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The classic series Delta Force is back, this time with a free-to-play multiplayer model, coupled with a "premium" single-player campaign which you'll be able to pay for at a later date. The game has just entered Open Beta on Steam, so we thought we'd check it out and see how it runs on the Steam Deck.
The game boasts 32v32 player battles, putting it in the realm of the Battlefield games, more so than Call of Duty, with larger, expansive maps, complete with vehicles, and of course, control points that you'll want to capture.
There is a PvPvE extraction mode on offer as well, and a more co-op-oriented PvE mode if you want to team up with some buddies to take on a raid.
But how well does all of this actually work?
Delta Force - Gameplay Impressions
The gunplay itself feels excellent in my opinion, with tight controls and a good feeling when you fire a weapon. The addition of vehicles and artillery also makes the game more varied and interesting. If you want a break from constant firefights and you're trying to defend a point, falling back and hopping into an artillery cannon to take out high-value targets like tanks is an option. Movement is also smooth, with the ability to go prone as well as jump/vault over objects.
As you use your weapons in the game, they'll gain experience and can be upgraded with additional attachments that you can unlock. The game isn't pay-to-win, but at the start, you might feel a little frustrated that others who have played for longer will have better equipment than you. But hey, at least you have an excuse when your K/D is 0.25!
One thing that was a bit of a bugbear for me, was that some parts of the map feel like a sniper's dream. Sure, you need foot soldiers to actually advance and take the control points, but in one match, I'd say half of my deaths were down to sniper fire rather than a firefight, and it's always a bit of a sour point when you get head shotted by a guy 200 meters away in a sniper tower that you couldn't have seen or even shot at with your assault rifle.
The maps also feel incredibly busy at points. It's a 32v32 match, and while the maps look open, they often become quite linear corridors, relatively speaking. Keeping an eye on the kill feed at the top of the screen, I'd say a player dies roughly every 2 seconds, which is quite a lot for a 64-player match, which can make the game feel rather chaotic at times. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you.
The extraction mode is far more tactical, with players taking care not to be seen so as to avoid elimination, with NPC guards scattered throughout the map that might cause a player to have to reveal their location to deal with them. In a squad of 3, it's up to you to get in, find as much valuable loot as you can, and extract safely without being eliminated by the guards or another team, it all comes together quite smoothly and should scratch that extraction shooter itch.
If you're here for more tactical gameplay, perhaps akin to the classic Delta Force games where you aren't just rushing into battle to get as many kills as possible, the extraction mode might be more your style.
Delta Force - Steam Deck Performance Tested
Actually getting into the game proved to be a bit of a headache on the Steam Deck, with the game repeatedly throwing up network errors. It seems like disabling the performance overlay might help you get into the game, but I was still struggling even with it disabled, before eventually managing to connect. My advice would be to just keep trying, eventually, it should let you in.
Once I was logged in, the experience was better, while the game doesn't have controller support yet, you can of course make your own controller layout and fine-tune it, which you will want to do as the game is a rather fast-paced shooter that relies on good reactions and fine accuracy.
The game also supports the Steam Deck's native 1280x800 resolution and has a wide variety of graphical options that we can reduce to help the game run better.
Here are the settings I used for the game, essentially just the low preset:


In the game's 32v32 mode, the game manages to stay above 40 FPS, often staying around the 50 FPS mark, so it's in the realm of playability. It's not ideal for a game of a competitive nature, but it is playable. Even though we are on low settings with FSR 2 on Balanced, the game still does resolve a decent image.



If we move over to the game's PvPvE extraction mode, then performance improves a notch, likely due to there being far fewer soldiers on the field, and the more tactical nature of the gameplay means there aren't explosions going off left, right, and center. In this mode, I was generally seeing above 50 FPS, often at or close to 60 FPS.



Of course, I would say your main opponent in Delta Force on Steam Deck will be your controls. With the game having no controller support until Q1 2025, for now, you'll need to tune your own controls using Steam Input, which can take time to get right. There's no aim assist in the game, so even if you do get a good control scheme, you'll still be disadvantaged compared to players on mouse and keyboard.
Final Thoughts
Delta Force appears like a solid game, with nice feeling gunplay, smooth movement, and 2 game modes that are both fun in their own way. Should you play it on the Steam Deck? Well, if you can get logged in, and you're approaching the game with a casual mindset of just having a bit of FPS fun, then sure, you can enjoy yourself with Delta Force on the Steam Deck once you have your controls sorted. Just try not to worry about being top of your team. Hopefully, when controller support comes in Q1 2025, things will get easier.
You can play Delta Force for free, it's in Open Beta right now on Steam, the single-player campaign mode will be a paid mode, but it hasn't been released yet.
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