Splitgate 2 challenges you to think even faster with portals

The original Splitgate felt like an idea ahead of its time. Cross the arena shooting of Xbox's Halo with the technological leaps forward introduced in Valve's Portal. The game was made by the small development team at 1047 Games and it was an idea that caught on so quickly that demand for something bigger started to overwhelm the team. With the arrival of Unreal Engine 5 and an influx of funding, the suddenly expanded 1047 Games team opted to start a new Splitgate project from scratch. The time to unveil Splitgate 2 has come and, having played several rounds, the game's growth and potential for greatness are crystal clear.

For those who missed out on the original phenomenon, Splitgate 2 retains the core principles of a 4v4 arena shooter. It feels close to a game like Halo in ways I'll detail momentarily. However, it also grants players a portal gun, which can create two-sided portals across select parts of the arena. It can't make portals anywhere, which is somewhat disappointing, but the fact that portals can be successfully integrated into this type of shooter instantly refreshes a tried-and-true experience.

Some of the changes to Splitgate 2 are clear upon hitting the game's opening menus. The first thing to note is that players can now choose between three different factions:

• Aeros: This faction focuses on speed and offense. The Rush ability offers a movement and speed boost, along with a one-time health boost to keep the player from immediately crashing and burning. The Taskmaster trait keeps that speed theme going by reducing cooldowns.
• Meridian: This faction focuses on intel and healing. The Hypersight ability exposes enemy locations through walls for the player and all allies. Meanwhile, the Wellness trait keeps everyone standing with faster health regeneration for the team.
• Sabrask: This faction focuses on defense and supplies. The Smart Wall ability is similar to Halo's Bubble Shield, creating a wall that keeps enemy shots out and allows allies to shoot through it. The Stockpile trait ensures everyone stays armed by providing extra reserve ammo.

The faction traits are meant to encourage a healthy team mix where everyone can benefit from each of their passive boosts. Sure, it's possible to win if everyone goes Aeros, but the health buffs from Merdians and the defensive prowess of the Sabrask will be sorely missed. This is an interesting idea to keep an eye on, especially as 1047 adds new factions over time.

Movement feels buttery smooth. Walking and sprinting speed felt noticeably quicker, as did the game's jump and hover. A new slide has been added to keep character momentum going, which perfectly complements the aerial speed boost that comes with falling through a portal.

Gunplay could prove divisive. There are certain weapons where aiming down will be helpful, like the carbine and the rocket launcher. With that said, I'm somebody that likes to use the standard-issue assault rifle afforded to me during the loadout stage. Imagine my surprise when aiming down led to a worse performance. Once I started firing from the hip, I started racking up kills. I enjoyed it, but those who are used to holding down that right mouse button (or Left Trigger, for controller users like myself) to aim may be less receptive to this environment.

This trial run of Splitgate 2's alpha featured two game modes, both of which are round-based. Team Deathmatch is exactly what it sounds like, though the round structure was an interesting twist. I would imagine it's there to prevent total blowouts, but if a team is outmatched, a fresh round isn't really going to fix that. It'll only make players exit the game between rounds instead.

Hotzone is the other mode and it's an interesting take on the point capture system. The biggest change here is that progress towards a point's capture is always retained. It only matters who's in control when that progress hits 100 percent. That means one team can stay on the point for 99 percent of the time, but if a lucky grenade clears them out, someone from the other team can simply stroll on in, finish the capture, and take all the credit. The most interesting aspect of Hotzone is that subsequent control points are placed closer to the losing team's territory, which increases the potential for late-game comebacks.

While there isn't a lot to experience in the Splitgate 2 alpha, what's here is an encouraging sign for the game's future. It feels easy to play, its UE5-powered visuals are on par with some of the genre's best shooters, and sessions are quick and brisk. Gunplay and game mode structures may not be for everyone, but that could change in the future, especially as 1047 appears to be in this for the long haul, thanks to its ample funding. Of course, many will need to experience this game for themselves to determine if it's for them, so this is where it's worth noting that the Splitgate 2 alpha will open up to the public from August 21-25. Sign-ups are open now on the Splitgate 2 Steam page.

This preview is based on a PC version of the Splitgate 2 alpha. Early access was provided by the developer. The final product is subject to change.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?