FragPunk Review (Atreas)
A Fresh Take with Rough Edges
FragPunk is a game that brings a fresh and exciting experience to the hero shooter genre. From the moment you jump in, the art style stands out—it's vibrant, stylish, and gives most characters distinct personalities. However, some characters feel unpolished or out of place, as if they were rushed or didn't get the same level of design care.
Gameplay & Balance
The weapons are unique and fun, each with its own flair, but the balancing feels off. For example, it’s frustrating to lose a long-range fight to an SMG at 20 meters because my sniper can’t one-shot, but the SMG can mag-dump me instantly. These imbalances need fine-tuning to prevent frustration and keep engagements fair.
The preparation phase is too fast, making it hard to set up strategies and abilities before the action starts. Players don’t have enough time to position themselves or execute proper tactics, which takes away from the depth of the game.
Round Pace & Gun Economy
Fragpunk’s lack of a proper gun economy severely impacts the game’s pacing and strategic depth. Since weapons are essentially free, there’s no incentive to manage resources, make careful buying decisions, or adapt based on previous rounds. Players can instantly pick up high-powered weapons like snipers from the very first round, and even after losing multiple rounds, they still have access to the same firepower. This removes any real comeback mechanics or tactical progression, making each round feel isolated rather than part of a larger battle. The absence of a dedicated pistol round further flattens the experience, as there’s no structured buildup—just an immediate jump into full-loadout fights with no real stakes.
Maps & UI
The maps look good but feel like they lack a strong identity—none of them stand out as truly memorable. They function well but don’t have the distinct themes or layouts that could make them iconic.
The UI is a mixed bag. In-game, it's clean and visually appealing, but the menu UI is a mess—too many elements are scattered around, making navigation cluttered and unintuitive. This is something that can be improved over time, but right now, it's frustrating to deal with.
Sound & Graphics
The game excels in sound design and graphics. The audio is crisp, and the visuals feel polished, making gunfights satisfying and immersive.
Bugs & Issues
Unfortunately, I’ve run into some frustrating bugs. One of the worst is during duel phases, where the game crashes after picking a character. This kind of bug can be a dealbreaker in competitive play and needs to be fixed ASAP.
Monetization & Shop Issues
The shop is confusing—the pricing numbers don’t follow rounded values, making everything feel off. The gacha system is predatory; the cosmetics it offers are low quality for the price, and unless you’re lucky enough to pull the knife (which has a 1% drop rate after building up a pity of 50), you're basically getting scammed.
The battle pass feels like a low-effort, Chinese cash grab. The skins, especially the recolors, are uninspired, and they lack proper physics and polish. A good battle pass should have a strong theme and offer worthwhile rewards, not a mix of random, low-quality cosmetics with no cohesion. Right now, it feels cheap and out of place.
Final Thoughts
FragPunk has a lot of potential, but it needs to overcome multiple hurdles. The core gameplay is fun, the art style is fantastic, and the sound design is solid, but issues like weapon balance, UI clutter, poor monetization, and frustrating bugs hold it back. If the developers listen to feedback and make meaningful improvements, this game could stand out in the genre.
Right now, it's a fun experience with a lot of rough edges, but it’s too early to tell if it will thrive or crash under its own flaws.