Crytek Shows Off Warface at GDC 2013

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Crytek demonstrated their new game Warface at GDC 2013. Warface is Crytek's new free-to-play first-person shooter based on CryEngine 3. It is being developed by Crytek Ukraine(Or Crytek Kiev, depending on who you ask- they are one and the same), and is primarily being created by video game artists living in that region.

Warface has been live in Russia for a year, and is in various stages of closed beta in China and in the west. Most of the testing at this point is designed to test play balance since the engine for the game is quite mature at this point. Much of their concern with play balance is to avoid the game becoming pay-to-win instead of free-to-play.

Like most free-to-play titles, Warface allows players to spend real-world money to upgrade their weapons and equipment for better performance. One way they are trying to prevent the 'paid' weapons from overwhelming the free ones, there are also certain weapons available that can only be purchased using in-game currency they call 'crowns'. Crowns are rewarded for performance - primarily leaderboard positions - thus a free player could conceivably get access to the crown weapons through achievement without spending money on the game. The crown weapons are the best weapons in the game, and cannot be bought using real money.

Because the game is exclusively multiplayer, the game is designed to scale to lower systems and perform optimally at lower system specifications. The visuals can be cranked up for those who want high-quality visuals on better equipped machines, or kept lower for performance, even on slower or older machines.

Warface is made to be an 'extremely accessible' first-person shooter that people can jump into and out of. Playing Warface shows excellent visuals and standard FPS controls, so no complex control schemes to learn. Game modes include standard CTF and 'destruction' modes, plus co-op play. There are several co-op missions which cycle through difficulties every day, thus one mission on one map may be 'wasy' one day and 'hard' or 'hardcore' the next. This is not only designed to give players a wider experience but also to allow players who are less skilled a chance at completing all the co-op missions.

Warface is important to Crytek as it is their first venture into the free-to-play game arena and Crytek wants to be in on the foundations of the entire Gaming As A Service venture, as they feel there is going to be a major push into this arena, especially for more casual gamers.

Warface is currently in closed beta in the U.S., most western nations and China. If you'd like to sign up for the beta, go to www.warface.com