CrossfireX launched with no small number of issues. From the campaign not working for Game Pass folks to the microtransaction store being a confusing mess, this was another one of those disastrous launches that will serve as an example of what not to do for years to come.
I have my own personal quibbles as well. I hate how the menu was obviously designed for PC, which means you’re moving a mouse around to hit menu items, even though there are button prompts (that don’t work unless you’ve moused over an option). And I can’t find controller settings that feel comfortable, which usually isn’t a problem for me in first-person shooters (though I admit I’ve experienced worse FPS controls than this). I also hate how TDM can only be played in Classic mode, because not having ADS or sprint feels very strange in a game that was obviously designed around having those things.
I also hate how bad the netcode is, where players jerk and zig around the screen in unpredicatable patterns of lag. And I can’t seem to figure out how hitboxes are supposed to work, because sometimes I feel like I fire several feet over an enemy’s head and still land a headshot, while other times a perfectly lined shot seems to miss.
But sometimes you have to make your own fun, and if you can get past all the flaws, CrossfireX‘s Team Deathmatch (TDM) is actually super fun right now. That’s mostly because it’s launch day and everyone sucks, of course. I might be struggling to aim my gun, but so is everybody else.
There’s only one map to play in TDM right now, and like I said earlier, you can only play it in Classic mode (which disables ADS and sprint). But what’s here is basically a chaotic meat grinder where new players toss their bodies in front of streams of bullets while hipfiring like maniacs. And there’s something stupidly satisfying about being part of that.
I admit I’ve been exploiting the hell out of certain corners of the map where you have sightlines into the enemy spawn area without being immediately noticeable. That shouldn’t be a thing, but it is, and I kind of love it.
There’s no way this will stay fun for more than a day or two, but right now I’m just loving the little skull icon that explodes into a series of dollar signs that appears after each kill. And that’s really all I need from this free-to-play shooter, I think.
