For me, the most important things in online shooters are the speed and dynamics, and the lack of a long learning curve. At the same time, I want to feel like I’m growing, and I want to push myself sometimes. I think that’s why many people come here after work, to let off some steam. So, I come back to Warface from time to time. The project is already 13 years old, but in recent years it’s changed so rapidly that returning to the game every season is almost like starting a new project. This time, in the winter season “Bastion,” there are especially many changes: a new special operation, a restructured progression, new weapons, a redesigned interface… I’ll tell you more.
- Developer: Astrum Entertainment
- Publisher: Astrum Entertainment
- Platforms: PC
- Release date: April 11, 2012
The Winter Season centers around the special operation “Citadel” and its solo branch, “Citadel: Salvation,” one of the most intense PvE chains in the game. The events unfold at the Labyrinth base, where General Lee Wharton languishes in captivity. The atmosphere is dense, almost gothic: a snow-covered island fortress, gloomy bridges, labyrinthine catacombs, and buildings picturesque in their austerity.
You’ll also face off against the Labyrinth’s cybernetic soldiers—fast and deadly creatures capable of closing the distance with lightning speed and tearing everything to shreds. Their presence lends the gameplay a classic shooter flavor, without the excessive arcadeiness.
“Citadel” is divided into two parts. In the first, you storm fortifications with Delta Squad, and in the second, you play as General Wharton himself. Wharton is an interesting character: confident, calm even under fire, charismatic, almost cartoonishly cool. I caught myself thinking he’s a kind of Russian Duke Nukem—restrained, but with the same inner bravado. Playing as him is designed like a solo campaign: you make your way through tunnels and fight in tight corridors.
The format is interesting, but quite challenging and sometimes even scary—the enemies are varied, sometimes unpredictable, and come in waves from every nook and cranny. There are many enemies, ammo is scarce, and the pace is fast—classic Warface with intense firefights. It’s not fast, but it’s engaging.
Along with Citadel, Snow Bastion returns to the Special Operations rotation. Spearhead, Ambush, and Zenith are now available as standalone missions. The difficulty has been reworked, and the rewards have been increased—this will be one of the most lucrative options for PvE players during the winter season. Marathon will remain exclusive to Campaign mode, but it’s more than enough to complete your seasonal objectives.
One of the main new additions of the season was the ASh-12. It’s an assault rifle with massive headshot damage, powerful base recoil, and the ability to adjust its range with mods. The ASh-12 is a heavy assault rifle, the same type of weapon used by Russian special forces.
Thanks to its wide selection of ammunition, the ASh-12 is suitable for a wide range of combat situations, but primarily at close range. Old favorites have also returned to the meta—the M249 Para, Fabarm XLR5 Prestige, Micro-Roni, and S&W M&P R8—all updated to current performance levels.
The Para has received a significant rework: its unique accuracy ramp-up mechanics during sustained fire make it an engaging weapon. The Micro-Roni remains ideal for quick, aggressive pressure, the Fabarm demonstrates the consistent power of a shotgun, and the S&W M&P R8 revolver with a red dot sight offers excellent accuracy and sharpness.
Seasonal progressions have received fresh content. The PvE branch features the “Gargoyle” series—a collection featuring the Kord-5.45, Saiga-12S, Tavor CTAR-21, SVCh-54, Glock 18C, and a butterfly knife. Ranked match enthusiasts are offered “Tournament” series camos for the STK CMCR, MAG-7, FN SCAR-L PDW, OTs-48 MK2, and Taurus Judge, along with the brand-new “Saboteur’s Knife.”
The Battle Pass, as usual, is bursting with cosmetics: it includes the Stained Glass, Conjuring, and Maswerk series, along with around twenty thousand upgrade parts. The Prestige branch boasts four golden guns: the HK433, Winchester SXP, Honey Badger, and McMillan CS5.
Incidentally, since the fall season, all weapon modifications have been active simultaneously. The new meta’s guns have infinite progression—you can upgrade them beyond level 100, earning parts without limit. Each new level requires 51,300 experience and rewards forty parts.
The game’s interface has undergone a major overhaul. The developers have redesigned everything to ensure essential information is always at hand. Your profile now displays an achievement counter, and detailed PvP and PvE statistics are now available, down to specific game modes. The ESC menu displays the match timer, active votes, quick settings, and class switching.
In the statistics window, you can interact directly with each player: add them as a friend, mute them, report them, or initiate a kick vote. Maps, player lists, and mission objectives are all now more clearly visible. The room creation screen has a logical structure. The highlighted nicknames of Warface+ subscribers look cool.
Despite the scale of the changes, Warface remains the same shooter that’s easy to pick up, quickly grasp, enjoy, and leave feeling like your time was well spent. It’s great that the game still doesn’t require hours of training or arcane tactics. Newcomers will find mountains of content and a story that gently introduces them. Returning players will be amazed at how much the game has been transformed, from the interface to the arsenal. Collectors will get their hands on limited-edition rarities. And those who enjoy progression will enjoy endless leveling and a steady stream of rewards.
