Review - Crossfire: Sierra Squad

Developer: Smilegate Entertainment

Publisher: Smilegate

Available On: PlayStation 5 with PSVR 2, PC via Steam

Reviewed On: PlayStation 5 with PSVR 2

Bullets whiz by your ear. Pockets of concrete and dirt burst around you. Rockets screech by and the constant sound of gunfire deafens whatever space exists to what radio calls from your friends. The enemy never counted one as you, a gun, and a bag full of bullets. Crossfire Sierra Squad may appear to be a generic VR shooter, but once you step into the combat boots, you'll be having a great time, especially with friends. 

The world is at war and it's up to Sierra Squad to save it. Everything from drug cartels to terrorists are on the menu. Throughout a multitude of missions, the goal is to eliminate every single bad guy on screen and survive. There is no real story mode. A thin narrative brings players along from mission to mission. 

Lock and Load

Crossfire: Sierra Squad is a first-person VR shooter. Players navigate the level and eliminate hostiles, taking cover whenever possible. As each mission is completed, players rank up themselves and their weapons. Over time, a small arsenal can be attained, complete with special works and upgrades depending on the weapon. These include scopes and magazines to increase weapon performance. The perks involve special attributes like being healed when an enemy is downed. 

Crossfire Sierra Squad is enjoyable, but to get there, you have to navigate the controls. At first, I really wasn't enjoying my time with the game as the controls weren't very responsive. My right hand held the primary weapon and the weapon was holstered across my chest. In a seated position, I had trouble acquiring the weapon for use. Complications continued when it came to reloading the weapon. My left hand had to reach into my ammo pouch, also on my chest, then reload the weapon. The trouble was that it required holding down a button on the PSVR2 controller. If it was released during the reload, the reload process wouldn't go through. 

Tango inbound

Fortunately, the team at Smilegate Entertainment designed Crossfire Sierra Squad with a bevy of adjustments that could be made, for both casual and very hardcore players. I was able to adjust the height of my weapon to be more in line with more shoulders. The reload button was set to toggle and I was able to quickly reload my weapon in a heated gunfight.

For the hardcore VR players out there, there were realistic settings, which means a player has to go through the entire reload process of the gun, from loading the magazine to sliding the chamber. Considering the bevy of firearms present in the game and my own skill, I didn't touch these settings but they exist for those that want a realistic experience. 

Full Metal Jacket

The gameplay for Crossfire: Sierra Squad is lightning-fast and incredibly exciting. It's the closest to having a Michael Bay action movie to VR. Enemies pour out the woodwork left and right, with some levels involving helicopters and armored attack vehicles. 

Holding and firing feels tremendous, which extends to the fact that each weapon looks and feels different. Shooting is fierce. At times, I was shooting from the hip and staring down the sights of my weapon. There was a significant difference in using a submachine gun that's great for close quarters, versus a long-barreled assault rifle that's better for long-distance fighting. It felt like I was dead center in a Michael Bay movie firefight!

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday

In addition to regular firearms, players have access to different types of grenades. The grenades are strapped to the left arm and players need to pull the pin. Additionally, there are no health packs in Crossfire: Sierra Squad. There is a health syringe players may use by grabbing their right arm. Both items regenerate after a short time.

Outside of the 3-hour story mode, there is a squad mode, with close to 50 missions to complete. Here, players may pair up with an A.I am a companion or a real player to conquer each stage. Players are graded for their speed and efficiency and subsequently level up. The enjoyment of these levels is excellent with another human companion, but wanes with A.I. 

Chinks in the Armor

There's plenty of action and excitement in Crossfire: Sierra Squad, but it isn't perfect. The action can get repetitive in long play sessions, along with the enemy types. While there are plenty of control options, it does take getting used to and the experience will vary depending on the player. More variety to mission structure would have been appreciated, such as using a door gun on a helicopter or attacking with a C-130 gunship.

Overall, Crossfire Sierra Squad is an enjoyable and solid militaristic arcade action experience. When everything clicks, the action is incredible and the variety of options and missions keep players interested for quite some time. I'd recommend this to anyone looking to strap on a VR headset and spread freedom through bullets and explosions. 

CROSSFIRE SIERRA SQUAD IS RECOMMENDED

Crossfire: Sierra Squad was reviewed on the PSVR2