Hardcore RPG gamers will quickly notice that Harbinger isn't what you would consider a 'true' RPG title. While the elements of character generation and tailoring do exist, those features do not rule the game's design. Instead, the RPG aspects co-mingle with the action based portion of the game, giving the title a faster pace than most would see in a traditional computer role-play title. For the majority of the game, players will find themselves in the middle of a life-or-death firefight, with weapons blazing and constant movement the only way to get out of a bad situation. How the player chooses to develop his or her character and how your available experience points are spent dictates the responses available to a given combat scenario. For example, if you've spent the points on rigging, you'll be able to use more effective and complex mines and other gadgets. If you've upped your skill in long ranged weapons; you'll be able to utilize distance based weaponry, allowing you to remain at safer distances from the enemy. If you've decided that close ranged attacks are your characters best option for combat, you can choose to put your available skill points into the melee category. Players can also choose to up their personal skills levels in such categories of life energy, strength, and technology, that can help bolster their chances of sustaining high powered attacks, utilizing equipment, and just plain staying alive.​