Cat and Mouse SUPERCHARGED
Team based shooters were all the rage since the release of Overwatch in 2016. Since then there have been semi-popular attempts at copying the winning formula with games like Paladins. But more often than not, games fail to crack the nut that Overwatch was able to do (I am looking at you Battleborn). In order to make any sort of noise a game has to be different. It has to offer something unique and fun. Enter Aftercharge; the 3v3 competitive shooter that pits 3 invisible robots against 3 invincible robot killers. The premise is refreshing and the matches are fun and exciting, but Aftercharge’s lack of variations in levels and scenarios leave me wanting more and will ultimately hold it back from taking a seat at the top of the e-sports ladder any time soon.
I want to make something very clear when it comes to Aftercharge; this game is a ton of fun. You play as one of two teams here in a race to destroy or protect 6 energy tanks called ‘Extractors’. The ‘Workonics’ are a group of invisible robots looking to use their unique defensive abilities to destroy the extractors. The ‘Enforcers’ are indestructible robot hunters tasked with protecting the extractors and eliminating the Workonics. The only way the match ends is when either all three Workonics are downed at the same time, or if all six extractors are destroyed. It sounds simple – and it is – but it is certainly not easy to execute when grouped with skilled players. Strategy is key here. Workonics can easily revive their fallen teammates, so Enforcers need to not only keep their eyes on extractors, but they need to protect the corpses to ensure they are not revived. Did I mention the Workonics are INVISIBLE?! You can spend minutes firing about like a lunatic looking for the final Workonic. It adds intensity, but also a layer of comedy.
The Workonics sneak around the map and are only seen if they get within a few feet of an Enforcer OR when they punch. This means when you DO get to an extractor, and start punching it, you will be seen and have to decide to keep punching or to hit and run. What makes it more enticing to punch the extractors is that you gain energy when doing so, which keeps you alive. Workonics can also use energy to give teammates ability charges to use super useful powers to turn the tide of battle. There are five different Workonics to choose from each with unique powers to use. My two favorites thus far are Bubbles – the force field popping big boy, and Turbo – the fast hitting and speedy bot. All these abilities feed into each other nicely, but I wish they were as fun to use as the Enforcers powers. Don’t get me wrong – it is INSANELY satisfying to sneak around punching extractors and driving the Enforcers nuts. You can almost feel the anxiety in the air as you corner them to the last extractor with a full team. You just have more tools at your disposal as an Enforcer, which can be slightly more fun to play as.
Enforcers have two abilities to use during the course of battle, as opposed to the Workonics’ single ability. Enforcers use energy to use these powers and to shoot their primary weapons. The only way to gain more energy is to stand near extractors. Enforcers have way more depth to how they play. There is a Tinker which can set jump pads and shields over extractors. My personal favorite is the Liquidator who can tag a bot and let loose homing shots. Liquidator can also throw down mines to slow down your foes which adds a nice layer of strategy to protecting extractors. Running around the map constantly looking out for damaged extractors and trying to guess where Workonics are located is an adrenaline rush. You have to think of your feet a lot too. Do you want to go Workonic hunting, or do you want to hunker down and protect a section? Do you want to spread out and go on a recon, or do you want to stick together and draw the Workonics to you? Your team will succeed or fail based on which strategy you choose.
There is a ton of fun to be had here. Being sneaky and destroying extractors is a blast. Setting traps and hunting something you cant see is enthralling. Playing with a group of friends is definitely the way to go, but not as easy as it should be. Right now the “people you’ve met” feature on Steam isn’t working. Its a shame because I played with a few good players I liked, but had no way of adding them to a team because they were not my friend. Working out a good party system within the game would be a huge plus. One other minor setback here is that when you play for a couple of hours…you have sort of seen it all. Players are learning working strategies quickly which can lead to very similar battles unfolding right after the other.
It should also be said that the shooting is tight in Aftercharge. Movement is fluid and you can tell the game is very well polished. Movement is a little slow, but deliberately paced. Admittedly it has been a while since I played a PC FPS, but this felt as good as any I have played. I even played a few rounds with a controller and found that it was just as comfortable as playing any shooter on console.
Playing round after round could get boring with such a limited amount of levels to play in. Luckily there is a leveling system here that unlocks some costume variations to keep you wanting to play, but other than that there really isn’t much of a carrot at the end of the stick. You can unlock lots of colors to chose from, and eventually you can unlock cool costumes. Its a nice bonus when playing, but other than that it doesn’t seem that leveling up has any real meaning. If they support the cosmetics on the level of a Fortnite I could really see this becoming a serious addiction.
One real downside at the moment is that servers are not as packed as I would have liked. I saw many of the same names, and had way too many 3 verses 2 matches that sucked the energy right out of the match. Although winning with only 2 players was pretty awesome, it would be nice if they filled the void with some competent bots. Hopefully as word spreads, and Xbox One gamers realize it is free on Game Pass, the servers will start filling up.
For about $20 I can honestly say that this game is worth your money and time. The team at Chainsawesome Games has been listening to community feedback and takes this game very seriously. I have a ton of confidence in the teams ability to continue to support this game and add more modes and characters to keep things fresh. As long as they take that approach, Aftercharge is on its way to being a top team based shooter for years to come.
