Hero shooters usually aren’t my cup of tea, and Tactical FPS games like Counter-Strike or Valorant tend to rank even lower on my list. However, when a tactical hero shooter bursts onto the scene with undeniable personality, I inevitably cave and give it a shot—despite knowing these games rarely hold my attention for long. FragPunk is one such title that not only grabbed me with its distinct style but also kept me engaged with its unique take on genre gameplay. After playing quite a bit for this review, I found myself considering coming back for more.
FragPunk is a tactical FPS hero shooter. If you’ve played Counter-Strike or Valorant, you have some idea of how the core gameplay in FragPunk might look. Two teams of five compete on a randomly selected map, taking turns attacking and defending two objectives. Attackers win by planting an explosive device and defending it until detonation or by eliminating the entire defending team. Defenders must either wipe out all attackers or defuse the bomb and are given more agency over the map before the attackers get the chance to leave spawn.
Each round begins with both teams selecting their preferred loadout of guns, and each character in the game has their own unique set of abilities that help them turn the tide of battle. Players go down quickly in PvP—though slightly slower than in comparable games, in my opinion—making strategy, hero knowledge, and reflexes essential to victory. Valorant players will find this formula familiar.
What truly sets FragPunk apart from its brethren of the same genre isn’t just its aesthetic, a fusion of street-graffiti-punk and sci-fi. While I personally wish the game leaned fully into the punk aspect, I still appreciate its stylistic choices. More importantly, the game introduces a significant twist to the core gameplay loop with shard cards.
Shard cards act as reality-warping modifiers selected at the start of each round. These cards don’t just tilt the game in favor of those who use them—they also inject a level of chaos and fun rarely seen in the genre. Their versatility is impressive, altering gameplay in various ways. Some examples include bullets that heal teammates, turtles strapped to players’ backs to reduce backshot damage, double-jumping, or even increasing enemy head sizes for easier headshots.
The functionality of the cards is theoretically limitless, given the game’s willingness to break the laws of physics and be downright silly. Since you unlock new cards by leveling up, I still haven’t seen the full roster of shard cards available in FragPunk.
The inclusion of shard cards also removes a mechanic I’ve always found frustrating in this genre: purchasing equipment.
If you’ve played similar games, you’ve likely endured a brutal losing streak—low on kills, rounds, and cash. Since money is used to buy weapons each round, struggling players can quickly find themselves outgunned, stuck with pistols against a team wielding superior firepower. FragPunk eliminates this issue by making all weapons available every round, regardless of player or team performance. Pistols even come with utility tools like flashbangs, ensuring they remain useful as a sidearm support weapon.
Instead of purchasing gear, players earn shard points by performing well in a match. At the start of each round, the team selects from three randomly drawn cards—pulled from the decks of all teammates—through a voting system. Based on shard points, the team can activate up to three cards or empower the ones they choose. Since these buffs and debuffs often affect the entire map, it feels fair for a winning team to have more influence over the selection. However, the advantage isn’t as punishing as being completely outgunned.
As I mentioned earlier, I wish FragPunk leaned harder into its punk aesthetic rather than blending it with near-future sci-fi—a trend popularized by Valorant. That being said, I do like a lot of the characters, both for their punky designs and their personalities. I also found the abilities they were given to be fairly powerful, making your choice impactful without feeling like there were straight-up “best” characters.
If I could ask for anything from FragPunk, it would simply be to add more characters to the game. And to do so soon. I want to see the boundaries of the game’s character design pushed to create a vast and interesting cast of characters. Until then, I’ll stick to my main, Nitro, and her adorable drone, Chug Chug.
The Final Word
FragPunk stands out in the genre for its creative, reality-altering twist on familiar mechanics. Though I wish it leaned further into its unique aesthetic, it still distinguishes itself from the crowd and is absolutely worth trying.
FragPunk was reviewed on PC. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! FragPunk is available for free on Steam, Epic Games, Xbox, and PlayStation.
why do you give almost every game a 9 or 10? game is ok but you are ignoring the insane step back it took from beta, along with terrible microtransactions.
As per the website’s review policy, “A 10 score does not mean the reviewed item is without issues, however, these complaints will likely be either nitpicks or superficial in nature.”
I personally believe that the “perfect” game doesn’t exist, and that everything is subjective, and our review policy is more about subtracting points for major flaws rather than trying to rate “the best games ever.”