Wildgate: The Space Pirate Game You Can’t Stop Thinking About

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During the Dreamhaven showcase, which was organized by Geoff Keighley and Mike Morhaime, Moonshot Games unveiled their team-based Sci-Fi game: Wildgate. This game emphasizes collaborative spaceship battles, locating ship enhancements, character development, and either acquiring the artifact and escaping or being the last crew remaining to win a match. To some extent, Wildgate merits all the praise that “Sea of Thieves in space” suggests.

Before the Dreamhaven exhibition, I had the chance to play “Wildgate” for a few hours, and despite the premise appearing familiar (it’s an artifact from an old space civilization), “Wildgate” is definitely enjoyable. Although players will uncover more lore as they progress through the game, given that the game world is thoroughly developed from its history to why we are competing for the artifact, my focus in this preview is on gameplay. Basically, each game consists of five teams, with each team comprising four players. Together, they explore a mystifying part of space called The Reach in search of The Artifact. Essentially, it’s a PvEvP experience where other teams and the environment create constant challenges for a group to triumph over and win by any means possible.

Heading Into The Reach

To embark on The Reach, gamers need to form a team prior, and that’s the Wildgate crew. The interface is user-friendly, and the main decision is picking your Prospector. The character design in Wildgate excels, embodying the unique alien flair typical of the Sci-Fi genre. Despite future plans for human characters, the current alien emphasis is a welcome change in Sci-Fi gaming. Each character has their own narrative, which unfolds as you play and emerge victorious. This is also the key to unlocking new characters and cosmetics. It presents itself like a Battle Pass, but it’s more of a progression tracker than just that.

In Wildgate, players can select their Prospector based on their preferred appearance or unique abilities. For instance, an adorable axolotl-like creature in a tanksuit is often popular among fans due to its unique looks. However, it’s essential to clarify that Wildgate isn’t a hero shooter. Instead, the characters in this game excel in certain areas or possess passive advantages. For example, the militant-looking four-armed alien can damage a ship’s hull independently, while the robot character is immune to space’s oxygen constraints, which other characters may encounter in various locations.

In addition to this, gamers will gain access to fresh weaponry options and customize their equipment for each game. The arsenal includes typical Sci-Fi weapons such as rifles, snipers, etc., and unique ones that heal teammates. Additionally, players can pick tools like grenades or traps. The assortment is comprehensive, leaving room for growth as the game develops. The weapons are standard in both sci-fi and multiplayer genres, but the upgrades and items found during matches are captivating. For instance, players might discover a device resembling a propulsion gun that significantly increases movement speed across space, facilitating resource collection or stealthy invasions.

In addition to this, players will pick their preferred vessel prior to starting a game. These vessels come with slightly varying characteristics that could influence playing strategies. When ready, players enter a brief loading room where they can glance at a nearby screen for information on the match’s environmental factors like dense asteroid fields. During this time, players can socialize and enjoy themselves while recognizing the unique ships associated with each team. Each ship is assigned a random name, adding an element of amusement to the game. For instance, in one game, an opponent’s ship was named “Still Relevant.” Throughout the game, they played defensively, making them elusive and leading to numerous witty remarks about their ability to remain relevant, despite being hard to find.

Running a Not-So-Tight Ship

In a game, participants initiate play from their spaceship. It’s important to mention that if players step away from it, whether to gather resources or examine a nearby landmark, they can instantly return to it (with the exception of when carrying The Artifact). There aren’t strictly assigned roles unless chosen, but each player has various opportunities to engage with the ship. Of course, someone must pilot the vessel, and other players can operate multiple cannons. There are numerous ways to enhance those cannons, transforming them into snipers, burst-fire weapons, and so on, as well as install upgrades for the ship that could bolster defenses or render it resistant to environmental impacts. Additionally, players can deploy probes to locate enemy ships, resources, The Artifact, or nearby locations.

During battles, fires might erupt on the vessel requiring immediate extinguishing, while other ships and intruding players pose a constant danger. Enemy strategies may involve planting bombs on the ship, or damaging the core. With numerous ways opponents can disrupt play, it’s crucial for players to safeguard both the interior and exterior of the ship at all times. I would summarize space combat in Wildgate as intensely hectic, particularly when boarding is involved.

Managing ship resources such as fuel, ice, and ammunition is crucial for players: Fuel keeps the ship flying smoothly but with less maneuverability when depleted; running out of fuel in a fight could be fatal. Ice is vital for healing ship damage, and I’ve personally seen it save my crew from perilous situations more than once. Ammo is also essential, especially during multiplayer games where running out might not bode well. Fortunately, players can mine floating asteroids in space to obtain fuel and ice, which they must then transport back to the ship for storage.

With the basics established and players in a match, that’s where the fun begins.

To Fight or To Explore

As adventurers traverse the game’s expansive terrain, there are numerous intriguing areas to discover and interact with. These could range from deserted outposts or labs, where players might encounter various challenges such as battling alien NPCs in a gauntlet-style fight, solving puzzles, or navigating hazardous environmental traps. After overcoming these challenges, there’s a wealth of loot to collect, which can be used to upgrade their spaceship or combat abilities.

