Knowing when to apply changes to the terrain is a measure of aptitude with regard to the weaponry. A testing range lets you toy with every weapon you come across in the campaign, even experimenting with dummies and faux foes. It's not an extra mode, but acts as a self-guided tutorial of sorts that can boost your performance in the campaign and certainly when playing online.

Fracture offers more than a handful of multiplayer modes, two of which have been designed specifically for the game: Break In and Excavation. These are complemented by the expected suite of deathmatch, capture-the-flag, and such. Terrain deformation plays a central role in the two exclusive modes, whereas they seem to complicate the action in the others. It's best to stick to Break In and Excavation, as a result, since they best utilize the unique mechanics and prevent matches from breaking down into shooting galleries.

Despite its uneven difficulty, Fracture excels in innovating with its dynamic terrain deforming combat. The concept has been toyed with by others to small degrees, yet never to this extent and the results are entertaining. This is a game better suited for the experienced shooter due to the high level of challenge engendered by terrain deformation; however, a difficult game isn't one that automatically deserves a lower billing. It’s at least worth a rental and if you can work the terraforming angle, you’ll get your money’s worth.

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