As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I found myself bewildered and somewhat disheartened after diving into Spectre Divide. Now, I ain’t no spring chicken, but even this old dog can learn new tricks. However, the learning curve in Spectre Divide felt more like a vertical cliff than a gentle slope.
You’re either a tactical shooter fan or you’re not. There is no in between. And if you’re a fanatic, you probably have your one game that you like to play, and though you might dabble in another, you’ll always return to your comfort place. Mountaintop Studios is looking to enter the highly competitive genre with its own creation, Spectre Divide. While its Spectre mechanic is neat, there’s not enough that’s unique about this 3v3 game that will draw you out of your comfort place and keep you sticking around for long. The guns don’t standout, the pacing of matches is incredibly slow, there are features missing at launch, and the monetization is egregious.
Two bodies, one mind
In the action-packed game called Spectre Divide, two teams of three players engage in a tactical shooter experience, alternating turns to plant a bomb within each other’s bases. If you’re familiar with games like Counter-Strike or Valorant, you’ll quickly catch on. The unique twist in this game lies in its feature known as the Spectres. Each player is given control over two characters during a match, and they can switch between these characters at any moment by tossing a puck. When a puck is thrown, the character not currently being controlled will dash towards the location where the puck lands.
The Spectre offers each player the opportunity to impact a round twice. After several rounds where I kept my Spectre at respawn, I began to embrace the concept of having two entities. Occasionally, I’d position my Spectre at a corner in one location while I advanced the other. If I suspected the opponent would attack a specific lane, I’d arrange my two entities at opposite corners to guard various angles.
As a gamer, I love the ability to toss the puck in our game because it adds an extra dimension to the maps. I can fling that puck onto high platforms or ledges, giving me an edge in height. If my three opponents are all down a teammate, I know they’re out of luck when it comes to reaching those elevated spots. The Spectre mechanic is straightforward yet packed with strategies, offering plenty of chances for clever gameplay.
Ghost towns
In a 3v3 game setting, you’re not merely a component in a larger system; instead, you play a vital role as part of a team. The early loss of a player during a match can have a significantly greater impact on Spectre Divide compared to other tactical shooters. Nevertheless, while there is more responsibility assigned to each individual, the smaller number of players and expansive maps often create an empty feeling in the gaming environment.
As a passionate gamer, I’ve been finding it quite a challenge to navigate through the arid landscapes in this game. The sluggish movement and hefty feel of the characters make the gameplay feel like trekking across a glacier, which doesn’t seem to get any faster even when the tension is high and the first-to-eight wins are at stake.
During a fight, things become less complicated as you actually engage in combat. Before each battle begins, players can select which Sponsor they want to support. Each sponsor provides the player with distinct abilities for use during the fight, such as a cluster bomb, a protective shield, a duplicator, or some other technological gadget. When fighting eventually ensues, the environment is transformed by various unique effects that may require you to adjust your strategy.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find any of these alternatives as thrilling as the hero abilities in Valorant, and they don’t provide the same satisfying feeling when used. There seems to be little recognition for an expertly thrown grenade that eliminates an opponent hiding behind cover. Likewise, achieving a series of kills without much celebration is almost nonexistent.
Spectre Divide’s battle strategies and techniques can sometimes come across as predictable or routine. While it performs all tasks skillfully, it doesn’t seem to offer a significantly more thrilling gameplay experience compared to other games within the same genre.
Little shop of horrors
Though I may seem somewhat discouraged regarding the games, there’s undeniably an enjoyable side to them. It might not be particularly exciting, but it has the potential to intrigue quite a few individuals. However, what’s far from amusing is the situation unfolding beyond the scope of these games.
Firstly, let’s address the obvious issue at hand: The information overload on the Spectre Divide screen makes it hard to understand what the data is trying to convey. I found myself perplexed while looking at the Crew screen (as shown), struggling to decipher my role, my tasks, and why these tasks were important. While growing pains are common in new games, a clearer presentation of information would be beneficial.
As a gamer, I’ve noticed a couple of missing elements that I thought would be readily accessible. For instance, the Careers section, where I expected to see my match statistics and progress, seems to be out of service for now. Similarly, the Battle Pass, which I assume offers additional challenges and rewards, is also nowhere to be found.
In other words, let’s get down to business: microtransactions. While you’re not playing the game, you have the option to partner with a Sponsor. This partnership causes any experience points (XP) you earn from the game to be directed towards this Sponsor, raising its level and unlocking banners, sprays, and weapon charms for use in the game.
Initially, there are eight potential sponsors, yet four of them are currently inaccessible. To unlock these sponsors, you’ll need their endorsement followed by extensive gameplay to accumulate a substantial amount of experience points (XP), around two hundred thousand. After playing for just two games, I was able to earn approximately 12,000 XP.
I’m torn on this issue: On one hand, offering additional content that players can earn through play seems beneficial, but it could potentially lead to the excessive grinding seen in Star Wars: Battlefront 2. To add insult to injury, these items can also be purchased using real money, a common feature in free-to-play games.
In Spectre Divides, their main issue is that microtransactions are extremely costly. At its release, there was a premium Cryo Kinesis Bundle offering weapon skins, banners, and charms for an eye-watering 7,000 SP, initially priced at 9,800 SP. Upon examination of the currency purchasing screen, neither 7,000 nor 9,800 options are available; instead, only 5,600 for $49.99 USD and 11,500 for $99.99 USD can be found. This means that the skin pack costs approximately $60 USD if you opt for the complete bundle.
Not only is the price high, but the quality of these skins also falls short. Frankly, they’re rather dull. And to add insult to injury, after you purchase them, you can enhance them to reveal hidden features – or spend real money to speed up that process!
At every step, Spectre Divide is present, offering two options. One option requires extensive effort to unlock fundamental skins over time, while the other, conveniently positioned close by, is a premium shortcut that can be purchased.
Two-Body Problem
The standout feature of Spectre Divide, known as the Spectre mechanic, certainly has an appealing allure. The ability to restart a tactical shooter round midway is intriguing. However, this unique aspect may not be enough to pull players away from established genre leaders that have already solidified their positions. To make matters worse, issues with game pacing, uninteresting weapon designs, and exorbitant microtransaction costs could deter even hardcore fans from diving in, let alone keep them engaged for a prolonged period.
This review is based on the free-to-play Steam version of Spectre Divide.
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2024-09-10 17:27