I tried out the Operations mode first. This mode gave me big déjà vu. It plays a lot like other free-to-play squad extraction shooters. You dive into a PvPvE map, collect valuables, and extract to keep your spoils. I can’t shake that I’ve felt like I’ve played this mode many times over, and in fact, it is very similar to other extraction shooters in the genre. Rainbow Six: Extraction, Exoborne, and Mecha BREAK all come to mind, but Delta Force Boosting has its own identity.

These Operations missions boil down to fun, high-risk, high-reward encounters that also build the world of Delta Force. Not only are you ‘doing fun stuff’ but this is peeking behind the curtain to check out what a Delta Force unit is for in the first place, and it’s always good to have a reason behind unloading your weapon into adversaries. Each unit performs unsanctioned or black-ops missions against the rogue paramilitary Haavk faction, and these missions tie into map-based stories like the newly released Tide Prison and Cyclone maps.

The developer’s philosophy is to preserve the spirit of the original game series while building a modern take on the FPS genre, and with all the detail and focus Team Jade threw under the hood of Delta Force show they mean business.

These encounters can become sweaty affairs quickly, as high-priority targets litter the battlefield as well as other three-man units searching for the bag. When you scoop a high-priority target, other teams can become wise to your newfound wealth, and they will try to scrape your corpse for spoils. You can make a mad dash to extract, taking the wealth with you, or you can stick around and load your bag with more goods to leave with.

The Warfare mode is where Team Jade lets Delta Force do the talking. This mode is a chaotic 32v32 battlefield where everything feels like it’s trying to kill you. There are vehicles with great controls, game modes like deathmatch and King of the Hill, and just good old-fashioned FPS shenanigans. This mode plays incredibly well on console, and it feels like playing an older Battlefield 3 match, but with more things to worry about and roles to play, separating the Force from the rest of the FPS title catalogue.

After hitting a blood rush of killing enemies, healing allies, capturing objectives and taking a buggy to the next objective, it’s clear Team Jade took their time in making every decision open to the cheap Delta Force Boost player feel deliberate. Instead of “I should do this,” the player can use what they feel comfortable with and march forward with their own best playstyle. If you don’t like vehicle gameplay, you don’t have to even approach one.