It’s here! Splitgate 2 was released into Open Beta last week. This is the soft-launch into full release, so to all intents and purposes. Splitgate 2 is officially out.
I am someone who really enjoyed the original, and I know that Josh here at FULLSYNC was a big fan. I thought it best to get some time to see how it stacks up.
What originally felt (and I mean this in the most positive way possible) “Halo with portals” seems to have had a significant shake-up. It doesn’t feel like Halo at all now. Splitgate 2 seems like a total re-imagining of what Splitgate is or could be.
All change
Splitgate 2 is different, and it’s taken me a while to get used to it.
In some ways, it’s more akin to a hero shooter now. 3 different classes, with different abilities that mix it up a bit. Do you want more speed and agility? Perhaps you want to be able to scan and temporarily see through walls? You could even choose to help boost defensive/regenerative abilities if you like.
Better still, there are synergies here where your choice can passively support your team with buffs, too. So it’s a co-op hero shooter with portals.
Then we have the power weapons, much like before, and like Halo/Unreal Tournament, etc.
Movement feels great still, but it doesn’t feel like that classic Halo movement any more. It’s hard to explain, but you know how a game “feels” the moment you start to move around. Splitgate really nailed the feel of Halo. Splitgate 2 feels more like Splitgate 2.
You have your jetpack and portals, you can sprint and slide. The maps are a veritable playground of direction and momentum.
I love how Splitgate used to feel, it worked really well. But credit to 1047 games for turning something more into their own. It took some adjustment, but after a few games on PC and then on the Steam Deck, it felt natural enough.
Is it good?
Let’s cut to the chase. We all want to know if Splitgate 2 is a worthy successor to the original. A game that launched into the stratosphere and had a moment, particularly during COVID times.
Why stop updating that success and start practically from scratch? They could have updated the original and treated it as a live service game. Instead, we’re here with a new feel, a new pace and a new take on what Splitgate actually is.
The maps feel less vertical than previously, with a more direct approach. Particularly with 3-lane arenas, which felt more structured than the previous game. With fewer portal surfaces, too. Suddenly, positioning is way more important, but also much more reliant on mastery of arenas and weapons.
The abilities make for some variation, but all three of the classes feel largely the same. So it’s really about preference and team composition more than height and chaos.
Splitgate 2 feels like a much more tightly put-together online shooter offering. It feels primed for eSports and competitive play in a different way. Particularly in the arena mode.
It’s not better or worse. It’s just different, and that’s the most I can say about it after a couple of hours. I miss the more traditional multiplayer FPS maps and the potential to really exploit some portals. But I appreciate the focus and simplicity on display here.
Weapons feel great, movement feels great. Maps deliver what I presume to be the optimal experience of what Splitgate is to become.
Good? Yes, absolutely. It’s competent and going for something different from before. Whether or not that’s for you is up to you.
Side-note
One quick side note here is that Splitgate 2 runs really really well on the Steam Deck. Some portable play for a game like this may not be your first port of call, but I’ve been able to test things out in different environments, which is a nice boon.
If you’re on the battle pass grind and want to quickly do dailies, but can’t get to your PC. Here you go, pocket portal pleasure.
Using a controller vs keyboard and mouse is an adjustment, and some tweaks might need to be made. But this is all par for the course, and frankly, that’s the bulk of what you need to do.
From a performance and a visual perspective. 1047 Games has made a game that just runs without issue and that needs special mention.
How will it go?
Who can pretend to know the future? Not me. But I can make predictions based on personal tastes and current trends.
Splitgate 2 is a much more focused and refined package. I think some of the fun for a more casual fan base will be removed. It feels less like a classic first-person shooter multiplayer and more like a game looking to become more serious in a competitive manner.
That’s not really for me, but there’s enough fun to be had regardless.
It’s free, there’s nothing stopping anyone from having a go and finding out if it’s for you or not.
I thought the first game was pretty much perfect in terms of gameplay and approach to maps. But the studio needs to make money, and presumably wants Splitgate 2 to have some legs. This is their second chance at a first impression, and it’s a slick package ready to go.
Hopefully, it finds a committed audience and exists for a long time. I’m keen to see where it goes once it hits full launch, and really intrigued by what direction it takes long-term.
I’ll be giving it some more time, and looking forward to some Team Swat like the old days!
For more early looks at upcoming games, check out our previews section.
