Developer Relentless Studios

Publisher Amazon Game Studios

Format PC

Release Out now

What is Crucible, exactly? It’s a question we flounder to answer as we introduce the game to friends joining for a quick match or two, and one that Crucible itself struggles with. Broadly speaking, it’s a free-to-play online PvPvE hero team shooter, but that’s so many buzzwords jammed together that we’re not quite sure what order to put them in, and the resulting scramble doesn’t tell you much about the actual experience of play. While many of Crucible’s elements are deeply familiar, the way they’re organised is unlike any other game we can point to.

Maybe it’s so difficult because the answer keeps shifting from match to match. First, you’re Ajonah the mer-sniper, grappling to the high ground then watching the frontline through your scope, picking off enemies as they crash against your half-dozen teammates. Next, as Drakahl, you swing your axe to smash AI creeps, farming XP for your side as they head for the objective. Now you’re one half of an unlikely buddy-movie duo, military buzzcut and wide-eyed robot, pinging landmarks as you scurry across the map together and watch the number of players gradually tick down to victory.