Hell Let Loose is a large-scale multiplayer romp where 100 players duke it out over open maps with the assistance of tanks and artillery. This week sees it get its third update since it launched in Early Access back in June, adding Omaha Beach to the map roster. If a weekend spent in sandy trenches sounds like your kind of thing, you can try it now for free. 

In the new map, the 100-player battle starts with half the players at sea, while the other half prepares to fill them with bullets when they try to land. Once the attackers land, they'll have to fight across the beach, with its extensive trench network, as well as fields and villages, each apparently requiring different tactics. 

In our list of the best depictions of World War 2 in PC games, we said that Medal of Honor: Allied Assault had the best recreation of the Normandy landings, despite its advanced years. It's a battle we've seen adapted again and again, but despite the familiarity it can still be a tense, evocative scenario. 

My experience so far has been more than a bit Sisyphean. I run up the hill and get shot. I run up the hill again and get shot again. I run up the hill but a slightly different part and then get blown up by a grenade. There's a theme. 

I did start to get into my groove when I found some allies and we climbed the hill together. It's much easier to sneak through the mud when there are other targets. That time, I actually managed to make it to the top—where I was shot. On none of these occasions have I seem my killer, but I hope to one day get close enough to see their face when they put a bullet through me. 

Hell Let Loose is free to try on Steam until 6pm BST on Monday. 

Large-scale World War 2 shooter Hell Let Loose has entered Early Access, where it will remain for at least a year.

The focus of its 100-player fights is on teamwork and strategy, and you'll have to keep supplies moving to your frontline while you set up forward spawn points and capture sectors of the map. You can pick one of 14 classes, including medics and tank commanders, and your team is organised beneath a group of officers who will direct your attention on the battlefield. 

During Early Access, developer Black Matter Studio will add "several more features, maps, and quality of life changes". Its full roadmap, below (click the full screen icon to see it in more detail), shows that the first addition will be Utah Beach, one of the central locations in the 1944 Normandy landings. One side will battle up the beach from landing craft before capturing areas of the countryside inland.

The team will also add a cosmetic customization system, deployable items such as machine gun nests, and a new attack vs defense game mode during Early Access. In total, the updates will take "a year or more to complete".

I like the minimalist UI shown in the trailer at the top of this article: there are no aiming reticles, so you have to rely on your iron sights. The early user reviews are "Mostly Positive", with 78% of players impressed with what they've seen. It's not a perfect start, but it suggests you should at least keep an eye on Hell Let Loose if you're into large-scale shooters.

It's $30/£25 on Steam, and the price will likely increase as it improves.

Thanks, RPS.

Hell Let Loose, the WW2-based multiplayer shooter that pulled in more than double its $100,000 Kickstarter goal in 2017, will launch on Steam Early Access on June 6. Ahead of that, a beta test will run over the weekend of April 5, followed by two more that haven't yet been dated. 

Where Battlefield 5 is mixes fast gunplay with vehicle stunts, Hell Let Loose is said to be all about realism. As seen in last year's announcement trailer, that means slow, clunky weapons, poor visibility, and shooting guys in the back whenever possible. (But all in a good way.)   

It's also big, with 50v50 battles on "real-scale iconic battlefields of World War 2" and a larger meta-game that requires resource and supply management, reinforcement of strongpoints, and other strategic decision-making. 14 different "playable roles" drawn from infantry, recon, and armor are available, including officer, scout, gunner, medic, engineer, and tank commander. 

"Hell Let Loose is not all about kill/death ratios and unlocks—teamwork is central to gameplay. Communication is essential," developer Black Matter said. "Players work together beneath the leadership of officers and their commander to take strategic targets on the battlefield and dominate the opposition. Hell Let Loose is a game that demands teamwork and communication not only to win, but to survive." 

The Early Access release of Hell Let Loose will go for $30. If you want to get in on the beta action, you can preorder one of two different packs at hellletloose.com. 

We haven't heard from the WWII multiplayer FPS Hell Let Loose since October 2017, when it launched a $100,000 Kickstarter to help get it across the finish line. It ended up drawing in more than double that amount, and today the developers announced that it will launch on Steam Early Access in 2019.

Hell Let Loose is a "realistic platoon-based" shooter built around 50v50 battles, "in which players must coordinate to capture sectors and resources to beat the opposition into submission," publisher Team17 said. "Authenticity is key, and players will be able to experience history using a realistic period arsenal, with accurate weapon behavior." 

The trailer released today appears to reflect that approach. In contrast with the high-speed, over-the-top gameplay of Battlefield 5, the action in Hell Let Loose is slow, clunky, and ugly: You can't see a hell of a lot, and the kills in the trailer aren't the result of epic duels but of shooting guys in the back while their attention is focused elsewhere. "Realism" is a squishy concept in the context of videogames, but that seems pretty close to the mark as these things go. 

Hell Let Loose is listed on Steam, and there's a website up at hellletloose.com, although there's not a whole lot to see there right now. Developer Black Matter said that "a roadmap of key content drops" will be posted when the Early Access release is live. 

Update: The post originally stated that Hell Let Loose will be out in January 2019, but a release month hasn't actually been specified.