The idea of reinventing the wheel is normally coined by creatives when faced by those in suits equipped with a confused stare. For the most part, the standard build of first-person shooter multiplayer games has been the same for the longest time. We’ve seen sub-genres burst onto the scene, then fade away. Others have set trends that have seen their own deviations become the default. Arguably, there hasn’t been anything particularly new or bold in quite some time…now there’s Lemnis Gate.
Though it may sound like some sort of skin infection, Lemnis Gate is a curious mix of turn-based strategy and typical first-person shooter multiplayer. If I’m allowed to show my age, I could even say the shooting feels slightly Unreal Tournament (For the fresh faces out there, that’s what Epic did before they jumped into lawsuits and emotes). A combination that may have you confused, curious, and confused again. Don’t worry, I was too.
Lemnis Gate seemingly understands what its goal is. There’s no confusing muddling of leaning to one aspect more than the other, nor does either side feel undercooked or lacking. Instead, there’s clear confidence flowing throughout. The core outline sees teams face off in an attack/defend mode in which the goal is to destroy the opposing team’s generator. Team’s take turns consisting of 25 seconds to make their moves and strategize. The funky part is how the two turns work for each player…so let me explain.
Player 1 goes first, choosing a character from a roster who each possess weapon types and skills. Player 1 picks Toxic, a slower but more powerful character. Player 1 takes control of Toxic and begins to move around the map. They are free to grab objectives, take up positions or just kinda stand a stare like a fool.
While Player 1 is taking their turn, Player 2 is able to observe all the action via Jeff Bezos’ future delivery method. It’s vital Player 2 watches and observes the area. After Player 1’s turn is complete, Player 2 can select their character choice and begin their turn.
As Player 2’s turn begins, Player 1’s turn is replicated with Toxic doing exactly what they did during their turn. Player 2 selects Kapitan armed with her auto rifle and frag. They know at a certain point, Player 1 will be a small space, perfect for a grenade to take them out. Player 2 moves to that location and throws a frag, killing Player 1’s Toxic.
From there, the turns loop upon each other until there’s a winner.
It’s a lot to get your head around, which makes the limited time I had with the game more frustrating. Not because it was bad, but because I could feel the game opening up. That’s possibly the core element that jumps out about Lemnis Gate, it feels like it’s ready pop. Think of it like you’re shaking a can of pop (or soda for the Hulk Hogan brotherhood out there) and you can feel the fizz. It’s popping, ready to gush, so you open it a little and the sweet sauce comes out, but only lightly. That’s what the Lemnis Gate preview felt like.
Gameplay wise, there’s a lot to admire. The risk of making a hybrid title is messing up both sides of the coin, Lemnis Gate has a good hold on both sides, never truly faltering. As a first-person shooter, it works well. Movement is snap and pace, with gunplay working in tandem with player movement. When you pull off a slick headshot you feel it, you feel like you did that through your skill. This is a trait that has, bizarrely, been lacking from a number of shooters.
Each character plays a little differently from one another, not just due to their movement either. The weapon they use is where they fit into the game. Heavy weapons don’t quite possess the utility of an assault rifle while small arms fire provides a bit more zip, but less damage. They all feel different with some destined to become the favorites of the game, but the chances are it’ll all fall down to play style. No that is a bad thing, if anything it provides a nice axis to shift on while dancing between the weapon selection.
But what about the times you’re not taking your turn? Frankly, you should be paying attention. Watching your opponent’s turn play out is vital to success. A blind eye can impact the rest of the match, even more so when not tracking a play for the objective. If you have a short attention span, (the chances are you never made it this deep into the preview anyway), but you won’t enjoy the observation stage.
For the limited time I had with Lemnis Gate, I was impressed but frustrated. I wanted to play more, try more and fail more. This is a great concept for a game, but it requires time to bake and I take time to chew. The potential for the next big thing might be a little far off, but there’s certainly room to carve out a niche from the off. Creative, tricky but rewarding. Lemnis Gate might just be the palette cleanser we need.
