Stormgate Early Access Review

Stormgate Early Access offers dynamic RTS gameplay with unique factions, fresh strategic elements and exciting PvP battles despite rough balance.

A Unique Ranked RTS Experience

There’s a unique feeling right before starting a ranked RTS (Real-Time Strategy) match in Stormgate that stands out, even though it’s still in Early Access. As the game begins, I see my name and my opponent’s name on the screen. My heart races and I take a deep breath. Then, I’m faced with colorful command center and a bunch of workers. It’s just me against a random player, battling for victory or defeat.

Nostalgic but Evolved RTS Formula

While Stormgate has lower budget compared to its Blizzard-made predecessors, it pushes basecraft formula forward with both subtle and obvious changes. Made by former Blizzard RTS developers game captures the classic feel and rhythm of traditional Blizzard RTS games. It’s reminiscent of playing Brood War and Warcraft 3, bringing sense of nostalgia.

Strategic Gameplay and Basecraft Mechanics

In Stormgate, I command my human Vanguard units and manage upgrades at just the right moments. It’s like joy of cooking a favorite meal where every action feels perfectly timed. Game maintains a satisfying rhythm with its strategic commands and hotkey management. Developer Frost Giant truly understands what makes this style of RTS engaging, even years after the genre’s heyday.

Blending Classic RTS with Fresh Ideas

Stormgate is real-time strategy game that builds on foundations of classics like StarCraft and Warcraft 3 but adds some fresh ideas to make experience feel new. Developed by former Blizzard RTS developers at Frost Giant, Stormgate manages to take familiar gameplay and improve it in small but significant ways.

Game keeps the traditional elements of base-building, resource management and unit control that RTS fans know well. At first, it might seem like Stormgate is just continuation of StarCraft formula with its familiar feel and pace. In skirmish and player-versus-player (PvP) modes it resembles StarCraft 2, particularly because these modes don’t use hero characters like Warcraft 3.

The Impact of Creep Camps on Strategy

However, Stormgate brings in something from Warcraft 3 that adds a strategic twist: creep camps. These are neutral enemies spread out across map that players can defeat to gain useful rewards such as temporary boost in movement speed or ongoing trickle of resources. Players are driven by these camps to make more thought-provoking choices when playing. New element of strategy will be added to game as you must decide when and how to interact with these camps in order to gain advantage in combat. Additionally this function adds variation to way matches go which makes game feel more dynamic and less repetitive.

While Stormgate might not have big-budget polish of its Blizzard predecessors it still brings enough fresh ideas and improvements to stand on its own. Game takes best parts of classic RTS titles & evolves them in meaningful ways showing thoughtful progression in design. Developers have clearly put lot of thought into how to keep core RTS experience alive while introducing new elements that make it feel modern & exciting. Instead of just being another StarCraft copy Stormgate offers engaging experience that stays true to its roots but isn’t afraid to try new things.

Balancing the Old and the New

Stormgate strikes a balance between the gameplay styles of StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3. It blends the fast-paced, tactical gameplay of StarCraft with some strategic elements of Warcraft 3. However, unlike StarCraft’s traditional focus on direct conflict between bases, Stormgate introduces neutral creep camps that change the flow of battles. These camps are scattered across map giving players more reasons to engage in mid-map skirmishes instead of only focusing on defending their bases.

In StarCraft battles can often feel like long-range duels where goal is to eliminate your opponent from distance. With addition of camps Stormgate offers more dynamic engagements as players must decide when & where to fight for control. These mid-map encounters create opportunities to position your army for big attack or to defend key points on map adding more depth to each match. While tactics like base harassment & quick attacks are still part of game. They don’t dominate gameplay as much as they can in other RTS titles. This offers more variety in strategies types that players can use making game more engaging overall.

That said, Stormgate’s player-versus-player balance is still being developed, as it’s currently in Early Access. The developers have been releasing patches to address certain match-up issues, but the balance is still a bit rough. Some recent updates have included major buffs and nerfs, which have led to some chaotic and unpredictable ranked matches. But this kind of instability is to be expected in the early stages of a competitive RTS. Players should be ready to face some odd and frustrating situations while the developers continue to refine the game’s balance.

