I pride myself on spotting upcoming games I’ll enjoy. I’ve had plenty of family and friends ask me what titles they should potentially buy in the near future. However, as far as I know, I had zero knowledge of Wardogs before its early access release. With the FPS game suddenly blowing up on Steam and reaching the #4 spot on the Steam concurrent charts on launch day, you can guarantee I wasn’t just making a surprised Pikachu face; I was intrigued. Now, if you want to jump into the latest hit, Fanatical has it at an excellent discount, beating out the listed price on Steam.
Like many, I’m twiddling my thumbs and waiting for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and, of course, a small little game called Grand Theft Auto VI. Sure, plenty is coming up, but the thrills of an excellent shooter? Well, I’m craving it right now. Bringing a more tactical experience, closer to Arma, Hell Let Loose, or Squad than Call of Duty and other arcade-style shooters, Wardogs has definitely given me something to keep me occupied.
After playing the tutorial, which teaches you the mechanics of each match—and rewards you with an achievement for punching a guy you just revived; don’t ask me how I know—you’ll be given the chance to dive into a match. The main goal is simple: You and your team need to occupy the control zone for as long as possible, and the first team to reach 100 points wins the match. Sound simple enough?
Of course, it’s not that simple. A volley of bullets will frequently be coming at you, and if you and your team die, reviving isn’t as simple as jumping straight back into battle. Making your way back to the zone can be time-consuming. Fortunately, you don’t just have your guns to kill the enemy team with. You also have special tools, like hammers, which can help you build defenses. Word of warning: You’ll need a forward operating base to build some of the bigger, better pieces of cover.
Unsurprisingly, as an early access game from a smaller studio, it’s not as polished as your Battlefield entries or that pesky ol’ Call of Duty that releases every year, but it manages to capture the intensity that makes FPS games one of my favorite genres. That constant tug-of-war between your faction and the other two makes every match feel distinct, violent, and just chaotic fun, especially when things get towards the end and the score is neck-and-neck.
With Wardogs out now, you can grab a Steam key for Wardogs for just $32.79 / £30.33 at Fanatical, an 18% discount. You’ll have it in your Steam library, with no extra launchers to download.
Hopefully, I’ll see you in a match, and we can work together. If we’re on opposing sides, please go easy on me. Just because I love FPS games doesn’t mean I’m actually good at them.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical’s deals team.
