New game on Steam was supposed to revive an entire genre, but has disappointing Early Access

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In October 2020, some Blizzard veterans joined forces to form Frost Giant Studios to revive the real-time strategy genre. Stormgate, their first project, has entered Early Access on Steam.

What is the community’s verdict? Since the Early Access launch on Steam on July 30, 2024, 1,053 reviews have been collected, 58 percent of which are positive, which is only enough for a “balanced” rating.

Many players praise:

  • The good playability, you can clearly see that the team has previously worked on classics such as StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3. Units respond promptly to commands, and hotkeys can be used to produce troops or build buildings from anywhere on the map.
  • Frost Giant combines elements from the Blizzard classics. Visually, the setting, factions and units are reminiscent of StarCraft, there are monster camps on the maps and in the campaign you play heroes who can be equipped (but not leveled up) – almost like in Warcraft 3.
  • The factions’ global abilities add a positive touch to the gaming experience. The three factions play very differently.
  • The co-op mode offers a huge number of unlocks, which increases long-term motivation.

    • However, criticism is made of:

  • Many players criticize the art design, the look, effects and the level of detail in Stormgate. The story presentation in the campaign missions also seems outdated. The 14-year-old StarCraft 2 seems more modern, more captivating and of much higher quality.
  • The solo campaign cannot be played offline. With the high demand for players at the EA launch, this caused some crashes.
  • Stormgate also has room for improvement when it comes to sound. It lacks powerful combat feedback and a clear soundscape that players can use to orient themselves in the hectic battles.
  • Some units suffer from pathfinding problems.
  • Workers can be trapped between self-constructed buildings.
  • The balance between the factions is not right. In 1v1 ranked matches, the Celestial Armada dominates because it is very flexible, fast and strong. The rankings are currently very one-sided.
  • The co-op missions quickly lack variety.
  • Features such as clan chats or tournaments are still missing.
  • The developers also want additional money from buyers of the 60-euro version for more heroes.

    • Here are a few impressions from the Stormgate trailer from the Game Awards:

    Stormgate shows a new trailer for the Game Awards and shows a new race

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    Wait until August 13th

    How big is the scope of the EA version of Stormgate? Starting August 13, 2024, the early access version of Stormgate will be available free of charge to anyone interested. The current paid EA packages grant you in-game items, companions, three additional campaign missions and early access to the game. Otherwise, the scope of Stormgate is the same.

    You have access to

  • the first three prologue missions of the story campaign
  • 1v1 ranked matches, each faction gets its own rank, no heroes
  • 3-player co-op mode against AI hordes, with increasing difficulty, base building, levelable heroes, extra unit variants and various mission objectives
  • Custom games against the AI ​​and/or other players

    • Who is behind Stormgate? The Frost Giants have brought together a wealth of real-time strategy knowledge. CEO Tim Morten, Chief Architect James Anhalt, Art Director Jesse Brophy, Lead Co-op Designer Kevin Dong, Lead Client Engineer Joseph Shunk and Lead UX Designer Ryan Shutter all worked on StarCraft 2.

    Game Director Tim Campbell has Wasteland 3 and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne on his resume. In addition, bestselling and ex-Blizzard author Micky Neilson is supporting the team as an external force. The expertise is complemented by useful tools: New strategy game from ex-Blizzard employees wants to improve the genre, relies on a tool that makes everything easier

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