What is FragPunk?

Perhaps you've seen your favorite streamer give it a try? Or a friend has talked about its closed alpha test running through Steam? Whatever the case may be, you might be interesting in learning exactly what FragPunk is.

This first-person shooter from Bad Guitar Studio is honestly a breath of fresh air in the FPS space. The 5v5 game has a few modes, most notably its bombsite objective mode like you'll find in CS or VALORANT. But with a twist.

FragPunk is a hero shooter, first and foremost. There are is a roster of characters with their own abilities, weapons to purchase, and a slew of cosmetics to collect.

It is fast-paced and no round is the same. That's because of the gimmick Bad Guitar has implemented to make FragPunk, well, FragPunk.

The game employs a card system, known as Shard Cards. You collect these as you level up, and in a game, a set is randomly selected for players to vote on before each round.

These can do anything from giving your enemies a larger head to shortening or lengthening the time of the round itself. It's what makes the game unique and can truly turn the tide of battle.

Lancers are the names of the heroes you choose from in FragPunk. All of them give a cyberpunk vibe, and have their own names and abilities for you to master.

Some come with passive abilities, such as Axon being able to slide when sprinting. Usable abilities range from smokescreens and damaging traps to full-on sniper rifles and even a guitar shotgun.

The gameplay is similar to any other fast-paced FPS you've played. With mouse and keyboard and controller support, you can zoom around maps with shotguns, snipers, LMGs, SMGs, and assault rifles,. They have a usage counter, though, so if you die, you have to pick a different one.

FragPunk's main mode is known as Shard Clash. Where you use your Shard Cards in a classic 5v5 attacker/defender scenario. The bomb, called the Converter, is what you plant on a site and either defend it or try to defuse it.

When it comes to Lancers, no two players can choose the same one unless a specific Shard Card is played to allow it. You can, however, select a new Lancer at the start of each round. It even gives you the option to pick a random one.

There are opportunities for incredible clips as a solo player or devastating round-controlling plays if you coordinate with your team. And don't get us started on its awesome overtime rules. It makes teams fight in 1v1 battles until a team is fully eliminated to determine a winner.

If you're a first-person shooter fan wondering what FragPunk is, wonder no longer. This isn't a review, but you'll absolutely enjoy the game. It really is a new take on a genre that is very much filled to the brim with titles.

The ability usage and gunplay feels a bit like Apex Legends. The game mode, colorful characters, and vibrant world definitely gives us a VALORANT vibe. And the utter speed in which the action occurs channels the very best of XDefiant.

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