[Update #2]: Crucible will be closing down its servers on November 9, 2020.

[Update]: A month after launch, Crucible has now moved back to Closed Beta.

While the team-based shooter craze has slowly given way to the battle royale craze, there is definitely still room in the market for a more focused and organized shooter experience. And that is exactly the type of niche Amazon tried to fill with their newly launched Crucible - a free-to-play shooter with a wide and colorful cast of characters, each armed with their own unique abilities and playstyle.

Since trying to describe shooters through words alone is a bit of a pointless endeavor, allow me to share with you the recently posted overview trailer. It'll give you a pretty good idea of just what Crucible is trying to accomplish. Have a gander:

Unfortunately, while I do like the idea and style behind Crucible, it appears to have fallen into exactly the same trap as many shooters before - it launched way too early. The gameplay is simply not polished or satisfying enough for Crucible to make a real impact, especially with Overwatch still going strong and Valorant just around the corner.

So while I do hope Amazon will be able to fix things up and make Crucible live up to its potential, I'm not exactly holding my breath as it's far more likely Crucible will go the way of Battleborn or LawBreakers. A shame, but that's just how it is with competitive games.

Don't just take my word for it, however. Crucible is free-to-play on Steam, and the download isn't all that massive, so if you're curious give it a try and see how you fare. Have fun, and here's to hoping Crucible manages to pull through its somewhat shaky launch.