The game uses a first-person perspective. In single-player, Bitterman explores Strogg facilities, collects weapons and ammunition, completes objectives, and fights through linked bases, factories, prisons, and command areas.

Movement, aiming, weapon selection, shooting, jumping, and environmental interaction form the basic play loop. Objectives such as activating machinery, retrieving access items, destroying targets, and eliminating commanders open new routes. Multiplayer provides deathmatch and team-based combat on dedicated maps, with emphasis on weapon control, positioning, and map knowledge.

Conserve powerful ammunition for heavily armored enemies and crowded encounters. Learn the layout of each area before committing to a fight, because objectives often require backtracking through previously visited rooms.

Use cover and elevation against ranged Strogg, keep moving in open spaces, and search side rooms for armor, health, weapons, and ammunition. In multiplayer, control important item locations and avoid predictable routes.