Close Combat: First to Fight – A Forgotten Tactical Shooter
If you are a military shooter enthusiast, you might not know that Close Combat: First to Fight was released in 2005. Destineer’s first-person tactical shooter used the input of real U.S. Marines to make the game. Its aim was to simulate the real battlefield experience to the players, but did it succeed?
Gameplay and Features
Unlike run-and-gun games, First to Fight is more strategic and cooperative. You command a four-man fireteam and give commands like covering fire, clearing rooms, and flanking. The AI squad members are surprisingly responsive and the game is even playable when you play it alone.
Based on a fictional conflict in Beirut, the game plunges players into the chaos of city combat. The missions need to be carefully thought out—rushing in blindly will lead to defeat. Though the graphics now appear old-fashioned, the realistic squad-based gameplay holds up even to this day.
Reception and Legacy
Though its realistic approach didn’t quite make the game a crowd-pleaser, the game didn’t live up to the standards of critics at times with its erratic AI and missing the polish of games such as Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six. Nevertheless, if you’re a fan of tactical shooters, it’s worth giving it a shot if you’re looking for military realism.
Can You Still Play It?
Finding Close Combat: First to Fight on the modern day is difficult as it is not available on popular digital stores such as Steam. You might still find the physical versions and the old digital versions on some game archive sites. If you enjoy tactical shooters and aren’t fussy over graphics, then this forgotten classic could be worth a playthrough.
| SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ! | |
|---|---|
| OS: | Windows 7/8/10 or higher |
| CPU: | Pentium III 1 GHz or AMD Athlon |
| Memory: | 256 MB |
| Graphics: | 32 MB ATi Radeon 7500 or nVidia GeForce2 MX Hardware T&L |