Flare Gun MK2
I was very disappointed when I first heard that the original Flare Gun was recycled as a new weapon, and disappointed again that it wasn't made available as a free weapon. I was also very worried that the weapon would be a super beefed-up carbon copy of the original weapon that doesn't bring anything new to the table. While the Flare Gun MK2 was a relief as far as those things are concerned, it's also a disappointment as far as quality goes.
For a weapon that has little reason to exist when an original version of it is already very popular, it'd better be an impressive weapon. Unfortunately, this was not the case for me. While I do commend the developers for making this one a balanced and fair weapon to use and play against, it simply struggles to compete in amongst the overpowered weapons I was concerned the MK2 would turn out to be. Its versatility and usefulness pales in comparison to even the original Flare Gun, which has fallen far from its throne as one of the best weapons in the game. |
|
The reason the MK2 was so disappointing to me was its lack of any auto aiming, especially at long ranges. It simply cannot lock onto a target and constantly misses as a consequence. While a similar thing could be said about the original weapon, its auto-aiming was much more powerful and accurate. Due to this issue, the MK2 is largely restricted to close range combat, something I wouldn't say about the original Flare Gun. The MK2's second shortcoming is the fact its shot dips down, similar to the Thumper. This makes it harder again to aim, forcing players to position crosshairs very precisely to get long range kills. This would be less of an issue if the weapon could deal splash damage, but this is not the case, meaning precise aiming is not only difficult, but necessary to compete at long ranges. The original Flare Gun, once again, is not hindered in this way, and it otherwise the exact same weapon. For that reason, the MK2 is inferior Flare Gun weapon. Rarely is there a reason to choose it over the original.
While the weapon is a balanced, fair and fun addition to the game, it is not nearly as useful as the original Flare Gun in competitive matches. While its lack of auto aiming does prove useful occasionally for firing ahead of moving players, it's just not as helpful as being able to press the fire button at far-away players and being able to connect with them.
While the weapon is a balanced, fair and fun addition to the game, it is not nearly as useful as the original Flare Gun in competitive matches. While its lack of auto aiming does prove useful occasionally for firing ahead of moving players, it's just not as helpful as being able to press the fire button at far-away players and being able to connect with them.