Splitgate is a fresh take on the old-school arena-based First-Person Shooters remixed with a transcending twist - portals. With so many shooters focusing on hero powers, massive maps, and complex strategies, it’s refreshing to play a game that goes back to basics. A combination of Halo and Portal, Splitgate offers fast-paced gameplay with an easy-to-learn-yet-hard-to-master mechanic that anyone can pick up and have fun right off the bat... the BFB in-game bat.
What is Splitgate?
If you have been too consumed with all of the Call of Duty Vanguard and Halo Infinite news; you may have missed the newest game in the First Person Shooter Arena, Splitgate. Described by 1047 Games and IGN as "a Free-to-Play PvP Portal Shooter," Splitgate is a cross-platform enabled arena shooter game that builds on the best aspects of popular games like Halo, Rainbox 6, Destiny, and Call of Duty, with a unique twist - portals. Splitgate is free to play on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC through Steam. Download Splitgate now to become a wormhole warrior and as an added bonus, enter Splitgate Referral Code: S98XAM to get 50 FREE SPLITCOIN (Reward Center>Refer a Friend). Continue reading for a detailed Splitgate video game review including gameplay analysis, game modes, and gameplay highlights from your favorite community content creator, MELOGRAPHICS playing Splitgate live on Twitch and YouTube with the #MeloCrew.
Splitgate Gameplay
Splitgate has a new yet nostalgic feel; reminiscent of my first playthrough of first-person shooters in my youth; but with a twist. As a concept, it’s as straightforward a shooter as it gets. Drop into an arena and defeat the enemy team in a variety of modes. Your tools of destruction are an assortment of guns inspired by classic FPS titles and a portal mechanic.
The latter is where Splitgate gets its namesake. Across each arena are special blue walls on which you can open two-way portals. You need to place two each time, and you can do so from as far as you want. As long as you have line-of-sight on a blue wall, you can open a portal. Once two gates are opened, you can go through them and cross over on the other side. From there on, your only limit is your imagination. From surprising your opponents by appearing behind them to blasting them with rockets from nowhere, mastering Splitgate’s portals is the key to becoming king of the arena. And it’s every bit as fun as it sounds. There’s nothing more exhilarating than portaling from across the map that leads to scoring a multi-kill while your enemies are still trying to figure out where you came from.
What also makes Splitgate incredibly fun is how punchy yet simple its guns feel. Each of them is inspired by weapons from past FPS titles. You’ve got your usual suspects like the shotgun, the assault rifle, and the sniper, all of which are easy to handle. There are also more powerful weapons like a chargeable insta-kill railgun, a rocket launcher with a wide explosion radius, and a rapid-fire plasma rifle. Combined with Splitgate’s fast-paced movement and double jump, each weapon feels good to shoot while also being simple to handle.
The only other mechanic available is the grenade which is where Splitgate feels a bit wonky at first. Its sole use is for destroying enemy portals, which, to the game’s credit, is explained during its quick yet comprehensive tutorial. They don’t damage enemies, though, which is where veteran FPS players might get confused at first. It feels strange for a grenade to have such a limited use, but it’s part of the game’s simple gameplay mantra, so it isn’t a dealbreaker.
Where Splitgate comes together is its well-designed arenas. Reminiscent of multi-tiered maps found in Halo, Quake, and Unreal, Splitgate’s battlefields focus on offering limited space to duke it out while also giving you plenty of options to flank your enemies. Gaining good map knowledge while also using the game’s mobility and the portal system is what will make you an excellent Splitgate player. And the game’s variety of modes keeps the action fresh and fun for hours.
Splitgate Game Modes
Splitgate’s matches are played in lobbies that rotate through the game’s different modes. You can play in teams or duke it out solo with classic objectives that are taken to a whole new level thanks to the portal mechanic. Once you reach level 10, you can also start playing in Ranked playlists exclusively in 4v4 teams.
Game Modes: A Closed Look
2v2
2v2 in Splitgate is a duo-based mode where you and your partner face off against another team of two. The objective is purely kill-based, with the first duo to reach 50 kills crowned the winner. You start with a simple loadout of two guns and can pick up spawnable weapons around the map.
Team Deathmatch
You join three other players and try to score 50 kills on the enemy team before they do. It’s every bit as fast-paced and frantic as it sounds. Like in 2v2, you start with a simple loadout and can improve your lethality by picking up weapons that spawn around the map.
Free For All
You and five other players spawn in different areas of the map and must kill each other until one player reaches 25 kills. Combined with the portal mechanic, this mode will push your skills to the limit as danger lurks around every corner.
King of The Hill
A bit of a different beast than other modes, King of the Hill involves taking control of hill zones and defending them for as long as possible to rack up points. Finish the game with the most points, and you’ll be crowned the king.
Domination
Reminiscent of classic territory control, in Domination you need to take control of specific map points. Holding them grants, you points over time. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins.
Capture The Flag
A fan favorite from Halo and Unreal, Capture the Flag, tests both skill and teamwork. Each team has a flag on opposite sides of the map. You must defend your flag while also attempting to retrieve the enemy’s flag to your base. Capture theirs more times than they do yours, and the game is yours.
Teabag Confirmed
It’s Kill Confirmed but with a rude twist. Once you kill an enemy, you can only confirm it by - you guessed it - teabagging them, a.k.a. crouching up and down on their body. Yes, it’s every bit as infuriatingly fun as it sounds.
Team SWAT
A team-based mode where your loadout only consists of a pistol and a rifle. On top of that, headshots are insta-kills, meaning you’ll have to aim for the head as much as possible.
Team Oddball
Oddball is a spin on bounty-type modes. A ball spawns in the middle of the map, and one player from either team must pick it up. Once they do, they have to hold onto it for as long as possible. The longer they hold it, the more points they rack up for their team. There’s also a solo version.
InstaGib
Played as either a team or solo, InstaGib is a deathmatch where the only available weapon is railguns. That means any shot you land is an insta-kill. You’ll need lightning reflexes and good charge management to stand a chance.
Team Shotty Snipers
Another limited loadout mode. This one involves what it says on the title: snipers and shotguns. Ping them from afar or blast them from up-close. The choice is yours.
Pass or Play?
Overall, Splitgate is amazingly fun, and best of all, it’s completely free-to-play. It recently came out of beta on Steam, Xbox, and Playstation, and Season 0 has kicked off with plenty of rewards. While you don’t need to pay anything to enjoy the game’s fast-paced gameplay, you can pick up Splitcoins to buy a slew of customizations. Use code S98XAM to instantly get 50 Splitcoins, no catch, and we’ll see you in the arena.
MELOGRAPHICS GAMING
Want to see real gameplay (and portal fails too)? Check out Melo's Splitgate videos on Twitch and MELOGRAPHICS GAMING Youtube by clicking the buttons below! Want to join the Splitgate Party live with Melo on Stream? Join the Melo Crew and unlock exclusive perks and benefits on Twitch, Discord, and more. Visit www.melo.graphics/crew for more info or subscribe now on twitch.tv/melographics1 to join the next #MeloMonday playing with the #MeloCrew game!
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