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Section 8 is a new FPS title for the Xbox 360 and PC, and follows the story of Alex Corde, a fresh recruit in the 8th Armored Infantry. The first line of defense for the Earth, this unit earns the name ‘Section 8’ as it tackles assignments that others dare not undertake. We join them as they are ordered to take on the Arm of Orion, a faction taking control of planets on the outskirts of the Empire. Section 8 must answer the call to action and stop the advance of the Arm of Orion, to preserve the Empire at all cost.

Let's note the system requirements from Timegate / SouthPeak Games:

Minimum requirements:

OS – Windows XP (SP3), Vista (SP1), Windows 7
Processor – Intel Pentium 4 3.0 or AMD Athlon 64 3000+ or any Dual Core Processor
Memory – 1GB (XP), 2GB (Vista)
Graphics – GeForce 7800 Series, ATI X1800 series (256MB Required)

Recommended:

OS – Windows XP (SP3), Vista (SP1), Windows 7
Processor – Intel Dual or Quad Core 2.4GHz or AMD X2 4000+
Memory – 2GB
Graphics – 512MB Video Card supporting Shader Model 3.0 or higher.

Both setups require 6GB of hard drive space to function and Games for Windows Live for Online play, even if purchased through Steam. The 7800 / X1800 based graphics cards should be a key note for those using older hardware. These cards are about 4 years old now and are reaching their peak.

The game features 3 modes of play to pick from.

Multiplayer – This may as well be the focus of Section 8. Players pick from stock classes such as Guardian, Assault, Engineer and Sniper. Their characters can be customized with individually chosen primary and secondary weapons as well as support items including a wrench or explosives.

For those new to control point FPS gaming, the objectives are direct. Capture all control points on the map and keep the enemy from taking them. Each control point boosts the Victory Points earned by the team throughout the match. The developers count on people fighting the tide of battle and encourage risk-taking through free spawning for players. If the opposing team is racking up the capture points, a rogue warrior can use the dropship to barrel down on the outskirt of a lesser occupied point and attempt to regain control that way. The matches are often 16 versus 16, making it nearly impossible for one side to have all control points under their thumb even until the point limit.

Games such as Battlefield 2 rely on players to join squads, and for there to always be a team of alpha players present to save the match when the opposition secures all points. Using dropships in Section 8, players can spawn all over the map in those last bursts to regain control and use Dynamic Combat Missions such as escort missions to boost their overall Victory Points.

Instant Action – For those wanting something quick and dirty, Instant Action delivers a multiplayer experience using bots and the same Capture and Victory Point objectives in online play. Instant Action is handy for building up map experience and learning how to use each weapon or class to their full potential. The AI routines for Instant Action can be aggressive as new Dynamic Combat Missions appear and when the game draws to a close.

Corde’s Story – This is the single player game which focuses on Alex Corde and the 8th Armored Infantry. The story pits you in a series of battles against the Arm of Orion and acts as a starting point for new players to understand the game mechanics and the world design. The multiplayer experience is adapted into a linear campaign.

The single player game introduces the classes with missions tailored around their attacks enabling players who complete the story to have a strong grasp of how to play and win. Battle mechanics are simple and objectives allow players to come back for speed run rewards once they’ve warmed up with the game.