Rogue Company Early Access First Look

From the company that bought us Smite, Realm Royale and Paladins to name a few comes their next big title, this is, of course, Rogue Company. After stumping across the game on the PlayStation Store it quickly grabbed my attention but for the wrong reasons. At first, I thought it was another battle royale game only to find out after playing it that it was completely the opposite. This was ultimately my fault but I’m not saying that I was disappointed with the game once I got accustomed to what Rogue Company has to offer. For those that like Counter-Strike this might be right up your street and for those that like Fortnite… yeah, it’s not a battle royale so stay clear or check out their other game Realm Royale, but that’s a review for another time hint, hint.

This game is currently in early access and has a Beta coming out soon. Rogue Company is a third-person shooter, where you play as characters called Rogues. It features objective-based game modes on a variety of different maps. Currently, there is demolition, strikeout and the option to train yourself by doing a tutorial or doing practice games against AI, these are good to try and give you a chance to find out which Rogues you like and just how the game ultimately plays out. Though not going to lie playing against AI is a lot more fun for me because I can at least get kills and win matches. Demolition has a rotation of seven maps where strikeout as six. So after a few games, you’ll be able to pick up on each map and its choke points and whatnot.

The modes that I have been able to play are demolition and strikeout, there is more mode but for some reason, I’m not able to play them at the moment. I don’t understand why they just aren’t present on the PlayStation 4 version. Please comment below if you have been able to play the other two modes which I believe are Wingman and Extraction. Demolition is a search & destroy mode, where one team defends and the other is tasked with planting a bomb within a certain time-limited. You win by planting the bomb and letting it explode or by killing all the other team as respawns are not available so you only have one life. The other team wins by defusing the bomb or again killing the other team. Depending on what side you’re on will determine your winning condition. Then you have strikeout, where your team has to capture and defend a location on the map for the given time or to get the other team to run out of respawns. This mode is a lot more quick-paced in my opinion and personally isn’t the one I play, I prefer Demolition as it reminds me of the Call of Duty days, where I used to come home from school and play Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox 360. Not to say I don’t play Call of Duty now it’s just not my go-to game anymore.

For gamers that play Counter-Strike and similar games like that, you will understand the layout and format because it plays out similarly to that. You start rounds with little to nothing and after completing objectives or getting kill you get money to spend on your loadout for the next rounds. You could say that this is an unfair mechanic because if you aren’t the best player then getting money and your ideal loadout will take longer than someone else but then that’s where the whole team element comes into it and by working together and winning rounds rewards you with money. There are only four players on a team so four vs four, this is why rounds can be very short and allow for quicker matches which is you’re a busy gamer is very handy as you can jump in and out of games with ease. Though at the same time four vs four shows its problems when you have lone wolves on your team or the other team decides to play together where your team just decides every man or women for themselves. It gets very frustrating being on the losing team which sadly happens more than I would like to admit but when you have that perfect team synergy the game comes alive and enjoyable.

With the game being in early access it does come with a few bugs and glitches like players bodies glitching out on the floor after death or falling through the floor (this happened to me a few times) but luckily it just respawned me and I didn’t lose a life. I feel as though there is a balancing issue when it comes to certain guns but this could be down to the team composition when picking Rouges at the beginning of the match. Though I do feel as certain weapons will kill you quicker than others which is very annoying when you blatantly shoot first and unload a full mag into someone just for them to turn around and shoot you twice and you die. Gamer rage is enabled at this point. One time I was right next to an enemy and shot them in the head with a shotgun and it only did thirteen damage, and I was like “what is this guy’s head made out of?”.

A few of my biggest problems with Rogue Company are the Spawn locations on certain maps and the fact that if someone rages quits it doesn’t fill the gap with another player or an AI bot. There is nothing more annoying than people leaving the game and letting the side down. You instantly have a disadvantage and you give up as your odds turn against you. Like mentioned above they could allow another player to join in a later round or even fill the gap with an AI bot just to make up the numbers but don’t leave it at a two vs four on Demolition when you already two rounds down. With Strikeout it is very easy to get spawn trapped on a lot of the maps which again is game-breaking as you respawn, die, respawn and die. These little things can impact a gamers experience and eventually turn them off your game altogether, so hopefully, this is something that Hi-Rez Studios can look into and improve on in a later version of the game.

There are currently thirteen Rouges in the game each with their personalities and load-outs. My favourites to date are Anvil because he has an LMG and a deployable shield, Gl1tch who has a shotgun or an SMG and allows you to hack things and lastly Saint, he is a healer who revives teammates with a little drone and an assault rifle. While playing, you can see the option for customisation and mastery rewards however I haven’t seen anything for them yet in the game, so whether these are going to come out at a later date I’m not to sure but it gives me something to look forward to as this game keeps going towards its full release.

Who knows we might even get a battle pass, seeing as every game has to have one nowadays.

Graphically, Rogue Company looks amazing and I love the level of detail that has gone into the different Rogues, maps and weapons. Personally, I have had no problems with the game visually and it feels very polished for a game in early access. Audio-wise, you get to know each Rogue because they have their personalities and phrases that they say which makes them stand out from one another. The sound effects for weapons and the maps help create the feeling of being in a firefight and with the realistic game physics, it helps create a good third-person shooter experience. I’m a huge fan of third-person shooters because I like to see the characters I’m playing as. First-person shooters are still fun but I just prefer the added visuals that come with third-person.

Like every good online shooter you can sink many hours into it, online shooters are really easy to jump in and out of and because Rogue Company offers fast-paced gameplay you can find yourself playing for hours and not getting bored. At the minute it might feel as though you are limited in-game modes but with the wide variety of Rouges, it helps mix up the gameplay as it offers you a different play style and a new loadout to try. I can honestly see myself keeping a close eye on this game and following it on its journey to release.

Closing Statement  

There is nothing better than finding a game which might just become your next go-to shooter. Rogue Company for me might just be that. Fast-paced gameplay, loveable characters and just an overall enjoyable gaming experience. At the minute it does have a few problems as I have mentioned and the lack of game modes currently might put people off it but give it time and I can honestly see this game becoming something big. It doesn’t throw anything massive and new into the mix but it does offer a polished third-person shooter which is as satisfying to play as it is visually to look at. Overall, for people that might want a full product you might have to wait a bit but for people that are willing to take a gamble and play it now, I can say you won’t be disappointed but at the same time, you won’t be swept off your feet. Rogue Company offers a fantastic vision for a game that could have a lot of potentials if it keeps going on the right path and for that reason I’m more than happy to give it a score of 7 out of 10 for what it currently offers, who knows when the game is fully released it could be a whole different story.

(This game is in early access and Beta so it will/could change in the future)

You can grab this game in early access on a number of platforms, this preview is based on the PS4 version of the game and can be purchased here for £11.99.

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