Free-to-play FPS Blacklight: Retribution is pulling the plug on its mostly-empty servers on March 11th, so say developers Hardsuit Labs via Reddit. The cyberpunk group shooter had run, first launching in 2010 because the industrial Blacklight: Tango Down (and the builders had been known as Zombie) earlier than rebooting as Retribution in 2012. For its remaining month on PC (the PS4 model remains to be protected), Hardsuit Labs have made all objects its premium retailer free. I’d simply get some of us collectively for one final stomp round in its deliciously highly effective mech-suits.
For those that by no means received to attempt Blacklight: Retribution, it was a reasonably commonplace Call Of Duty-inspired group shooter with a pair twists – powered armour and wallhacks. The former had been known as in utilizing useful resource factors, although the opposite group might counter them by spending some money on anti-tank weaponry or flamethrowers to prepare dinner the pilot whereas leaving the swimsuit intact. They had been delightfully highly effective issues – Titanfall earlier than Titanfall was a factor, and will cut back squishy un-armoured gamers to a skinny pink mist with a burst of minigun fireplace or a railgun slug.
The different twist to the game, and what made these roaming killbot gamers much less menacing than they may in any other case be, was your augmented actuality visor. At the price of reducing your gun for a second, you would spend a few of a recharging energy gauge to see what’s on the opposite aspect of partitions. If you timed it proper, you would have an ideal shot lined up earlier than your opponent even is aware of there’s another person within the constructing. It additionally helped you keep out of the sights of lumbering armoured gamers. It’s a dynamic that labored properly, and matches had been quick and ceaselessly rewarding.
It was one of many higher free-to-play shooters of its time. While the enterprise mannequin was often questionable underneath publisher-at-the-time Perfect World, of us appeared pleased with it. Sadly, participant counts by no means grew after launch, and it slowly bled out. I’m curious how the PS4 model is holding up (it doesn’t depend on Hardsuit Labs’s infrastructure, so remains to be up for the forseeable future), however I’ve a suspicion most gamers have moved on. It’s unhappy to see one other game put out to pasture, however no less than this one had 7 (or 9, relying on the way you rely) good years.
Blacklight: Retribution is absolutely free (now not simply free-to-play) for its remaining month. You can grab it here on Steam earlier than the neon metropolis lights exit on March 11th. Hardsuit Labs are apparently nonetheless kicking, and have some initiatives within the works that they’re not fairly prepared to point out but.
