There’s a new tactical shooter in town, and it might arrive sooner than the missing-in-action ARMA 4. Gray Zone Warfare is an upcoming immersive tactical FPS on Steam with a primary focus on delivering the most realistic combat experience in a video game. Based on what we’ve seen, gameplay is unlike anything on the market today, and while there’s no exact release date, the developers are racing toward an early access release. It looks absolutely gorgeous, too.
The game is currently being developed by a small indie team called MadFinger Games. The group is best known for creating some impressive iOS and Android titles, including the ever-popular Dead Trigger and Shadowgun franchises. In fact, these titles were so popular that they became some of the most pirated titles on mobile. MadFinger eventually switched to a free-to-play model with in-app purchases to combat the scourge.
These talented developers know exactly how to create a fun and addictive video game experience. This is why Gray Zone Warfare seems to be an ambitious passion project that pulls out all the stops. For instance, unlike Escape from Tarkov, GZW goes beyond mere damage numbers to convey an immersive combat experience. Let me explain.
The team designed a meticulously crafted system that calculates real-world values and an authentic ballistics model to determine weapon impact. This information is then used to autonomously calculate a variety of potential outcomes. In other words, it’s all about mastering your shots and understanding how projectiles react in real-world scenarios.
Attention to detail
There’s an unbelievable amount of detail here. Many variables determine bullet impact, and you’ll need to understand how these work to deliver maximum effectiveness with every shot. These include energy, velocity, and penetration capabilities. In turn, these factors influence the damage potential of different types of ammunition.
Besides this, players will have plenty of weapon and ammunition types at their disposal. Each will have their own unique characteristics and behave exactly how they would based on their real world counterparts. Even more so, ammunition even accounts for jacket damage and detachment. Bullets will deform, mushroom and disintegrate based on their shape and type of material.
Meanwhile, weapons will react differently based on design and condition. For example, there can be up to a 10% difference in recoil control with an AR15, depending on whether you are shooting with a full magazine or the last bullet. It’s up to you to familiarize yourself with each and every weapon, its ammunition, and use it to your advantage.
Lastly, the team found it equally important to accurately portray injury-based cavities caused by the detailed projectile system. Henceforth, GZW has a detailed human anatomy system with organs, bones, and structures. Severe injuries like bleeding and damage to your organs can affect your operative’s state of mind. For example, loss of blood could impair vision and, if left untreated, could lead to a coma. All this, and I’ve barely even scratched the surface.
Of course, this is still a video game, and while GZW is all in on hardcore realism, it still offers easily accessible gameplay. It features a gradual learning curve that should be easy-to-understand, but hard-to-master. I like those odds. If you’re still day dreaming about ARMA 4, I suggest you add this to your Steam Wishlist.