What sets this game apart is the possibility of these locations being seized by other players. On one occasion, my team encountered an enemy crew occupying one such location, leading us to engage them in combat. Interestingly, another crew found themselves in a similar situation at the same location, and realizing their predicament, our initial enemies retreated. The second crew chased after them, but we managed to escape and returned to the outpost to find that the enemy crew had made significant progress on the objectives. We completed the remaining tasks and seized their loot, enhancing our readiness for future battles and living up to the space pirate ideal.

With four team members, it’s wise to consider strategies for delegating tasks effectively, so as to dominate the game. After suffering a defeat due to fuel depletion in a skirmish, I vowed to avoid such blunders in the future. While my team was busy with various tasks scattered across the map, I prioritized our supplies, stockpiling ice and fuel. We may have had an excessive amount by the end of the match, but we emerged victorious. There are numerous successful strategies, including highly aggressive ones. It’s entirely feasible to charge into a battle, locate other teams, and commence hostilities. Alternatively, you can choose stealth, concentrate on upgrades, and attempt a last-minute victory grab.

The unique strategies each team adopts significantly alters the gameplay experience in Wildgate, making every match unpredictable due to factors like the artifact’s position, environmental hazards, and randomly generated locations and treasures. Given this variability, it’s safe to say that even a typical Wildgate game is as dynamic as they come. Currently, there’s only one standard game mode, but I’m eagerly anticipating the ways Moonshot will expand on this and Limited Time Modes in the future. For instance, imagine a Hot Potato-style match where the ship with The Artifact detonates at the end of the timer if it can’t be passed to another ship (perhaps on a smaller map). All in all, Wildgate is already a blast, and I’m excited about its potential for cooperative and multiplayer gaming – I can hardly wait to see how Moonshot realizes this potential.

Memorable Moments in Wildgate

In my gaming experience, Wildgate truly shines at crafting unforgettable moments. Despite my brief playtime, I find myself grinning as I recall several instances. One such moment happened during my early matches where we were eliminated second after taking down the first ship and facing a third-party attack – a situation Apex Legends players like me would recognize all too well. Instead of bailing out, my team decided to stick around and watch the rest of the game unfold.

As spectators, we witnessed another crew capturing the Artifact, which signaled an impending escape route known as the Wildgate. As a timer ticked down in the match for its opening, we watched anxiously as the Artifact-holders raced to reach it before time ran out. Two other ships were hot on their tail, but a mutual agreement seemed to form between them – focusing solely on the ship with the Artifact since it grants buffs to the holder.

With a thrilling display of skill and strategy, they managed to take down the pursuing ship just in time to witness the Wildgate open, allowing the Artifact-holders to escape to safety. The sight of those two ships flying side by side, locked in a deadly dance, was an electrifying spectacle that I won’t forget anytime soon.

Afterward, one person aimed to retrieve the Artifact amidst the wreckage, while another engaged the enemy ship instead. It was that ship which emerged victorious, and the spectacle kept us captivated throughout, as we puzzled over who was executing what actions, where each player was situated, and their strategies in general. One of my companions quipped, “a game is truly enjoyable to play if watching a match is enjoyable,” a statement I wholeheartedly concur with. Regardless of being knocked out, I found myself eagerly awaiting the outcome of this Wildgate contest.

A memorable instance that brought a grin to my lips was securing a creative triumph. During an analogous skirmish, my team acquired the Artifact, with two hostile ships in hot pursuit. These pursuers were strategically positioned, allowing one to approach us first, followed by the other. I aimed to prevent this predicament because recovering from being a target is challenging, but we successfully emerged victorious from the initial clash. We had only a brief respite before the second crew initiated their assault. We attempted to evade them and maintain distance since they possessed more vitality than us, yet managed to repair some ice-inflicted harm while retaliating with superior firepower. At one juncture, I ordered the deployment of our minefield as we strove to create space.

The decision to employ the tractor beam was brilliant, as a teammate suggested using it to pull the opponent’s ship towards hidden mines, making them unavoidable. This strategy proved successful, resulting in our victory and adding to the genuinely cooperative feel of Wildgate, an experience that was incredibly exciting.

First Impressions of Wildgate

Generally speaking, I’m quite reserved. However, if I’m playing a multiplayer or co-op game with strangers, I’ll communicate as required. But I wouldn’t typically categorize such experiences as my favorites. This is because, by the end of my first match, I found myself opening up, which says a lot about the people I was gaming with at that moment, among whom was a developer from Moonshot Games. This positive interaction speaks to not only the quality of the individuals but also to the immersive cooperative nature of the game Wildgate. It might seem trivial, but the fact that Wildgate effortlessly had me laughing, communicating, and collaborating every game is a testament to its excellence for those who know me well.

Twice now, Dreamhaven has left me puzzled and then astounded. When Secret Door developers revealed that I would be playing Sunderfolk with a mobile device as my controller, I must admit I was quite skeptical. However, the team surpassed all expectations by delivering an exceptional blend of video game and tabletop game elements, which is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I cherish the memories of one session playing Sunderfolk, and eagerly await its release. On the other hand, when Moonshot Games introduced the concept behind Wildgate, it seemed reminiscent of Sea of Thieves in space, but I wasn’t immediately captivated by their initial pitch. However, my time spent playing the game has erased any lingering doubts about its fun and engaging premise.

Dreamhaven makes experiences that have to be played to be believed.

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2025-03-25 21:41