Point Blank: yet another freemium FPS
First there was BlackShot. Now there’s Point Blank. This freemium first person shooter (FPS) game was developed way back in 2008 by a South Korean company called Zepetto, but has only recently made its way onto Garena’s publishing catalogue for Singapore and Malaysia.
Like most FPS games, Point Blank gives you two sides to pick from: the Free Rebels, and the CT-Force. Instead of generic character models, players get to pick from one of four characters before proceeding into the game lobby, and have a choice between two male and two female characters. Each male and female couple belongs to either faction in story only – once in the game, you can opt to dress them in either Free Rebel or CT-Force styles.
Even though it was developed five years ago, Point Blank manages to hold its own when it comes to the graphics. I can’t say the same for its text overlays, though. Load screens are blurry and choice of copy and font in the game look very unpolished, making the game seem like a cheap translation even when devoid of common English mistakes. Fortunately, these visual blips are easily overlooked in favour of gameplay.
Point Blank’s actual gameplay differs little from your standard lightweight FPS. It lacks the heavy recoil and difficulty of aim that might come with more hyperrealistic games, but this isn’t actually a disadvantage. Point Blank’s casual approach to the FPS genre makes it a fast paced, easily picked up, and more easily enjoyed shooter — that’s if you overlook its clone-like similarity to CounterStrike. Fiddle with the voice commands and you’ll see what I mean.
There are several modes of play in Point Blank. Hosts can opt for death matches, to plant bombs, to play with bots, sniping-only matches, melee-only matches, as well as a fairly unpopular mode called ‘eliminate’, which was only featured in one room in the time I was playing. CounterStrike players will find Point Blank’s maps familiar, fortunately more in environment rather than layout. There are maps similar to dedust, csassault, and even de_aztec. I did find hints of Asia in the game, including a map called Eastern Road, which is definitely modelled after Hong Kong or a similar modern Asian city.
As with BlackShot, Garena’s waning FPS game, you can purchase more powerful guns with limited durations in Point Blank via its cash shop. While they don’t seem to be overly superior compared to non-cash guns, players in the current closed beta test can test these premium guns out to their hearts content, since all accounts granted beta access now start off with 500,000 Points (virtual currency) and 1,000,000 Cash (real-money currency). There are also cosmetic items such as outfits and hats, as well as options to reset your stats or change your nickname. As of now, there are no cosmetic-only items; everything in the shop adds one stat or another.
Since the most popular modes of play at the moment are bomb plants and death matches, each Point Blank game can go on for quite a while. The default win condition for the death match is 100 kills, so do go prepared to kill some time in the game. Victory awards you experience, which lets you level up and rise in rank. However leaving a game before it ends (this includes going out to the game’s lobby) penalizes you and makes you lose Points. Each game you take part in also chips away at your items’ durability. Your gun and outfit must be kept repaired for you to use them continuously.
Ranks are more than cosmetic in Point Blank. Each rank awards you with new passive abilities that you can equip to buff your character, and fortunately don’t require you to spend any real cash. If you’re in a hurry to raise your rank, there are weekly and daily quests and achievements that reward you with Points and experience once completed.
BlackShot enjoyed a good three years on Garena’s catalog, and is finally on the wane. If Point Blank is a lightweight game then BlackShot is weightless, and it still managed to rack up the marketing dollar for Garena via countless of well attended tournaments. Not to mention the unending masses of kids dropping their allowances on Garena Shells. Now that Point Blank is stepping in to fill its shoes, I’m eager to see what a more solid FPS can do in its stead.
Garena’s closed beta testing for Point Blank runs from now until January 21, 2014, and requires a beta key to access. You can try your luck with their Facebook page or on their microsite.
The post Point Blank: yet another freemium FPS appeared first on Games in Asia.
The post Point Blank: yet another freemium FPS appeared first on Games in Asia.
