As a seasoned gamer with over 10,000 hours under my belt, I’ve witnessed the rise and fall of countless games. Splitgate was one that truly caught my attention due to its unique blend of Halo and Portal elements. Now, with Splitgate 2 in Alpha testing, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and concern.
Right now, Splitgate 2 is being tested in its Alpha stage, allowing gamers an early peek at 1047 Games’ follow-up to their Halo and Portal-inspired first-person shooter. With more than 4,400 players playing it simultaneously, the creators are gathering a significant amount of feedback that will guide the rest of its development. However, some concerns have been raised repeatedly that could potentially harm its appeal if they’re not addressed.
1047 Games has been distributing Splitgate 2 Alpha access keys through two channels: by submitting a request on Steam or by earning one from Twitch Drops while watching a streamer play the game. However, this distribution process hasn’t gone as smoothly as I’ve seen with other campaigns. After accumulating enough time to gain access, I encountered a message on Twitch stating “This reward is no longer available,” indicating that Alpha keys were no longer being granted via Twitch Drops during an ongoing campaign – which is a first for me.
Over the last several days, I’ve been mainly consuming community discussions and watching gameplay videos, and it appears that many of the points in this Reddit post are already well-discussed within the gaming community. I fervently hope that 1047 Games considers these insights since Splitgate, as far as my perspective goes, holds the potential to rival established franchises like Halo and Call of Duty. In my view, Splitgate is one of the greatest competitive first-person shooter games ever made. However, I’ve been concerned about its future based on the Alpha version. Fortunately, after a two-day wait, I was granted access to the game via Steam.
As a passionate fan, I recently shared my thoughts on Splitgate 2 in its sub-Reddit forum. With over 2,000 hours under my belt from the first release, I’ve had a unique opportunity to delve deep into this game. To start, let me say that the visuals of the maps are breathtaking, the movement mechanics are flawless, and everything about it feels optimized and up-to-date. The weapon design and characters are top-notch.
To start, despite it being a core mechanic in Splitgate and what set it apart from other shooters on the market, portals have seemingly taken a backseat, much to the dismay of the current playerbase. AzzeDeltta stated that”Portals must be the core gameplay mechanic. Not factions, load-outs or secondary gadgets, like how it feels right now,” noting that “This is a bad direction, and contributes to the aesthetic of a generic 2024 shooter game.” Factions and classes have become a core part of titles such as X-Defiant, The Finals, but this is starting to make every FPS game feel similar and none of them stand out from the others. The original Splitgate already has a low player count, so copying what more successful titles are doing, especially those with larger publishers, is unlikely to work and will lead to Splitgate 2 falling off very quickly.
In their analysis, they pointed out some concerns regarding certain aspects of the gameplay, specifically Factions and balance problems that might arise when additional factions are introduced. They also mentioned a reduction in verticality within the maps, making it challenging to move between floors, and fewer portal surfaces compared to the original game. Lastly, they expressed their disappointment over the lack of creativity in the new map designs, comparing them unfavorably to the iconic Oasis map from the first game, which had surfaces in all directions.
1. Initially, Splitgate didn’t match the popularity of industry giants like Call of Duty or Halo, largely due to its lack of a big publisher behind it. With only four creators, the game started as a pet project and struggled to reach a wider audience. I’ve tried my best to share information about it, but most people I talk to are unfamiliar with Splitgate. Now that Splitgate 2 has a publisher, though, it appears they’re introducing more common features like Factions, gadgets, and mechanics similar to X-Defiant by Ubisoft, which may signal a shift in the game’s direction.
As a dedicated gamer, I’d like to express my sentiments directly to the developers: “You nailed it with Splitgate from the very first time you crafted it. While there were areas that needed refinement, altering the fundamental nature of the game during this alpha phase could stir up quite a storm within the current player base. It might even deter potential newcomers if generic strategies are pursued.”
Since Splitgate 2 is currently in its alpha stage and not expected to launch until 2025, there’s ample opportunity for the developers, 1047 Games, to make adjustments if they believe it’s necessary for the game’s success. However, I have concerns that with a significant focus on mechanics like Factions and their prominence in marketing materials, the team might be hesitant to abandon a key feature. Expanding appeal by using more popular mechanics is a sensible move, but given that games like X-Defiant are already thriving in the market, I believe Splitgate’s distinctive portals are what set it apart. Abandoning this unique aspect could potentially harm them in the long run.
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2024-08-23 14:40