Let me open with a caveat: I haven't figured out exactly what I'm supposed to do yet.
That said, Section 8 plays a lot like Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Battlefield 2142. The main game mode consists of a domination/territorial control mechanic, where you have to capture and hold three control points. You go to the point, press "E" to hack the terminal, and wait a bit for the static base defenses to decide they're on your side. There are other sub-missions to unlock - like escorting convoys and capturing enemy intelligence - that give you additional "requisition points" to buy upgrades for your stuff, drop in vehicles, etc.
The main novelties to the FPS element are the ability to "burn in" from an orbiting drop ship to any point on the map, and jump jets in your armor that make both travel and combat somewhat more interesting. There's also an afterburner effect that activates after you've been sprinting for a couple of seconds, which allows you to cover a lot of ground very quickly. The drop mechanic in particular is most welcome, as it's far superior to having fixed (and thus predictable) spawns that either put you a country mile from the action when they work, or subject you to spawn-rape when they don't.
As far as the FPS element goes, the controls feel a bit chunky to me; the mouse controls are fine, but the keyboard controls lack the desired responsiveness. The main weapons are accurate, but seem underpowered. (I guess that's what's supposed to happen when everyone gets their own personal force field on top of body armor.) If you don't get a good couple of seconds of sustained fire on your target, he's not going down. Overall, the flow of combat is closer to ET:QW than it is to L4D or Call of Duty.
That said, Section 8 plays a lot like Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Battlefield 2142. The main game mode consists of a domination/territorial control mechanic, where you have to capture and hold three control points. You go to the point, press "E" to hack the terminal, and wait a bit for the static base defenses to decide they're on your side. There are other sub-missions to unlock - like escorting convoys and capturing enemy intelligence - that give you additional "requisition points" to buy upgrades for your stuff, drop in vehicles, etc.
The main novelties to the FPS element are the ability to "burn in" from an orbiting drop ship to any point on the map, and jump jets in your armor that make both travel and combat somewhat more interesting. There's also an afterburner effect that activates after you've been sprinting for a couple of seconds, which allows you to cover a lot of ground very quickly. The drop mechanic in particular is most welcome, as it's far superior to having fixed (and thus predictable) spawns that either put you a country mile from the action when they work, or subject you to spawn-rape when they don't.
As far as the FPS element goes, the controls feel a bit chunky to me; the mouse controls are fine, but the keyboard controls lack the desired responsiveness. The main weapons are accurate, but seem underpowered. (I guess that's what's supposed to happen when everyone gets their own personal force field on top of body armor.) If you don't get a good couple of seconds of sustained fire on your target, he's not going down. Overall, the flow of combat is closer to ET:QW than it is to L4D or Call of Duty.
Visually, Section 8 is rather uneven. The character and weapon models are rendered quite well, but the textures are a mix of high-res and low-res austerity. Look down at where your feet should be, and you'll see your footprints in sand that's straight out of the 2004 edition of the FPS graphics catalog. The looks improve with distance, but you'll also notice the near-total absence of alpha blending where natural terrain (like the aforementioned sand) meets asphalt. If you're a graphics whore like me, these things are sins in a world where most games look as good or better than CoD4.
On a related note, the level design is strictly B-level. Some of the vistas do look pretty cool, but the "operational" spaces are uninspired at best. It's not that the layouts are particularly bad, it's just that none of it is very interesting to look at, and there's not much variation between maps.
This is a beta, so the canvas and the paints aren't likely to change much, if at all, with the final release. There is, however, a lot of time (and a lot of room) for tweaking the gameplay. If you're more inclined towards "pure" shooters, Section 8 probably isn't your cup of tea. If you're a fan of Battlefield 2, BF 2142, and ET:QW especially, on the other hand, you should feel right at home. The only question is whether Section 8's few innovations will overcome its otherwise mediocre execution.
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