If at first you don’t succeed, rip off Titanfall.
That’s the latest update from Splitgate developer 1047 Games when it comes to their new early access title, EMPULSE, which will get a closer look this weekend during the PC Gaming Show.
The struggles of Splitgate and its sequel have been well-documented over the past year or so, with the arena shooter unable to get a footing in the free-to-play space. So now, instead of mimicking games like Halo, it’s coming for the wall-running mech shooter.
And you know what? I kind of dig it so far. The game looks sleek and some new details revealed by the devs today ahead of the PC Gaming Show have me somewhat optimistic about what it will play like.
“Our dream has always been to be a multi-game studio, and this is the kind of game we love making: a fast, arcade-style FPS gameplay that rewards player expression and skill,” the studio said. “That is the type of gameplay we love and EMPULSE is the purest version of that idea we have built so far. We have a lot of Titanfall fans on this team, and we have heard a lot of the same from our community over the years. More movement. More verticality. More ways to express yourself in a fight. EMPULSE is our answer to that.”
EMPULSE boasts wall-running, a grapple hook, a jump pad, throwable bombs that create more movement opportunities, and of course, Titans—I mean, mechs. But instead of being a man component that’s normally available, these mechs are considered a “power spike” that the devs describe as “like fighting over the rocket launcher in the classic Halo.”
“A mech in the right hands can take over a round,” the devs said. “But focus on bringing one down as a Crew and you can swing momentum right back. Some of the best moments we have had in playtests so far are as a squad rallying together to take a mech down, then immediately turning that kill into a push that decides the match. That push and pull over who controls the mech(s) is one of the things we are most excited for you to experience.”
I’m keeping an open mind here, because I do think the game sounds fun. I have it wishlisted on Steam and I’m excited to hear more this weekend ahead of its early access release this year.
