted on Steam. Overall, it is indeed the technical shortcomings that brought these results out of the campaign release. The inconsistent framerates and stuttering even on high-end systems lose players’ interest in the game.
Missing the Soul of the Original
Topping all the criticisms in reviews of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down was it lacks the “soul” of the OG 2003 version of the game. Longtime fans were extremely disappointed with this result, especially the long anticipation they had. They described it as “one of the most disappointing things they’ve ever played” given how poor the voice acting, subpar animations, and frustrating AI were.
For the Delta Force: Black Hawk Down campaign, they only have seven missions packed to make 4-5 hours of gameplay. Some see this as a tight, focused experience yet others can’t help not to point out the absence of depth and nuance. After all, that is what makes the original game remarkable for many veteran players in the scene. There is little tactical variety in the current version of the game as it leans more on memorization of positions and locations.
Verdict: A Missed Opportunity
Disappointment rounds up this Delta Force: Black Hawk Down review. The remake failed to live up to the expectation of the promising gameplay of the original campaign. Technical issues like stuttering made many players frustrated and quit the game. However, you can still try its challenging features that distance the game from many shooter titles out there.
