Star Citizen Teases ‘AAA Standard’ First-Person Shooter Combat Features In Alpha 3.23

Star Citizen is taking its first-person shooter experience to the next level with new features and improvements to bring the sci-fi space simulator’s MMOFPS side up to par with AAA shooters. That includes the addition of backpack reloading, dynamic crosshairs, new scopes, and procedural recoil.

First up is backpack reloading which is a longer reload that will replace the original reload animation when you’ve run out of spare ammo clips on your space suit. It essentially simulates the act of rummaging through your backpack for a magazine. “This allows you to keep in the combat, in the action, without having to go through inventory menus,” says the devs.

The team will also be introducing dynamic crosshairs which will follow wherever your barrel is pointing. Reloading, for example, will cause your crosshair to pull to the side or up in the air depending on what gun you’re using. You’ll be able to turn it off if you’re not a fan of your crosshair swinging around. Additional zoom levels and new scopes will also be added along with procedural recoil, all of which will be included in Alpha 2.32. Weapon wear and tear will also be added somewhere down the line.