Dagger Directive
" Tactical FPS with nostalgic voxel graphics and modular weapons but suffers from AI and performance issues "
Dagger Directive Review
Dagger Directive is a tactical FPS that serves as a spiritual successor to the classic Delta Force series, evoking strong nostalgia for fans of 90s and early 2000s military shooters. The game features voxel-style retro graphics combined with modern touches like drones, ragdoll physics, and dynamic lighting. Players appreciate the large, open maps, modular weapon customization, and varied mission approaches, including stealth and loud combat. AI behavior is mixed; while enemies demonstrate suppression tactics and flanking attempts, their pinpoint awareness—especially at night and despite silencers—frustrates many players. The game is currently in early access, showing promise but also suffering from bugs, performance issues, and occasional mission progression glitches. Multiplayer co-op is a highlight but can be unstable. The developers are active and responsive, continually improving the game. Though it lacks polish, Dagger Directive captures the essence of old-school tactical shooters and holds potential to become a classic with further updates.
Highlights
Players praise the game's faithful homage to Delta Force and similar classic tactical shooters, highlighting its large open maps and diverse tactical gameplay. The retro voxel art style is charming and nostalgic, while weapon handling and modular customization are satisfying. The AI's tactical behaviors like suppression and flanking add depth. Co-op multiplayer enhances replayability, and the inclusion of drones and realistic ballistics enrich the experience. The developers' engagement and roadmap for mod support and mission editors excite the community.
Criticisms
Common criticisms focus on the AI's unrealistic enemy awareness, especially during night missions where silencers are ineffective, breaking immersion. Performance issues such as FPS drops, stuttering, and occasional crashes hinder gameplay. Bugs affecting mission progression, voiceover overlaps, and UI quirks detract from polish. The sparse environments and repetitive tutorial can feel empty and tedious. Some players find short-range combat clunky due to lack of iron sights and limited ammo-checking convenience. Multiplayer suffers from instability, and the visual grain effect on distant textures is divisive.
Pros
- • Faithful homage to classic Delta Force and tactical shooters with nostalgic appeal.
- • Large, open maps that support varied tactical approaches and replayability.
- • Satisfying gunplay with modular weapon customization and realistic ballistics.
- • Engaging AI behaviors including suppression fire and flanking maneuvers.
- • Co-op multiplayer enhances fun and tactical teamwork opportunities.
- • Retro voxel graphics with modern visual effects create unique aesthetic.
- • Developers are responsive and actively improving the game.
Cons
- • Enemy AI unrealistically knows player location even when using silencers at night.
- • Performance issues include FPS drops, stuttering, and occasional crashes.
- • Mission progression bugs cause frustration and force replaying sections.
- • Sparse and empty environments reduce immersion and tactical options.
- • Repetitive and lengthy tutorial sections can be tedious and boring.
- • Short-range combat feels clunky due to lack of iron sights.
- • Ammo checking is inconvenient, requiring inventory navigation.
Rating Criteria
About This Game
You are a member of Task Force Dagger, an elite international special forces unit. Your missions take you across the globe—through frozen coasts, dense jungles, and war-torn cities. In Dagger Directive, tactical freedom is everything: pick your loadout, choose the time of day, and decide whether to strike hard and fast or move like a ghost.
Every mission is yours to shape.
Fight across three full campaigns, each set in a distinct region with its own atmosphere, enemies, and tactical challenges. Disrupt an eco-terrorist operation in the frigid Bering Sea. Battle organized crime across the volatile South Pacific. Crush an extremist uprising in Eastern Europe.
Each mission offers a different tactical sandbox, with objectives you can approach from multiple angles.
Gear up from a robust arsenal of 25+ weapons, each customizable with a wide range of attachments. Whether you're breaching doors with an underbarrel shotgun, clearing angles with suppressed SMGs, or picking off targets at extreme range, the armory has you covered. Supplement your firepower with drones, tripwires, grenades, and mines, and experiment with combinations that suit your style.
Dagger Directive blends modern game feel with grounded mechanics. Every bullet and piece of shrapnel has weight, velocity, and trajectory—simulated in real time. Adjust your scope for distance, lead moving targets, and respect the chaos of ricochets. Even grenades scatter deadly fragments that obey real physics.
This isn’t just spray and pray—it’s precision under pressure.
Each mission takes place in a large open area with multiple entry points, dense foliage, and tactical verticality. Control the environment by shooting out lights, hiding in tall grass, or stalking through shadows. Select the time of day before each op—just don’t forget your NVGs if you’re going in after dark.
The battlefield is a tool, if you know how to use it.
EARLY ACCESS CONTENT
The Early Access version of Dagger Directive is already packed with depth and variety:
A 15-mission campaign that spans all three global theaters, offering replayability through multiple tactical approaches.
Full co-op multiplayer, so you and your squad can coordinate, flank, and execute missions together.
Over 25 weapons, dozens of attachments, and a wide variety of tactical gear—already giving you the tools to play your way.
A broad range of tactical equipment including deployable drones, anti-personnel mines, and multiple grenade types, adding layers of strategic options.
COMING IN FUTURE UPDATES
Post-launch development will expand both depth and customization:
A mission editor with full Steam Workshop support, allowing players to build and share their own operations.
An expanded tutorial system that dives deeper into advanced weapons, tools, and stealth mechanics.
A powerful Free Play Mode, where players can spawn enemies, allies, vehicles, and gear to experiment or create their own combat scenarios.
Modding support for weapons and gear, empowering the community to add entirely new content to the sandbox.
PCGamesN
“INSANE old-school shooter action | Pure FPS fun”
GLID Gaming
“This Mil-Sim is awesome | This really surprised me”
Geeky Pastimes
Dagger Directive is a tactical FPS that allows you to approach each mission in your own way. Select equipment, decide the time of day, then move methodically to complete your mission. Enjoy the modern mechanics and old school graphics as you fight across a variety of missions and environments.