Aftercharge | PC Review
Hello everybody, today we’ll be looking at Chainsawesome Games’ 3v3 shooter Aftercharge. In the age of Overwatch, does this team-based FPS stand out from the pack? Is it worth your time? And should you buy it?
Aftercharge takes the team-based shooter genre and puts its own unique spin on it. The game pits invincible enforcers against invisible robots in an elaborate game of hide-and-seek-and-shoot. As the enforcers, you’ll have to defend six power generators around the map by finding the robots and shooting them into submission. On the flip side, the robots have to destroy the power generators, but can only use melee attacks. They are, however, invisible.
Cat and Mouse
This introduces a really interesting take on the team-based shooter genre. The robots are only visible while attacking a power generator, or if a defender is within close proximity. If a robot is downed, another robot can instantly revive them if they’re nearby, and this revive has no cooldown. You might think this to be a bit broken, but it’s really the only chance the robots have to succeed.
The defenders are invulnerable and can only be punched out of the way by the robots, rather than permanently (or even temporarily) downed. While this is certainly a big advantage, the game isn’t necessarily tilted in their favor. The map is small enough that you can see one side of it from the other, but also big enough that a team of robots can stealthily take down generators.
So, what do the defenders have going for them besides invulnerability? Guns, of course! However, even that comes with a restriction, as your ammo is your energy, and you can only restore your energy by being near a power generator. You also have access to secondary abilities like mines, shields, and tracking beacons, but those cost energy as well. Overusing them will send you back to the nearest power generator, possibly at just the wrong time for a robot to start wailing on another one across the map.
The Invulnerable Vs The Invincible
It’s this kind of back-and-forth that makes for such an entertaining experience. Each side has its strengths and weaknesses, and those play into the strategy you have to employ. Defenders can’t be stopped, but they can be tricked or knocked away. Robots are fragile, but it’s also easy to bring a downed ally back into the fight, then escape without a trace.
Aftercharge is currently available for Xbox One and Steam for $20 USD, with a Nintendo Switch version on the way. If you’re into team-based shooters, Aftercharge is a solid title that may not reach the heights of Overwatch or Paladins, but is good fun in its own right. Currently there is only a quick play option, but the developers are adding in a planned competitive mode, which should do well to extend the life of the game. That said, if you never got into Overwatch or other team-based shooters, Aftercharge isn’t likely to pull you into the genre.
Aftercharge
$19.99
Pros
- Wonderful Team Dichotomy
- Energy Restriction Keeps Things Tense
Cons
- Won't Blow Anyone's Mind