‘Splitgate 2’ Reminds Players Why They Love Playing FPS Games

A sci-fi multiplayer shooter that utilizes portals creates a unique intersection of the two concepts. Innovative and distinct. It is familiar, approachable, and recognizable. Cue in 1047 Games, the team behind Splitgate, the “Halo meets Portal” since its debut back in 2019. Initially developed by a small team, 1047 has grown in size and built upon its predecessor with Splitgate 2. And it’s looking rather promising.

At its core, Splitgate 2 is rooted in the team’s deep fondness for Halo. It is a love letter to a golden era of shooters, but it is not a nostalgic replica of what once was. Instead, this title aims to refine and evolve beyond its inspiration and debut. It takes notes from other shooters, like Destiny and The Finals with its big team fights and class builds, to mold a more defined presence. It’s “meaningful variety with a purpose,” and that purpose encourages fun, inclusive gameplay for all skill levels.

Splitgate 2 dials in on user experience, making choice quality-of-life changes. In the original, two commands were required to utilize portals: one to enter and one to exit. In the sequel, this action registers as one command to help minimize any potential user error. This aligns with how much faster and smoother Splitgate 2 plays.

An arena mode that was literal chaos drove this point home. Built on quick executions and mayhem, the slightest movement forward is immediate acceleration. Some players stood still for a brief moment to find grounding, but it made for an easy target. So bodies flung across the map at breakneck speeds, shooting from the hip or managing quick scopes.

Movement was so weightless and hyperresponsive that the map needed a ‘Wet Floor’ sign. Proximity Mines (a stunning mine) started to stack as many of us flocked to a corner, fighting for our lives. Portals began to feel like whiplash as exiting and reentering areas were so fluid. Needless to say, Chaos Arena is a new mode that is unpredictable and ridiculously fun.

Portals continue to change everything in Splitgate 2.

While using portals is a fundamental pillar, it isn’t a barrier to entry for new players. If utilizing portals is not a strong skill set, you can still get by and have fun running and gunning alongside allies. The addition of Factions in Splitgate 2 helps balance this. Factions are character classes, each with unique abilities and loadouts. This introduces various ways for players to contribute to team fights that complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

As a Sabrask, it’s about creating transparent walls to shield yourself and your allies. Great for arena modes like Hotzone, a classic control and capture. Sabrasks felt more armored and ready to infiltrate, having grenades and mines as their equipment items.

Opposite to this is Meridian, who has a play style that is supportive and useful. Their ability and loadout are about revealing enemy locations and portals while providing health regeneration. An asset during any Multi-Team arena mode is 8v8v8, where maps are scaled much larger to accommodate this. Incorporate the final class, Saeros, for agility and stealth maneuvers like Porta-Portal that spawns temporary floating portals, and it’s a delicious recipe for great team takedowns. 

Arena maps are significantly larger alongside several new arena modes emphasizing big team battles. This is where Splitgate 2 begins to establish itself from the original Splitgate. Ambitiously introducing three Multiteam modes that are 8v8v8: Hotzone, Deathmatch, and Domination. With so many players on the field, it was an epic battle that tried to balance itself between fun, challenging, and strategy. On a snowy terrain, it became a multidimensional combat zone.

Portals scaled walls, and players used launch pads that provided more verticality than was present in their predecessors. The ability to slide is also a new and much-needed mechanic, adding fluidity to gameplay that, without it, was rigid and stiff in the original. There’s much faster gameplay and versatility that beckons you to get back in the fight for more.

Maps get bigger, and the pace gets faster in this 1047 sequel.

Knowing how to strategically place portals as you navigate arena maps can help outmaneuver opponents and turn the tide, but it isn’t the only thing. While experimenting and embracing portals will be an advantage, it is just a learning curve that can be mastered over time. If players want to challenge themselves and perform higher, embrace the portals.

Regardless, the desire to have people jump or portal into the game provides more inclusion than Splitgate originally had. The newly added features and quality-of-life changes show how Splitgate 2 has grown and if anything, is asking players to stay to see what more is in store.

A desire to achieve the perfect balance was present in my gameplay. It felt ambitious, chaotically fun, and fueled by a passion longing for players to engage in something more nuanced in the genre. While this was always an essential foundation for 1047 Games, Splitgate 2 strives for even more.

The game had me feeling nostalgic for a time when shooters were fun with friends and community. Where we could engage in custom team fights with ridiculous parameters. Splitgate 2 allowed me to relive that in a refreshing way, and I wanted to stay for another round or six. Overall, this hands-on preview had me nodding, fully convinced: “Yeah, I want more of that.”

Splitgate 2 is now available for open alpha crossplay until March 2 via Steam and next-gen consoles.