Editor-in-Chief Darryl Gangloff got his hands on this free-to-play multiplayer online shooter at PAX East. Is it worth checking out? Read on to find out!

I started off with the Assault battleframe to focus on damage. I immediately learned that every character has the ability to fly for a limited amount of time using jump jets, which adds an interesting gameplay dynamic. Snipers can use the ability to find good hiding spots, while healers and damage dealers can quickly get to where they're needed on the map.

As far as combat is concerned, the left and right mouse buttons fire your weapons. You also have access to three socketed abilities on a bar at the bottom of your screen, which you can change depending on your playstyle. I could hit Afterburner to launch my Assault character into the air and follow it with Crater to slam down on a group of enemies, effectively turning him into a human cannonball. My third ability, Overcharge, increased my rate of fire for the rest of my clip.

Once I had gotten used to the Assault battleframe, Youngblood told me that you can change your battleframe whenever you want at your spawn area. I decided to give healing a try, which gave me access to some completely different abilities. The Medic in the demo could cast an AoE heal to help nearby allies and use a Defibrillator to quickly revive fallen teammates. Supercharge gives unlimited ammo to your target, which works perfectly with the Assault's Overcharge ability.

To end my time at the booth, I switched to the newly unveiled Recon battleframe. After wading into battles with the Assault and Medic classes, I flew up to a secluded area and tried my hand at being a sniper. The right mouse button acted as the zoom, while the left mouse button fired a single shot. The Recon could also shoot a Resonating Bolt, which acts like a sticky grenade; launch a long-distance mine; and shoot a Cryobullet that slows a target down and saps its energy. This ability is most effective against healers, since they rely on energy as a healing resource.

While the demo only showed off a small section of Firefall, it easily proved that the game has a lot of promise. Between the open world gameplay, the tournament-style PvP maps, the various battleframes and abilities, the armies system and the free price tag, third-person shooter fans should keep an eye on Firefall this year.

Darryl Gangloff, Editor-in-Chief