FragPunk Review: A Potentially Brilliant Shooter and Cash Cow

Ever since Valorant graced the shooter genre in 2020, most game developers have chosen to prioritise hero shooters rather than putting out the classic arcade shooter formula. Aside from yearly Call of Duty releases, most shooters out there are either hero shooters, battle royales or extraction shooter. While hero shooters done the right can hit the spot for most shooter title fans, the classic feel of pure weapon-based action makes it a completely different ball game.

As a shooter fan, I have naturally tried almost all recent major shooter titles, including Bad Guitar Studios' newly released title FragPunk. Previously, I was able to play FragPunk back in July 2024, and it was a quite good experience playing a new hero shooter with its very own gimmick, straying away from the classic ability-based shooter formula. Recently, the game was officially released on all platforms, and I jumped back into action to take a peek at what changed and if the game had the same initial kick to it.

FragPunk imprinted on me the first time I played it before it's official release, as the game's shard card system was something that caught my attention from the get-go. Shard cards allow players to bend the rules of the game, creating unique outcomes every round. Moreover, the game is a visual eye candy with colourful design visible from the main menu to the in-game maps. The vibrant colours really take our mind off the fact that you are playing a generic hero shooter, making it a memorable experience.

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FragPunk

While my initial experience with FragPunk was mostly positive, the recent experience following the game's official release has left me with mixed feelings. The unique combination of hero abilities and arcade aspects with inspired mechanics from Counter Strike, Call of Duty, and Valorant makes FragPunk a mixed bag of emotions. However, I will give my flowers to Bad Guitar Studios for putting out a game with a unique and distinct personality, making it stand out from other shooters out there.

Initially, FragPunk had fast movement combined with its gameplay mechanics, making it a very fun experience. However, with the official release of the game, the developers have toned down the movement speed, making the game feel similar to Valorant and Counter Strike. The slow movement made the game feel completely different from what I initially experienced. While I admire how smooth the game felt, the slow movement felt really offputting and made me feel like the game was trying to go with Valorant's gameplay flow, which might be a massive problem for the game in the long run.

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FragPunk

The gunplay mechanics in FragPunk were as good as I remembered them to be, with the weapons feeling snappy and smooth for close to long-range gunfights. In my opinion, FragPunk's gunplay mechanics are one of the best ones I have seen in the past few years. While using weapons in FragPunk, I was stress-free as the weapons feature minimal recoil, making it easier for all players to easily master their control over all weapons in no time.

The heroes, or Lancers, in FragPunk are the second most important aspect of the game after Shard Cards. Lancers are the heroes in FragPunk endowed with unique abilities. The initial pool of Lancers caught my eye from the very beginning, thanks to their garish designs. I am a really big fan of all Lancers in FragPunk thanks to their unique, colourful designs and abilities. Lancers like Serket and Pathojen stood out to me for their abilities. I really liked how balanced all Lancers felt in-game. However, with time, as players start to understand the abilities properly, the Lancer meta might become a problem for the game, but for now it's a nothingburger problem.

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FragPunk

The learning curve in FragPunk is very linear, as you can easily master the gunplay mechanics, leaving you with developing map perception, understanding shard cards, and mastering Lancers. The maps in Fragpunk are multi-layered with lots of verticality, which might make it a little hard for new players to understand where other players are coming from. You might hear a player stomp around near you, but you will find them to be below or above you once you go looking for them. I don't know if it's for the game's audio design; I was initially getting confused after hearing footsteps near me and then discovering that player is above me or a floor below me.

FragPunk has massive potential with its over-the-top gameplay mechanics and shiny cosmetic choices. However, the game might be too complicated and overwhelming for casual players for constantly being bombarded with cosmetics that are egregiously priced and unique items being locked behind a gacha system. The game reminds me of Call of Duty Mobile in a not-so-pleasant way. As the game's publisher is NetEase Games, it's understandable that the game will feature heavy microtransactions; however, in the PC and console shooter genre, it's unacceptable to put in a store system that is based on the classic mobile game formula.

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FragPunk

In a very straight-forward way, I think NetEase Games has put in a nightmare scenario microtransaction system that will leave a sour taste for most PC and console gamers. Moreover, it's unacceptable for a newly introduced non-mobile game to feature lootboxes and the gacha system for obtaining rare or common cosmetics. In a time where players are accustomed to the in-game stores of Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Valorant, it doesn't make sense to choose a store system that makes FragPunk look like a mobile game. The store system should give players the ability to buy any skin they want without falling for a gacha or pull system.

Conclusion

FragPunk felt like a decent and polished effort from Bad Guitar Studios with its unique shard card system and Lancers, and it is here to stay. However, considering the current monetisation system, the game's earning potential will remain limited, as the whole mobile game microtransaction system won't really work for players who are accustomed to straight-forward stores of Fortnite and Call of Duty.

However, if you ignore the whole monetisation system, FragPunk is a fully fleshed-out shooter title that might become the main game for many players. While the game will more or less feature a player base in the future, it's unlikely that the game can pull in players like Valorant and Counter Strike. FragPunk could have been a strong contender for being the next shooter sensation; however, certain aspects of the game pull it down from its unrealised potential.

FragPunk requires more updates and love to solidify its impact on the shooter genre, which I am sure Bad Guitar Studios will be able to pull off with time. As for now, FragPunk is on the correct path; however, it will need time for players to really grasp what the game is trying to push and fall in love with it.