If you've tried to get into Escape From Tarkov and struggled with its steep difficulty curve, you're not alone. Battlestate's shooter has a lot to offer, but part of what makes it work is the fact that it's not welcoming. Counter-Strike 2 is a similarly tough prospect, but for different reasons. Rather than arduous realism, it's so fast and optimized even the most casual game can leave you with no kills and a heap of deaths. Exfil wants to find the middle ground. Swimming in the same post-Flashpoint and Ghost Recon waters as a lot of milsims, it perhaps comes closest to finding the balance between challenging and accessible, and now you can try it for free.
Developed by a team of just three people, FPS game inside 20 minutes or so, and the menus and systems aren't anywhere near as bewildering as some other milsim shooters. Weather is dynamic, day turns to night, and there are currently six handcrafted maps.
It features two game modes so far. One is classic extraction, where multiple teams enter, seek out a valuable intel folder hidden somewhere on the map, and fight to get out alive. The other is called Rogue, and it's an asymmetrical battle where a small team of specialists has to make it past a larger force in order to reach the titular exfil point.
After a recent update that introduced AI squads, which roam the map not dissimilar to Tarkov's mercs and scavs, Exfil is now temporarily free to play. Between Thursday May 29 and Sunday June 1, you have access to all of Exfil's maps and game modes, as well as a new bolt-action rifle and a fresh feature that allows you to heal your teammates. If you want to play Exfil for free, just go here.
Otherwise, try some of the other best war games.
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