Amazon Games’ free-to-play Crucible arrives today

Looking for a little multiplayer action on the PC this weekend? Then you might want to check out the first such game from Amazon Games, Crucible.

Enter the Crucible

In the realm of free-to-play games, there are some very big dogs. But that arena is one that the newly producing Amazon Games is happy to wade in to. And from the looks of Crucible, they’re more than ready.

Sporting slick sci-fi action and zany characters, Crucible sets gamers against both giant monsters on an alien world, and other gamers. Of course, the goal is to survive and win at all costs, but teamwork will play a part too.

So will collecting an element called Essence. The item will power-up “hunters” and amplify their abilities. So if you want to go far in the game’s wild world, it seems like something that you’re gonna want to have plenty of.

As for modes, Crucible hits with a trio. They are:

• Heart of the Hives: A 4 vs. 4 battle against giant boss Hives that spawn throughout the world. Each Hive contains a valuable Heart, and the first team to capture three Hearts wins, making each match a dangerous balance between racing the opposing team and surviving the powerful Hives.
• Alpha Hunters: Eight teams of two take the battlefield and fight to be the final team standing.
• Harvester Command: Two eight-person teams battle to capture and hold Harvesters spread across the map, vying for control of the Essence that drew them all to the planet. Teams earn points by controlling Harvesters and defeating opponents, and the first team to 100 points wins. 

Here’s a look at the game in action:

Pre-launch… launch

Now, technically, this isn’t the real ‘launch’ of Crucible. Amazon Games is calling this period a pre-season, and it’s one that’s intended to run for 8 weeks. The idea is to allow players to “discover and build skill playing their favorite hunters, and begin honing their strategy before Season 1 kicks off”.

You might imagine there’s a bonus for playing now too, and you’d be right. Amazon will be gifting players with 1000 in-game credits if they log on before June 2nd. Those can be redeemed for stuff like skins and emotes, which of course are purely cosmetic items.

You can get something significant too though, in the form of a Pre-Season Battle Pass. That’s 950 credits, and will get you “a series of challenges and rewards, including hunter and account customization options.” Not too shabby.

Crucible is available right now on the PC, and can be downloaded either from Steam or Amazon.