As a big StarCraft and Command and Conquer fan, I’ve had close eyes on new RTS game Stormgate for quite some time. Built by former Blizzard veterans known for their work on the Warcraft and StarCraft series, the Frost Giant Studios game has been in extensive playtesting for some time, and now it finally has a release date. Even more exciting, however, is the reveal of its third playable faction.
Stormgate certainly has the pedigree behind it, and I’ve been very impressed by the time I’ve spent with the RTS game so far. While it feels most closely akin to StarCraft 2, and wears those comparisons with pride, it also draws some clever ideas from other games including C&C while still retaining its own unique feel. It also includes a number of smart, helpful features designed to make the game more approachable to newcomers, such as an intuitive building interface and an assist tool.
The third Stormgate faction is The Celestial Armada. A race of highly advanced interstellar travelers, they’ve arrived on Earth to challenge the Infernal Host for control – leaving the humans caught in the middle. Among their forces, the Celestials boast the Kri – unstoppable melee war machines equipped with four deadly blades – floating energy tanks called Sabers, and technological spellcasters known as Animancers.
The Celestial Armada’s speciality is its map-wide mobility, with units warping down onto the battlefield from the titular armada itself, enabling you to come up with all-new ways to outmaneuver your opponents. Frost Giant notes that “some playtesters have called [it] the most original RTS faction they’ve ever played.”
If the Human Resistance and Infernal Host are Stormgate’s spin on the Terran and Zerg respectively, the Celestial Armada feel like the natural Protoss equivalent. Of course, while Frost Giant doesn’t shy from its RTS influences, this will still be its own take on the futuristic alien format, and I can’t wait to unleash them on everyone when the game arrives in early access.
Stormgate launches Tuesday August 13 via Steam Early Access. It will be free-to-play, but you can join from Tuesday July 30 by purchasing one of the three early access bundles, each of which also include additional content.
- Stormgate Early Access Pack ($25) – includes the Amara Human Vanguard hero, the first chapter of the Vanguard campaign, and the Gold Vanguard army accent.
- Stormgate Deluxe Early Access Pack ($40) – includes everything in the Early Access Pack plus the Maloc Infernal Host hero, the Auralanna Celestial Armada hero, and the Chicken pet.
- Stormgate Ultimate Early Access Pack ($60) – includes everything in the Deluxe Early Access Pack plus chapters two and three of the Vanguard campaign (available sometime after August 13) and the Firestorm fog of war shader.
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