I’ll be honest, my expectations were relatively high for EMPULSE. A game taking some of the core elements of an all-time favourite of mine, Titanfall.
A new PvP first-person shooter with the movement and manoeuvrability of Titanfall is something I’m always on the lookout for. Moreover, created by 1047 games, the developer of Splitgate (and Splitgate 2…), EMPULSE is setting itself up to be scrutinised, for sure.
Well, the tl;dr is that EMPULSE is making a great first impression. I’ll get into the details shortly, but there’s a demo out this week, and if this is just a small taste of what we’re going to get, I’m here for it.
EMPULSE
I’ll stop mentioning Titanfall now. But let’s just level the comparisons so we know what we’re dealing with here.
EMPULSE utilises the same wall-running, short jetpack boosting and even grappling hook mechanics. Using momentum, height and quick thinking to get you around maps in no time at all, and to give you the drop on other players.
On top of that, you have the same high-quality gunplay as Splitgate, and then you have giant mechs to control, so you can try to dominate the game.
The mechs aren’t individual; they spawn in for anyone to grab. Much like when a power weapon like a rocket launcher or something, would spawn in Halo. I get it, EMPULSE is trying something and twisting it a little. But this is the element that’s not quite working for me.
Gameplay
Damn, EMPULSE sings from the word go. You’re fast, the shooting feels great, the weapons feel different and unique and swinging that hammer for a melee kill is super-satisfying. Snappy movement and controls mean you feel properly in control.
It’s clear that 1047 can make a shooter, and they understand the fundamentals of the FPS genre. When guns feel distinct, aiming feels accurate, and your basic movement feels natural, you’re lining yourself up to succeed.
The big change here, compared to Splitgate, is the higher mobility. Add wall running, a small boost to your jump that recharges as you go, and a grappling hook to help pull you up, forward, and around. Suddenly, physics are involved, and momentum is the difference between you getting shot at and you getting the drop on someone who felt like they were at a safe distance.
EMPULSE nails the freedom, the feeling of being able to just pick up speed and go, go, go. Add to it the speed-up paint grenades (an idea borrowed from Portal 2), and you can really just keep yourself going and out of harm’s way.
Mech life
The mech element is cool, and I actually like the idea that it’s essentially a power weapon in an arena shooter. I’m definitely salty that in my first few matches, I’ve not been able to get into one to control it. But it’ll come in time.
What I kept trying to do, though, was grapple onto a friendly mech so I could ride on its shoulders and hop off after being taxied around a little. Similarly, my instinct was to try to grapple onto an enemy mech to do some damage out of reach of its weaponry. Alas, you just go through it. There’s no means to mount the mech in EMPULSE, right now, and I feel that’s the thing it could be missing. Just that little added dynamic of “our team has the mech, keep it covered so no others mount it” or “all aboard, let’s push together now we have a mech”.
It’s mechanically more complicated to build and deploy, no doubt. But it’s that extra dimension that I would love to see layered in.
Launch soon
The full game launches on 24th June, and not as a free-to-play game. Initially set to retail at $19.99, it’s going to be interesting to see if people prefer this model or a season pass, free-to-play model.
Realistically, it will give 1047 Games a more reliable income stream. But will it give the game the longer tail that live service games need? It’ll be interesting to see how it goes.
Hopefully, there’s a solid chunk of content in early access to justify the cost, too. Because in the demo, I only saw one map and a couple of game modes. Granted, the point of early access is to get in quick and watch the game as it grows. But with an opening asking price, there are some expectations, too.
Let’s go!
June has become a busy month, but EMPULSE is well and truly on my radar. It feels like a great place to start some longer-term content for an independent game. We can follow it on the journey from demo to early access launch, to full launch. Keeping you up-to-date on patches, fixes, changes, etc.
That’s assuming it’s the kind of content people want? For now, I’ll get involved at launch, and we can see how it goes.
EMPULSE is incredibly promising at first look, and it’s exciting to see how this pans out.
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