TL;DR:Off The Grid is a 3-person team battle royale with an extraction twist, offering unique augments, smooth movement, and tense extraction moments. While the game delivers exciting highs, optimization issues, a clear meta for augments, and the lack of matchmaking can frustrate players—especially newcomers. I would recommend the game with caveats: you’ll need a strong computer, and it’s not very new-player friendly. Score: Enjoyed, would recommend trying it—if you’re ready for the challenge.
Introduction:Off The Grid sets itself apart from standard battle royales by combining 3-player team combat with high-stakes extraction mechanics. With smooth movement, a variety of augments, and a sprawling 60-player map, it brings a fresh layer of strategy to the genre. Whether you’re fighting for kills or extracting valuable hexes, the tension stays high. However, performance issues, matchmaking struggles, and a steep progression curve keep it from fully delivering on its potential.
Core Gameplay Loop:You drop into the map with only a pistol and no augments, looting crates for weapons, shields, ammo, and augments to build your loadout. The encroaching circle forces players into tighter engagements while managing two core objectives: combat and extraction.
Augments and Loadouts:Augments are one of the game’s most exciting mechanics, offering abilities like grappling hooks, invisibility, and leg mortars. However, there’s an obvious tier list—some augments are far better than others, regardless of your playstyle. This means you’ll often spend time hunting for the "right" augments unless you call in a custom loadout mid-game using cash, which can mitigate the RNG.
Hex Extraction:Hexes—found in crates—are high-value items containing weapons, skins, and augments. Extracting them is where the real tension lies. Extraction must be done at specific hextractor points, which come with a global announcement to all players. The extraction timer starts at 60 seconds (depending on rarity), forcing you to defend your position while everyone nearby knows where you are. These moments are some of the most rewarding—and stressful—parts of the game.
Respawning:Death early in the game isn’t too punishing. You lose your gear but can land back on your body if it’s safe, and respawning is automatic as long as one teammate stays alive. Later in the game, revives cost cash and are limited to specific points, raising the stakes considerably.
Progression and Missions:Progression is tied to XP, earned from match placement, kills, assists, and successful extractions. However, as you progress, leveling up slows significantly, which can feel discouraging.
Missions: Daily, weekly, and monthly missions exist, but they’re mostly flat and passive, completing naturally as you play rather than offering interesting challenges.
Loadouts: Loadouts give flexibility mid-game but require cash to call in, rewarding players who balance looting and combat effectively.
Web3 Integration:The game’s Web3 integration adds an extra layer of economy and reward:
Hex Rewards: Extracted hexes contain items like weapons and cosmetics, stored on the AVAX blockchain subnet.
Marketplace: A peer-to-peer in-game marketplace allows trading, with each item showing its total supply, which adds a sense of rarity.
GUN Token: All trades are completed using the GUN token, which can be earned in matches and through challenges.
Pro Pass: Players with a Pro Pass benefit from boosted GUN earnings and additional item drops, offering clear advantages for dedicated players.
While these Web3 elements add value for invested players, they’re optional enough that casual players won’t feel excluded.
Combat and Movement:Combat feels smooth and dynamic, with augments and verticality adding layers of strategy to engagements. Grappling hooks, high-ground plays, and fast-paced movement make firefights exciting.
However, the experience can feel uneven:
Meta Reliance: Hunting for top-tier augments slows down matches unless you can pay for loadouts.
Team Play: Random squads often get outclassed by proper teams, and solo spawns in a 3-player game can make the experience unnecessarily punishing.
Technical Performance and Sound:Visually, Off The Grid looks great, but poor optimization holds it back. Frame rate drops and packet loss are common in firefights, which is frustrating in a competitive shooter.
Voice Lines and Cutscenes: The voice lines add humor initially but get repetitive fast. While cutscenes are well-crafted, they lose their appeal quickly—I skip them all now.
Map Design:The map is varied and well-designed, with hotspots that encourage early fights and quieter zones for looting. Its verticality is a strong point, allowing for creative movement and dynamic combat. That said, the lack of matchmaking can lead to uneven games, especially when spawning solo.
Verdict:Off The Grid has moments of brilliance, with dynamic movement, exciting hex extractions, and tense firefights fueled by its augment system. It thrives when you’re playing with a coordinated squad, balancing looting, combat, and extraction under pressure. However, performance issues, matchmaking frustrations, and the grind-heavy progression can hold it back—especially for new players.
I would recommend the game with caveats: it’s not very welcoming for newcomers, and it demands a strong computer to run smoothly. If you have a squad ready and enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay, Off The Grid is worth checking out. Just brace yourself for the chaos.
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