RTS fans! If you have ever dreamt about a game that combines the best features from StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3 or a little from the Command & Conquer series, Stormgate will make it all a reality. Frost Giant Studios is indeed concocting something special as they are working on their upcoming RTS, and it’s more than time for some deep diving into what makes Stormgate one of the must-plays.
What is Stormgate?
Stormgate is a free-to-play real-time strategy game headed to early access via Steam this summer. Developed by Frost Giant Studios—a team that includes veterans of StarCraft and Warcraft—Stormgate borrows elements from both of these iconic games, adding a few fresh twists of its own along the way.
Setting the Scene
The story of Stormgate takes place on a post-post-apocalyptic Earth. Yes, you read that right. So, there’s this faction — the Vanguard — similar to Terran, fighting to protect our planet from an invasion of mobs known as the Infernal Host, reminiscent of the Zerg. Of course, there is a third mysterious faction that Frost Giant hasn’t revealed yet, so keep your feelers out for more information on this.
Fundamentals of Gameplay
If you have played StarCraft 2 or Warcraft 3, Stormgate’s gameplay feels a lot like putting on an old pair of shoes. It features some basic building construction, unit rallying, and the art of commanding them into epic clashes.
Here is a quick breakdown of what to expect:
Building and Resource Management
Like its predecessors, Stormgate features in-place structure construction and resource management. You’ll use your units to collect resources, defend positions, or join defensive or offensive groups. The UI is very similar to StarCraft 2, making selecting multiple units or buildings and precisely directing them easy.
Combat and Unit Management
Stormgate sees the tenacity of combat pumped up a notch compared to heavy micromanagement elements from some of the old RTS games. In this game, new buildings are auto-assigned to be built by your units so that you can focus more on strategy fighting and positioning units. You’ll build up your death blob of units, hunting down your enemies, but it will only sometimes work out that way, as managing large groups of units still remains challenging.
Heroes and Factions
So far, we’ve seen two factions in action: the Vanguard and the Infernal Host.
Vanguard: These guys are basically your human faction, like the Terrans in StarCraft. They feature the only hero so far, Blockade, a “sci-fi paladin” capable of laying down some severe wounds.
Infernal Host: You can think of them as the Zerg but with a wrinkle. Specific units—like the two-headed Brute—shatter into lesser friends when they die. Elsewhere, there’s the ability to sacrifice units to buff others, bringing them another level of strategy.
The third faction has not been revealed, but it is hinted that it will be Command & Conquer-inspired.
Co-op and Multiplayer Modes
What really stands out is the co-op gameplay in Stormgate. Whether teaming up with friends in PVE action against AI or diving into 3v3 PVP battles, it’s in a co-op that Stormgate really shines. Thanks to their tech called SnowPlay, the game can support more than a thousand units in a match, so get ready for epic battles!
Co-op PVE
Playing co-op against AI is a real hoot, especially with friends who range across a wide swath of skill levels. You can collaborate on some goals or individually for specific fights and builds. It’s a great way to experience the game’s mechanics without the high pressure of PVP.
Co-op PvP
Now, the bloodhounds of the competition face a real challenge in the 3v3 battles. The game’s tech ensures that gameplay is smooth, even with many units in action. Our beta tests had no lag, so they will be soft, even in the most heated battles.
What’s New?
While Stormgate pays homage to its RTS roots, it also brings a couple of new mechanics and improvements to the table:
Streamlined Building: Your new buildings will auto-assign units to construct them, so you don’t have to constantly micro-manage them.
MOBA-Style Elements: You can level your units to a degree by killing the neutral mobs, similar to C&C’s veterinary system.
Rollback Technology: This tech, which comes from First-Person Shooter games, reduces the lag and makes gameplay much smoother.
Technical Performance
The game’s performance was decent, as the benchmark ran thousands of units without a hiccup. Frost Giant has utilized rollback tech and a 64Hz tick rate to smooth things, even during the most frantic battles.
Summary
\Stormgate is the game that any RTS fan should look out for. Its mix of genre staples and innovative new twists threatens to usher in something rather special, exciting, and engaging.
