EXFIL
Last updated: 2025-08-14
- Highly enjoyable, promising tactical extraction shooter
- Deep tactical, realistic gameplay with stunning maps
- Active developers and welcoming community
- Suffers from poor performance and lack of polish
- Overpriced with limited content and low player count
- Clunky gunplay, animations, and weak AI
Emotions
Players are primarily disappointed by the game's unfinished state, technical issues like low frame rates and poor optimization, and a significant lack of content. The low player count and empty servers also contribute heavily to this emotion, making the multiplayer experience feel dead or non-existent. Many feel the game is overpriced for its current quality and content.
Frustration stems mainly from severe performance issues, including poor optimization, unstable FPS, and frequent crashes, making the game unplayable for many. Other key causes include clunky gunplay, poor hit registration, and long wait times for matchmaking due to a low player base. Bugs, server issues, and a lack of essential features like a FOV slider further exacerbate this feeling.
Satisfaction is driven by the game's tactical nature, realistic gameplay, and strong emphasis on teamwork, which appeals to a niche audience. The active and responsive developer team, along with a positive and engaged community, significantly contributes to player contentment. Many also praise the game's graphics, immersive atmosphere, and core gameplay loop.
Excitement is primarily generated by the game's strong potential for future growth and development, with players looking forward to new content and features. The core concept, intense tactical engagements, and immersive atmosphere also contribute to this positive emotion. Players are enthusiastic about the game evolving into a high-quality shooter.
Hope is centered on the game's future potential, with players wishing for improvements in content, optimization, and especially an increase in the player base. There is a strong desire for the developers to continue working on the game, adding more modes, weapons, and refining existing mechanics. This emotion is often tied to the belief that the game can overcome its current shortcomings.
Verdict
Mostly negative
Summary
Positive 48% · Negative 52%. Score: 52 / 100
Positives:
- Players overwhelmingly praise the game's core experience, finding it fun, immersive, and engaging. Many highlight its strong potential, solid foundation, and enjoyable gameplay loop, especially for an Early Access title. The game's overall concept, graphics, and attention to detail are also frequently commended.
- The game's tactical gameplay, emphasis on teamwork, and realistic elements are highly valued. Players enjoy the strategic depth, unforgiving combat, and the need for communication, which creates intense and immersive experiences. The balance between realism and accessibility is also a key positive.
- The development team receives significant positive feedback for their active engagement, responsiveness, and dedication. Players appreciate their willingness to listen to feedback, participate in community games, and maintain transparent communication, fostering a strong sense of collaboration.
- The game's maps are praised for their stunning visuals, detailed design, and immersive environmental effects. The dynamic day/night cycle and varied weather systems are particularly highlighted for adding replayability and fundamentally changing gameplay experiences.
- The game is recognized as a fresh and promising entry in the extraction shooter genre. Players find the extraction gameplay addictive and appreciate its innovative approach compared to typical titles, seeing significant potential for its future success.
Negatives:
- Players consistently report severe performance issues, including low and unstable frame rates, stuttering, and frequent crashes, even on high-end PCs. The game is described as poorly optimized, unpolished, and feeling rudimentary or unfinished, resembling older titles in terms of graphics and overall execution.
- A significant number of players feel the game is overpriced for its current state, citing a severe lack of content, features, and overall polish. Many believe it should be free-to-play or priced much lower, as it offers little long-term engagement or value.
- The game suffers from a critically low player count, making it difficult to find active servers or matches. This leads to long wait times and an inability to experience the game as intended, with many servers being empty.
- Players criticize the game's audio design, particularly weapon sounds, which are described as poor, unrealistic, and lacking immersion. Animations, especially for reloads and general character movement, are frequently noted as clunky, stiff, and amateurish.
- Gunplay and shooting mechanics are widely criticized for feeling clunky, unrealistic, and difficult to control. Issues include inconsistent hit registration, lack of weapon weight, and poor aiming mechanics, making firefights frustrating.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay loop involves tactical infiltration to retrieve intel, typically from a crashed helicopter, and then successfully extracting via helicopter. Multiple game modes exist, including Classic Extraction where only one team can survive, and Gang Extraction which offers an asymmetric experience.
- The game is fundamentally team-based, emphasizing communication and tactical coordination among squad members. Matches typically involve 3-4 teams competing, with a strong focus on working together to achieve objectives and survive.
- The game positions itself as a military simulation (MilSim) or a hardcore tactical shooter, drawing comparisons to games like Squad, Arma, and Escape From Tarkov. It aims for a realistic and challenging experience.
- The game is designed with a strong emphasis on PvP, featuring intense squad-based gunfights. While PvE elements exist, the primary focus is on competitive player-versus-player engagements and strategic team play.
- Unlike many extraction shooters, this game explicitly avoids loot hoarding, XP gains, and complex inventory systems. It's a streamlined experience focused purely on tactical combat and objective completion without a persistent economy.
Performance:
- Player feedback on performance is highly inconsistent, with some reporting smooth gameplay and others experiencing very low frame rates and significant dips, even on high-end hardware. This suggests optimization issues, particularly around specific in-game elements or configurations.
- Players are exploring the use of upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR 3, including Frame Generation, to improve performance and address visual artifacts like blurred screens. This highlights a reliance on these features for a better experience.
- One player noted the game's relatively small disk space requirement, while another mentioned the game's features demanding higher computer specifications. These points are less specific but touch on resource usage.
- Some players provided their PC specifications when reporting their experience, either to confirm no issues or to provide context for performance problems. This feedback is primarily informational rather than a direct issue.
Recommendations:
- Many players recommend waiting to purchase the game, especially at full price, due to its Early Access state, lack of content, or current issues. They suggest trying it during free weekends, waiting for sales, or for significant future updates and a more stable player base. Some also express a willingness to buy it later if it improves.
- Despite its current state, many players see significant potential in the game, especially for fans of tactical shooters. They are excited about its future development, hoping for more content, features, and a growing community. Some highly recommend it to specific genre enthusiasts.
- A portion of the feedback indicates strong negative sentiment, with some users stating the game is not worth playing or buying, even suggesting it's a waste of time or money. There's also a mention of some negative reviews potentially being unfair.
- Some players simply recommend giving the game a try, suggesting a low barrier to entry for experiencing it.
- There's a suggestion for a free demo to allow players to try the game before committing to a purchase.
Miscellaneous:
- Players consistently highlight that the game is in a very early stage of Early Access, with significant potential for future growth and improvement. Many express optimism for its development over time, indicating a willingness to wait for a more complete experience.
- There's a suspicion among some players regarding the authenticity of positive reviews, with claims of free keys influencing ratings or paid promotions. Conversely, some dismiss negative reviews as unfounded.
- The game is frequently compared to other tactical shooters like Squad, Tarkov, Ground Branch, and classic titles like Counter-Strike and Delta Force. Players see its unique identity but also draw parallels for potential future direction.
