The Free2Play tactical shooter Nine to Five launches in Early Access on Steam as part of the gamescom 2021 and relies on some fresh mechanics to be “different”. MeinMMO has played a round with the developers and introduces you to the 3vs3vs3 shooter.
What is Nine to Five? The first-person shooter Nine to Five focuses on an unusual 3vs3vs3 concept and puts your tactical considerations at the forefront. You play as a mercenary hired by one of the major corporations that dominate the world. Nations have become obsolete.
However, in Nine to Five, tactical shooter does not mean that every hit immediately results in a kill – teamwork takes precedence over raw violence and quick reflexes. Nine to Five interprets tactical shooting through thoughtful approaches and requires good teamwork to succeed. The shooter follows a realistic approach with slight science fiction elements.
Due to the special structure of the game modes in “phases” and “flows,” the matches offer great variety and last a maximum of 15 minutes. The phases influence each other, and a victory in round 1 can bring a benefit in round 2.
MeinMMO played a few matches with the developers of Redhill Games, gives you the first impressions, and shows who should download the current beta of Nine to Five. Among those present were Redhill Games CEO Matias Myllyrinne and producer Jari Hokkanen.
We embed the new trailer for the start of Early Access here:
Teamplay and Tactics Win in Nine to Five
What makes Nine to Five special? The shooter defines itself through small peculiarities that ultimately make the difference from the competition.
So, Nine to Five focuses on three 3-man teams that compete against each other on a map. Depending on the flow of a phase, you have certain tasks, such as taking control of an area. There are different flows with various tasks for the first phase. The same flow can also differ in the first phase as the target points vary.
If you win phase 1, you get an advantage for phase 2. When playing, we had to wait for a drop in the second round, and we already knew the position of the drop. The other teams had to scout the point first. Thus, the outcome of one phase often influences the next.
A match is also supposed to last around 15 minutes. The phases are designed for 5 minutes and may finish earlier.
Also special is the loadout composition. Currently, you can choose from 19 weapons from 4 weapon classes and determine your gadget selection through your “armor kit.” Each of the 18 armor kits offers a different combination of equipment and tactical toys.
This starts with a regular grenade and some healing and does not stop at shields, decoys, and healing packages for your teammates. The setting of Nine to Five plays slightly in the future but is not far off. Due to this soft science fiction, there are more technical possibilities with the equipment.
Through the different phases and the wide selection of equipment, you can put your stamp on every round and achieve your goals in a different way each time.
What else defines Nine to Five? The shooter is available for free on Steam with a Free2Play model. Funding is intended to run through an in-game shop that only sells cosmetic items. Overall, Nine to Five offers two currencies: You use credits to buy gameplay equipment, and with Platinum (real money), you buy cosmetics. A “Battle Pass” system is also planned.
Regarding gameplay equipment, Nine to Five gives you gas. You can acquire endless amounts of gear, weapons, and attachments for the unlocked weapons. The developers stated that maintaining a healthy balance between beginner weapons and later unlocks is important to them. The advantages of veteran players over newcomers should thus be somewhat limited.
Comparing the shooter could most likely be done with Rainbow Six: Siege. The graphical and tactical demands can be well compared, although the time-to-kill in Nine to Five is higher. Every soldier starts with armor, causing the first firefights of a phase to last longer. Once the armor is gone, you cannot rebuild that protection, and the time-to-kill in the next encounter is therefore lower.
When will Nine to Five celebrate its full release? There is currently no release date. The developers emphasize how important player feedback is to them, and many aspects of the shooter have been and will be influenced by the testing phases.
With the start of Early Access, the shooter will remain available on Steam for now. All other testing phases were time-limited. If you join in Early Access, you do not have to worry about resetting your progress – the developers have confirmed that you can keep your unlocks for the full release.
For those always looking for new shooters, we embed a video here with an exciting selection of what awaits you this year:
How Does Nine to Five Play?
How were the first rounds? The gameplay concept around the phases and flows is very intuitive, and everyone immediately understands what to do. Staying together is the motto, and good communication is necessary. In the beta, there are 2 maps that we tried out in the test round.
The gameplay concept with the three 3-man teams usually works well and slows down the phases. Aggressive teams take the risk of quickly losing allies and then have to face the second opponent team with fewer players. In contrast, cautious teams often arrive late at the target point and might have a positional disadvantage.
In each round, your tactical plan is crucial, and because you can adjust your loadout between phases, you must constantly coordinate to rock the next phase. On a map, you can even mark a path between rounds that will be visible on the match map.
This played well and is fun when you are on the same wavelength as your teammates. In the playtest event with the developers, we were guided by the more experienced team, had a good balance of restraint, aggression, and equipment use, and could win almost all phases – although the opposing teams were also filled with Redhill employees.
Positive and Negative Impressions – With Comments from the Developers
What stood out positively? The mechanics in the game support the teamplay character of Nine to Five and provide interesting gadgets for your tactical skirmishes.
Nine to Five is a military playground and gives you great freedom in fulfilling your mission objectives. Through the ping system or the use of drones, you support your teammates in spotting enemies or get help yourself. The interplay of gadgets and communication among each other is the most crucial aspect of Nine to Five, and that worked really well.
Furthermore, the mix of the rather slowed-down gameplay and the simultaneous time pressure is a big part of what Nine to Five can offer.
What do the developers say about it?
What stood out negatively? The gunplay and the feel of firing the weapons felt “restrained.” The weapons do not feel very powerful when firing, and the hit feedback is also not yet optimal.
The otherwise coherent gameplay when advancing, holding positions, or suppressing opponents has suffered a bit from this.
What do the developers say about it?
We have already learned a lot about what the eye sees and how it feels when firing from a mouse click. There is still much to do, but we are making progress and continuing to work on it.
Who is Nine to Five For?
With the launch of Early Access on Steam today, you can try the Free2Play shooter anytime and have a look for yourself.
If you are a fan of shooters with sophisticated tactical options, then check out Nine to Five. As already mentioned, players from Rainbow Six: Siege could also find a home in Nine to Five. Many of the gadgets will likely be familiar to you, but the 3-man teams and the division into flows and phases offer different tactical approaches and thus provide a new “different” experience. In addition, Nine to Five follows a more realistic approach and avoids superhuman skills or overly wild gadgets.
The comparatively high time-to-kill and the increased tactical requirements make Nine to Five also optimal for players who define themselves more through their approach than through their reflexes. For players who enjoy delving deep into the mechanics of a shooter and scrutinizing every section of a map, Nine to Five offers a lot of depth. However, the short rounds keep Nine to Five engaging, and prolonged camping is rarely advisable when you’re playing for victory.
If you want hardcore deathmatch action with many animations, explosions, and a high pace of battle, Nine to Five is probably not for you.
Exciting Shooter for Team Players
Nine to Five aims to be different and utilizes fresh approaches in gameplay modes and equipment without reinventing the shooter genre. This sounds interesting and plays well. However, the relentless focus on teamplay is not for everyone.
If you think “Oh, I know who I could play with” when it comes to 3-man teams, then give Nine to Five a try. With a well-coordinated trio, the advantages of the mechanics unfold best, and Nine to Five promises many hours of multiplayer fun.
Additionally, there are extensive possibilities for how you support your playstyle with unlocks, which also provides motivation to start the next 5 rounds outside of matches.
However, it still remains to be seen whether the game 3vs3vs3 has a reasonable balance and whether the developers will improve the gunplay and the feel of the weapons. Aside from these two points, I give the title a clear thumbs up – for all fans of first-person shooters with tactical depth.
Maik Schneider
Freelance author at MeinMMO
