Preview: Wildgate Could Be The Multiplayer Game Of The Year

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Announcement made: Dreamhaven and Moonshot Games unveil their latest creation – an innovative first-person multiplayer game called Wildgate, which takes place in the vastness of outer space.

🎮 Excitedly gearing up for a thrilling adventure in 2025, I’m looking forward to diving into Wildgate on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC! This team-based game pits you and your crew of four against both player versus player (PvP) and player versus environment (PvE) challenges. The objective? Journey into the mysterious expanse known as The Reach, retrieve the Artifact, and make a hasty exit through the Wildgate. Buckle up for an action-packed journey! 🚀

Lately, I received an exclusive invitation to participate in a playtest session for the upcoming game, Wildgate. This event allowed me to join other media professionals and developers to experience the game firsthand. In essence, Wildgate has the promising quality to become the top Pick-up-and-Play Experience (PvPvE) game of the year.

What is it specifically about the game that gives such a unique impression; and is it worth considering any potential concerns related to its reception?

Wildgate Preview

Instead of going through the tutorial, as a player of my kind, I chose to jump straight into exploring The Reach to learn by doing.

Before getting into my experience, a quick overview of the general gameplay.

In this game, matches can accommodate up to 20 players at once, divided into five teams, with four players in each team. You assume the role of a unique Prospector, each with distinct abilities and equipment tailored to your objectives. Additionally, you have the option to select from among five different ships, each optimized for characteristics like speed and agility or protection and other benefits.

The duration of these games ranges from 20 to over 40 minutes, varying based on the teams involved and playing styles. You have the option to either locate the artifact, exit victoriously, or triumph by annihilating all rival ships that are also pursuing it.

In each game, elements are strategically positioned, with some asteroids and points of interest appearing at random locations within that particular game. However, the design of these space rocks and POIs isn’t randomly generated, only their positions vary from one game to another.

Now that you have the brief idea of each match, let’s look at when you actually start playing.

Quick Decisions Are Key

In Wildgate, every match’s commencement held equal significance as any other moment. As a collective, you must deliberate on your strategy: Should we initiate an expedition using probe ships to potentially locate the Artifact and Wildgate? Or perhaps, we should head straight for a Point of Interest to gather loot for enhancing our ship with stronger shields, cannons, and so forth. These choices establish the game’s trajectory, ideally shaping how your match unfolds.

As you construct your vessel, you’ll gather various components like enhanced quad-cannons, ammunition for your launchers, and ice for reinforcing your defenses. Additionally, there are methods to hamper adversaries’ ships or entice them into ambushes to support your mission.

As a dedicated explorer, I can confidently say that each Point of Interest (POI) is remarkably straightforward. Each one presents unique challenges, like engaging in an old containment facility where rapidly depleting oxygen adds an extra layer of tension. Completing these tasks while fending off AI adversaries bent on thwarting my progress will ultimately grant me access to a treasure trove of valuable items and upgrades – quite the reward for overcoming these challenges!

In case you manage to locate the Artifact, you’ll encounter battles against AI and human opponents to keep it. Alternatively, you could delegate the task to another team and simply fortify your ship for a battle to seize the Artifact.

In various locations, naval skirmishes can occur. You have two options: from afar, you can bombard enemy ships with cannons or lasers; for those seeking adventure, you may opt to approach the vessel and engage in hand-to-hand combat to eliminate the opposition’s crew. Remember that both ships will respawn until one is completely annihilated.

A Familiar Feel

While adventuring through Wildgate, engaging AI foes to gather loot or clashing with rival ships, you find a comforting familiarity with the game. It’s not that it’s exactly like a game you’ve previously played, but rather, it seems reminiscent of where the game drew its inspiration from.

The adventure, pillaging, and combat remind one of Sea of Thieves in its most appealing aspects. Moonshot’s co-founder Dustin Browder has acknowledged Sea of Thieves and Guns of Icarus as major inspirations for this very reason. Moreover, he mentioned that Overwatch, Fortnite, and Apex Legends influenced the game in diverse ways when it comes to shaping its design.

As a gamer, let me tell you honestly, it seems like these devs have taken juicy bits from different games I love, tossed them all together, and cooked up something that feels like a mouthwatering fusion of gaming experiences.

Another game served as a source of inspiration for Browder, although its connection may not be immediately apparent to many gamers.

Subnautica left a profound impression on us,” he expressed. “Jason [Chayes] often discusses feelings of awe and wonder, as well as crafting a realistic and chilling environment filled with eerie perils. I believe Subnautica is among the finest games globally in achieving this.

Overall Impressions

One great feature about Wildgate lies in its unpredictability; within seconds, things can go from peaceful sailing to intense battles. One moment you’re enhancing your ship and gathering loot for an impending fight, and the next instant, two hostile ships are bearing down on you simultaneously, aiming to catch you off guard before you’ve fully fortified yourself. The way you and your crew adapt to such sudden chaos is what makes the game so thrilling. Creating that sense of spontaneous panic is challenging in many games, but Wildgate manages it skillfully without overwhelming players.

Over the span of a week, as I spent only a few hours playing the game, it surprisingly began to appeal to me following my initial gaming sessions. I’m convinced that if developed further, this game could very well be contending for ‘Multiplayer Game of the Year’.

Moonshot has shared that they aim to ensure the game remains exciting for an extended period by introducing fresh content every 3-4 months in a seasonal format. This new content is expected to encompass elements like new explorers, spaceships, upgrades, multiple variants of The Reach, and other additions.

The primary question that remains unanswered until a complete rollout is this: Will the broader gaming public be ready to dive into another paid, online multiplayer shooter game?

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2025-03-25 21:49