Despite these challenges, Stormgate shows great potential, offering a more engaging and flexible RTS experience with its blend of StarCraft and Warcraft 3 elements, and the promise of continued improvements as it moves through Early Access.

Stormgate introduces three unique factions in a way that blends the familiar elements of classic RTS games like StarCraft and Warcraft while adding new layers of depth. As a player who often chooses Terran in StarCraft and Human in Warcraft, I was naturally drawn to the Human Vanguard faction in Stormgate. They’re the most accessible and standard RTS faction, making them a good entry point for new players. However, the game cleverly raises the skill ceiling by introducing mechanics like unit veterancy. Vanguard units gain experience from battle, increasing their stats, which makes preserving your veteran units essential. Losing them can be devastating, so mastering the Vanguard faction involves careful unit management and minimizing casualties. This adds a layer of strategy, making the faction easy to learn but difficult to master.

In contrast, the Infernal Host is the polar opposite. This demonic faction has a more aggressive playstyle. Their units generate energy for powerful abilities when they die, so you don’t have to worry too much about losses as long as you win the overall battle. It creates a high-pressure, swarm-style gameplay, where more killing leads to more power. You can use their abilities to create temporary buffs for your forces, helping you maintain momentum and turn small victories into larger, game-changing advantages.

Then there’s the Celestial Armada, which is the most challenging faction to get into. Their unique Power system, which requires specific structures to generate energy, adds complexity. I didn’t spend as much time with them, but from what I observed, they are strong under the control of experienced players who can manage their unique mechanics.

The PvP mode in Stormgate is where the game really shines. The introduction of creep camps across the map, which can be fought over for valuable resources and buffs, brings an added layer of strategy and variety to engagements. These camps encourage mid-map skirmishes and make positioning and map control even more crucial. However, the PvP balance is still a work in progress as the game is in Early Access, so expect to encounter some frustrating matchups while the developers fine-tune the balance.

On the other hand, the campaign mode feels underwhelming. Currently, it’s short, with only a few missions, and the budget constraints are noticeable. The story feels very familiar, almost as if it’s retelling the same narrative Blizzard has been known for, just with new characters. So far, the campaign only focuses on the Vanguard faction, leaving the other two factions, especially the Celestials, without much context or lore. This lack of depth makes it hard to get invested in their story or even get excited about playing as them. Learning how to play the different factions through the campaign would have been a helpful introduction, but that opportunity is currently lacking.

New players will find Stormgate’s learning curve to be somewhat steep. While the campaign could have served as a tutorial for each faction, it doesn’t quite fulfill that role. Instead, there’s a “BuddyBot” feature in non-ranked matches, which helps automate some tasks like base management. Unfortunately, this feature doesn’t teach you how to improve your gameplay; it simply does things for you. A better system might be one that gives you tips when you’re making mistakes, like having too many unused resources.

Stormgate does offer co-op mode that allows players to team up against AI opponents which is much more forgiving experience. This mode lets you choose heroes from each faction and complete objectives together. It’s enjoyable way to get familiar with the game’s mechanics without the pressure of ranked PvP matches. Heroes add variety to gameplay and even have meta-progression systems where they can unlock new units that replace standard ones.

One downside to co-op is that there are currently only five heroes one of which is locked behind $10 DLC paywall, which feels bit pricey. Lore behind some of these heroes is also lacking, making it hard to get invested in them beyond their gameplay functions.

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Conclusion

Stormgate shows lot of potential as next big competitive RTS. Developers have clearly put thought into refining classic base-building formula and game is exciting and satisfying, especially in PvP. However, campaign needs more depth especially in terms of lore and onboarding for other factions. As game continues to develop through Early Access, there is hope that these issues will be addressed. For now though, it’s promising entry that’s fun to play but still has room for growth.