Hunters as the arena shooter enters progressive launch

In February, Zynga and Lucasfilm announced Star Wars: Hunters, a 4×4 arena shooter in the same vein as Overwatch. As the months progressed, development continued and last September we learned that Star Wars: Hunters would officially release sometime in 2022. As Zynga prepares for that release, the title has kicked off. appearing in the progressive launch in a few exclusive territories. Fortunately, I was able to load the title aside to spin it, so I recorded a 30-minute gameplay video that not only explores the game’s settings but also delves into its arena shooter gameplay. So if you’re anxious to see exactly what Star Wars: Hunters has to offer, you’re in luck, because that’s the topic of today’s article.

The gameplay video above was recorded by yours truly at 1080p / 60FPS. At first, I dive into the settings, then off to the races to explore the game’s online multiplayer content. As expected, Star Wars: Hunters plays out like a casual mobile version of Overwatch (or Team Fortress 2). for older players). You will choose your hero with the choice of three roles spread across the selection, ranging from damage givers, healers and support units. Once you have chosen your player, you will be thrown into a random match. For the most part, these matches consisted of a control stage (kind of like capturing the flag), but I also played in Escort mode where my team was responsible for escorting a vehicle from one side from stage to stage. ‘other.

Now, one thing to keep in mind is that Star Wars: Hunters is currently only available in a few select territories, and since it’s a game that relies on servers for its content, current performance isn’t are not won in advance because there is nothing to say where these servers are located. The in-game menus are limited to 30fps and you can choose whether or not to allow gameplay to animate at 30fps or 60fps in settings. I chose to maximize the graphics and play at 60FPS, but some slowdown was noticeable, with framerate drops in the 50s and 40s, although a remote server could exacerbate those drops. These skipped frames can be confusing when running and shooting, but I can’t say they ruined the game. They were just a slight annoyance that will hopefully see a bit of polish ahead of the global launch. .

Physical controllers aren’t supported, all gaming is controlled via the touchscreen, but luckily those touchscreen controls are reasonably responsive. The controls offer a left stick and some movement to the right, nothing we’ve seen before. Fortunately, I have never felt at a disadvantage while playing, which I cannot say for all competitive touchscreen games. Star Wars: Hunters will launch as a free version, which is why it already contains in-app purchases of up to $ 99.99 per item. These IAPs are mainly used to buy in-game currency, and this currency is useful for unlocking new heroes. So far, nothing has paid off.

More or less, I expected Star Wars: Hunters to land as a lazy clone taking advantage of a popular trend, but instead it’s pretty polished for a mobile arena shooter. For the most part, I enjoyed my time playing Star Wars: Hunters. Yes, it’s a bit bare when you compare it to his inspiration. The levels appear generic, as do the characters in the game (there is no notable name in the list), and there is little room to deviate from the base gameplay as the stages are smaller. Then again, small stages are great for quick matches, and quick matches lend themselves well to on-the-go play, so it looks like Star Wars: Hunters is built for a purpose, and so far there is indeed pleasure to be had despite the limits of this objective.

While we don’t yet know exactly when Star Wars: Hunters will release in 2022, it looks like we can at least expect the arrival at the start of the year if the recent soft launches are something to be done. The game is still not listed in the US on the Play Store, but you can pre-register on the official site if you want to unlock free in-game content on release day.

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