Section 8 is a recently released team-based FPS on the Xbox 360 and PC. There are few games on the Xbox 360 that are more unapologetic when it comes to team-based strategies, as even using the creme de la creme of long range weapons – the sniper rifle – is best used when you have 2 or 3 teammates with you concentrating on one enemy. That being said, some of the design choices that TimeGate Studios went with in regards to actually getting into a game are very disappointing. Thankfully, that is the only thing that really keeps this game from being great, and it’s one that may be addressed in a future patch.

The first topic that should be covered in any review of Section 8 is the spawning method. To spawn into the game, you’re given an overhead view of the entire map. You can move a crosshair anywhere on the map to, what it is called in the game, “burn-in” to that location. It then switches to a first person view of your character from 3000 meters in the air, rocketing towards the ground. At around 1500 meters, you can choose to hit your air brakes to change your position (though not hitting them won’t hurt your player at all – it will just give you a short recovery period once you land). You can literally spawn anywhere on the map, though it would be unwise to spawn into AA fire. Yes, the enemy bases have AA guns that will tear apart your shields and armor if you try to burn right on to one. This is an amazingly awesome-looking effect, and having the ability to drop on someone is one of the more satisfying ways to score a kill in any recent game.

The level of customization in this game is really what gives it legs, along with the DCMs (discussed later). You can choose the primary and secondary weapons of your loadout, as well as two equipment slots (for things like grenades, a repair gun, etc). The final section of everyone’s loadouts are the passive modules. Everybody gets 10 points to put into passive modules that can buff their character. There are around 10 different areas you can upgrade, including your shields, your armor, the damage done by your weapons, etc. You can even put points into what are called Deceptor Plates that can allow you to drop into AA fire without taking big damage.

There is a single player portion of the game, but frankly there’s a reason why it’s the third option down on the main menu, below Multiplayer and Instant Action. Do not buy this game for the single player portion. It equals out to a series of “missions” that play out like bot matches. There is no death penalty as you can spawn right back in if you die, which means that there are really only 2 or 3 places in the 8 missions that you can fail: areas where you have to defend something or someone. The average player can burn through the campaign in 3 to 4 hours. About the only redeeming quality of the single player is that it does a good job to introduce the weapons and dynamic combat missions that will become all-important during multiplayer matches.

Now the meat and potatoes of Section 8, as said earlier, is the multiplayer, and it has some of the greatest gameplay moments on the Xbox 360. There are 14 different maps to play on, with a variety of either 2, 3, or 4 command points spread out around the map. The only game mode in Section 8 is a take on the Conquest multiplayer mode. Teams have to take over the command points on the map and every 30 seconds, teams will get 8 points for however many command points they control. Hacking control points and getting kills all give your team points. Throughout the round, based on your teams’ successes, dynamic combat missions get activated for your team. These DCMs, as they’re colloquially called, are Section 8’s way of mixing up the gameplay. These are mini-missions that your team must complete to get 70-100 points, or, if you fail, the enemy team gets 35-50 points. DCMs can come in the variety of a Convoy escort, VIP escort, Intelligence gathering, Outpost defense, or Commando mission. In addition to getting points for completing these DCMs, each has a secondary reward. For example, if you defend the Outpost for the required amount of time, it will stay up and act as an additional command point, giving your team 8 points every 30 seconds it remains up. If you can escort the Commando or VIP to their destinations, they’ll stick around that command point to help defend, and their high shield and armor capacities will keep them alive for a while.

Scoring kills and completing DCMs award each person on the team money, depending on their level of involvement. Even assisting on kills will get you money, and you can use this cash to buy defenses or vehicles. You can purchase mini-gun turrets, rocket turrets, and even portable AA turrets. In terms of vehicles, you can buy a heavy armor suit (operated like a mech) or a tank. The tank is very impressive, and it’s quite fitting that it’s the most expensive item you can buy. Up to 4 team mates can get inside a tank and operate a different weapon. The driver operates the main gun turret, and his teammates can control a minigun turret, rockets, and a mortar weapon. With a full squad in one tank, it becomes an absolute powerhouse capable of some serious destruction, though you’d have to forfeit laying down some base defenses in order to work up that much money (lending more credence to the statement that this game is unapologetic when it comes to teamwork).

However, some of the design decisions TimeGate went with are baffling. For instance, there is no party system. For such a team-oriented game, the lack of a party system that you can get into games with friends is puzzling. What’s worse, even with bots, most of the dedicated servers for this game have an auto-balance feature. Murphy’s Law suggests (and it seems to be true) that it’s going to be YOUR squad that gets split up. This is by far the most annoying quirk about Section 8, and hopefully it will be fixed.

But even with that annoying little slip-up, this is a fantastic game, and if you’re looking for a team-based multiplayer shooter, look no further.