Bodycam Early Access Review – Through the Looking Glass

Boots-on-the-ground competitive first-person shooters with smaller maps often describe titles like XDefiant. You have a more tactical inclination, like Rainbow Six Siege, or something more hardcore. Few titles in the genre have tried to fully immerse you in a tactical situation that blurs the lines in visual quality and camera perspective while still adhering to the video game-style objective-based modes. Movement feels weighty, and tensions are high as you navigate each corner like it’s your last. It’s a novel approach that defines a new breed of shooters with body camera perspectives.

Since DRAMA’s Unrecord made headlines for its hyper-realistic visuals and combat, such shooters have gained more exposure. Reissad Studio’s aptly titled Bodycam is no exception, but instead focuses on multiplayer. It sounds like a slam dunk concept, potentially even the next step towards realistic shooters, but Bodycam demonstrates the sub-genres many peaks and valleys.

"It’s a tense atmosphere all around – even turning on your flashlight can be a death sentence – and the presentation adds to that with an almost overwhelming amount of fidelity, especially in the environment."

As an early access title, it’s worth clarifying what the experience doesn’t offer. There’s no story or underlying plot outside of vague connotations of counter-terrorists battling terrorists. There’s no initiation or tutorial to prepare you for what’s coming. There isn’t even a primer on the different modes or what they offer. You have three options – host a lobby, manually search for one to join or Quickplay to hop into a game. After jumping out of a mysterious plane for the op in question, the lobby engages in one of three modes – Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Body Bomb.

Upon entering, you notice how your weapon moves slightly independently of your view and sways when aiming down sights. The peeks around the corners feel right, especially when leaning in. If using a fully automatic assault rifle or submachine gun, it recoils heavily even when slightly tapping the trigger. The noise level is explosive and honestly, quite apt for how the weapons sound in real life. However, while you may be an operative of sorts, your perspective isn’t through their pixelated eyes.

Instead, it’s from their body camera, lending an almost oppressive feel as you gingerly navigate through hallways and doors, aiming carefully at targets a few feet away or firing blindly into the dark. When you die, there’s no kill cam – you simply watch as the body slumps to the floor before the feed is lost. Unless you’re shot through the head, in which case it’s an instant disconnection. Small comforts.

It’s a tense atmosphere all around – even turning on your flashlight can be a death sentence – and the presentation adds to that with an almost overwhelming amount of fidelity, especially in the environment. The sheer detail in the textures, the realistic lighting and shadows, and the graffiti on the walls and ceiling all lend an authentic air. The recently added Abandoned Hospital instills a spooky enough vibe, while Tumblewood is vibrant yet almost eerie, given the thick forestation and shadows.

"The map selection isn’t too shabby, topping out at six in total, and there’s also a Training map to fine-tune your aiming and even run an obstacle course."

Such detail helps each map distinguish itself, though some feel more like lived-in environments than maps tailored for competitive play. It’s not a negative, but there can be some issues with the fundamental gameplay, which we’ll get into. Still, the visual flourishes are also apparent on the body camera itself. You’ll notice slight lens flares, with heavy light emphasizing the dirt on the lens. The animation looks janky sometimes, especially with your teammates, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Unfortunately, the novelty of the experience wears off after a few rounds (and deaths). Bodycam isn’t a glorified tech demo, as some of the more negative Steam user reviews have proclaimed, but that doesn’t mean it’s without issues. The map selection isn’t too shabby, topping out at six in total, and there’s also a Training map to fine-tune your aiming and even run an obstacle course. Other than that, the lack of game modes, alongside features like match replays and career stats, is noticeable. There is a world leaderboard with different ranks, though there’s no competitive play or separate Ranked mode.

Progression outside of this consists of playing matches and earning R Points to purchase cosmetics. These range from glasses, weapon skins and vest add-ons to helmets, headphones and pants. Nothing that provides a competitive advantage and is completely obtainable in-game, but the shop cycles through cosmetics periodically.

There’s no permanent range of cosmetics available to unlock at all times, which means hoarding those R Points and hoping you can get the item you want. Of course, you can also spend real money for Points to “save time.” The cosmetic selection isn’t the most exciting for now, though the various categories for decorating your character are noteworthy.

"However, those who plant the bomb can do so anywhere, including their spawn. Many players do just that and shoot anyone who wanders close."

While combat can be an acquired taste, especially when trying to learn the nuances, there are some gripes. Movement can feel clunky, though it’s not the worst. Forget customization – you can’t even select your weapon at the start of a round, so some players get a shotgun by luck and outright dominate on the more close-quarters maps.

Others will consistently pick you off at range, highlighting spawn issues. Whether it’s due to map size or just the logic, there aren’t enough safe places to spawn in maps. Even worse is an enemy can spawn next to you in Deathmatch and instantly kill you (yes, even when the match starts). You’ll be killed off the rip regularly, especially outdoors, and it’s baffling that there’s no spawn protection.

Then you have Body Bomb, which has one of the more questionable approaches to the mode. One side plants the bomb while the other tries to defuse it. Sounds simple, right? You can even control a little drone after dying, spectating the enemy and making callouts (which crashes at the slightly annoying nudge against obstacles, so beware).

However, those who plant the bomb can do so anywhere, including their spawn. Many players do just that and shoot anyone who wanders close. Frags and other tools help to flush them out, and the lack of different spawning locations for each side can even things out, but it’s still ridiculous.

"If you’re jumping in for the novelty and without many expectations, Bodycam may be fine. However, those seeking something substantial may want to wait until Unrecord drops."

The most recent update added the vote-to-kick option for players, minimizing potential team-killing. However, there are no dedicated servers. Players host the lobbies – if you leave, everyone gets booted. You could easily have scenarios where teams host lobbies and leave when things aren’t going their way, effectively voiding the matches. Reissad is taking steps to ban cheaters or those who abuse points to climb the leaderboard, but more stringent anti-cheat would be appreciated. At least the netcode isn’t too shabby, assuming you find a lobby with agreeable latency.

Despite its gorgeous looks and realistic sounds, Bodycam is still very much a work in progress. Bugs can be quashed, animations polished further, and performance improved. New maps and modes will be added, including a mode where players take on zombies, which could add a fun bent of horror to the realistic gunplay. While the core gameplay is fine, it lacks that special something to really grab you (and the perspective doesn’t exactly help those prone to motion sickness). As such, the package needs the most basic of features, a proper competitive multiplayer structure, and actual progression to warrant long-term investment.

If you’re jumping in for the novelty and without many expectations, Bodycam may be fine. However, those seeking something substantial may want to wait until Unrecord drops.

This game was reviewed on PC.