Evan billed LawBreakers as “nimble, graceful and original”, but Boss Key Productions’ debut has since struggled to maintain its playerbase and, most crucially, its sales. In a bid to get more folk onside, it’s free-to-try on Steam this weekend and is subject to a limited-time 50 percent discount.
Due to kick off tomorrow—November 9 at 10am PT/6pm GMT, through November 12 at 1pm PT/9pm GMT—the sci-fi arena shooter is hosting its second free Steam weekend in six weeks, which probably speaks to its faltering numbers.
Lest that deter you from trying one of the the best multiplayer FPSes you probably aren’t playing, though, because there’s a lot of fun to be had here. I’ll hand you over to Evan for more on its guns and movesets:
The forms of movement have good relationships with LawBreakers’ guns—big, imaginative energy and explosive weapons that are the children of Unreal Tournament. As Harrier, I have to mark a target with a debuffing dart, then grit my teeth as I paint an enemy with my Iron Man-like laser beam. The simplicity of the Battle Medic’s grenade launcher is great: left click throws grenades that detonate on impact, and right click pops out ones that bounce. I like the moment-to-moment geometry I’m asked to do to decide which grenade will be more effective.
I also appreciate that the power level of ultimate abilities, which charge up on a flat timer, isn’t so high that you’re constantly anticipating them or playing around them, like I often do in Overwatch. They’re flashy stalemate-breakers, but carving out a triple kill with Harrier’s chest beam, or Titan’s Palpatine-grade hand lightning, feels earned.
As for LawBreakers’ discount period, it’s going for half price on Steam from November 8 at 10am PT/6pm GMT, through November 14 at 10am PT/6pm GMT. (Full price, at the time of writing, is £24.99/$29.99.)