Delta Force is Dodging The War First-Person Shooters Never Win

Though it’s been dormant for 15 years, the Delta Force franchise actually had quite a lengthy run back in the day. Delta Force made its debut all the way back in 1998, where it garnered a very positive critical reception for its military-sim realism and strategy components. Delta Force received several sequels and spin-offs over the next decade, with its final entry being 2009’s Delta Force: Xtreme 2, a game that received pretty poor reviews.

But against all odds, Delta Force is making its comeback. Known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops before a sudden name change in August, Delta Force is an upcoming first-person military shooter that’s set to hit Steam early access by the end of the year. And when it does, players will see first-hand how Delta Force is cleverly avoiding a battle that other military shooters can’t win.

Delta Force’s Multiple Settings Could Be Its Greatest Strength

Call of Duty, Battlefield Are Stuck In a Lose-Lose Situation

For a while now, Call of Duty and Battlefield have faced a common problem. When a new Call of Duty or Battlefield is first announced, one of the first questions fans have is when the game will be set. Both FPS franchises have dabbled with historical settings, present-day settings, far-future settings, and a good few periods in between. While many fans are happy to see these franchises experiment with new settings, a vocal portion of each fanbase tends to criticize the setting, regardless of what it is.

For instance, if the next Battlefield or Call of Duty returns to a World War 2 setting, that vocal portion of the fanbase could criticize the developers for relying too heavily on nostalgia, or claim that players have seen this setting more than enough already. But if Call of Duty or Battlefield announces a futuristic setting, it could be criticized for being too unrealistic. And if Call of Duty or Battlefield confirms their next game will feature a present-day setting, some fans will argue the developers are playing things too safely and not experimenting enough.

Delta Force Has Two Settings In One

But Delta Force may be able to circumvent these troubled waters. In its free-to-play multiplayer component, Delta Force will be taking players to the near-future setting of 2035, where they’ll take on the role of a peace-keeping operative sent to dismantle the villainous Haavk Corporation. Players will use a range of modern-day weaponry, gadgets, and vehicles to eliminate opponents across Delta Force‘s free-to-play multiplayer game modes.

In its single-player component, however, Delta Force will be taking players back to the year 1993, dropping them head-first into the infamous Battle of Mogadishu. Delta Force‘s single-player campaign will be a remake of the 2003 Delta Force: Black Hawk Down game, based on the 2001 Ridley Scott-directed movie of the same name. This campaign will see players use weaponry and vehicles authentic to the 1990s conflict.

This dual-settings approach might be a smart way for franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield to cater to all fans. These games could offer a single-player campaign set in one distinct period, and a multiplayer mode set in another, giving fans a taste of both. Call of Duty already experimented with this back in 2012 with Black Ops 2‘s campaign and multiplayer mode, with the former jumping between different time settings while the latter stayed in the year 2025.