Piercing Blow

–

–PUBLISHER: Zepetto | DEVELOPER: Zepetto | GENRE: Shooter –THEME: Military | PLATFORM: Download | STATUS: Final

–

Besides fantasy MMORPGs, there’s another genre in the free-to-play games market that has seen countless variations on the same theme, most of them without any preoccupation for quality whatsoever. That is the free MMOFPS segment, with only a handful of games managing to stand out from a sea of clones. Piercing Blow (previously Project Blackout) is one of those first-person shooters that doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, but still manages to offer a solid experience.

As an alternative to games such as Alliance of Valiant Arms or Cross Fire, Piercing Blow is a valid proposition. The usual disposable story of two rival factions is present, but that’s not what these games are about. They are about fast-paced combat between human players, but there’s a mode where you can play against bots, to train and improve your skills.

As usual, the low system requirements and graphical options ensure that Piercing Blow runs in most computers and laptops nowadays, but it doesn’t look too bad either on higher resolutions. Gameplay wise, this is a fast-paced shooter that sticks to the original plan, offering the usual game modes and a level design that ranges from great to average, lacking severely on the destructibility part. A cool addition is the commentator, similar to the one from the Mortal Kombat series.

Some extra features such as the mission cards extend longevity and fun in Piercing Blow. Basically they’re achievements under other name, asking the player to fulfill some special missions and rewarding him with credits and experience points. Use these to buy new items and even some new characters.

Piercing Blow may tread no new ground, but knows what it’s doing. It can be played for a few minutes a day or a couple of hours and still maintain some charm. It’s forgettable, sure, but enjoyable nonetheless.