Info about Stormgate:

Official game description:
The full Ashes of Earth campaign is available in-game for $24.99 USD. Regional pricing will vary.
Plunge into the heart of battle as the ultimate battlefield commander fighting for survival in a science fantasy universe, where Earth’s fate hangs on the edge of oblivion.
Human defenders and their faithful robot allies stand defiant against two warring alien factions: a race of warlike demonic invaders and their technologically advanced angelic rivals. Together, these three are locked in a relentless struggle for dominance. _Stormgate_ puts you  in command of futuristic armies in epic real-time strategy battles.
Fight for the Future
--------------------
Dive into the ultimate test of strategic warfare with three highly-asymmetric factions: the stalwart Human Vanguard, the relentless Infernal Host, or the highly-advanced Celestial Armada. Team up with friends and command legendary Heroes to conquer the challenging AI in co-op mode, or test your mettle on the global stage in a hero-free competitive ranked ladder focused purely on player skill. Get ready for an innovative 3v3 mode, currently in development, with a no-elimination policy to ensure you always taste victory or defeat together, as a unified team.
Next Generation RTS
-------------------
_Stormgate_ takes RTS gaming to new heights by harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 5, supercharged by our proprietary SnowPlay technology. This combination delivers an unparalleled responsive RTS gameplay experience. Our use of globally distributed servers aims to connect players from around the world, supported by advanced Rollback technology for silky smooth and stutter-free gameplay. This combination of cutting-edge technology and ultra-modern infrastructure mean you can focus entirely on defeating your opponents instead of struggling against lag.
Explore a Post-Apocalyptic Science Fantasy Universe
---------------------------------------------------
_Stormgate’s_ story-driven Campaign drops players into the role of mighty Heroes fighting for the fate of the world. The free Vanguard prologue chapter includes three playable missions, with more campaign chapters available for purchase and new chapters to be released.
Gameplay Evolved
----------------
Flex your skills with an enhanced interface designed for both depth and approachability. With streamlined inputs and automatic control groups, it’s easier than ever before to just have fun while leaving the skill ceiling sky-high for those who want to push themselves to their limits.
Unleash Your Creativity
-----------------------
The Editor empowers you to craft your own game experiences with the most advanced yet user-friendly RTS toolset available. Integrated seamlessly within the _Stormgate_ client, it allows for swift iteration and polish of your maps, mods, and custom games. Sculpt intricate terrain, customize units, and then share your creations with the community. With the Editor, ignite your imagination and bring your unique visions to life–you’re invited to redefine the boundaries of RTS gameplay.

Release date: Aug 5, 2025

Categories: Real-Time Strategy, Multiplayer, Cooperative Multiplayer, Base Building, Strategy, Campaign, Map Editor

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 90; verdict: Predatory Monetization; summary: The game has been widely criticized for its aggressive monetization strategies, including pay-to-play campaign missions, misleading marketing, broken promises, overpriced microtransactions, and early access paywalls. These practices have led to a significant backlash from players, particularly those who supported the game early on through Kickstarter and other means.
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The primary user complaints revolve around the lack of an in-game encyclopedia or guide, which forces users to rely on external sources for crucial information. Additionally, there are significant issues with bugs and technical problems, as well as concerns about the user interface and navigation within the game.
- Steam Deck: score 65; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals several significant issues impacting the overall experience of the game. The most prominent issue is the requirement for the game to be always online, even for single-player campaigns, which has led to widespread frustration. Performance and optimization issues, particularly on the Steam Deck, are also notable concerns. Additionally, the presence of kernel-level anti-cheat and lack of Linux support have discouraged many users. Frequent crashes and stability issues further exacerbate the negative experience. Lastly, some users have reported problems with the user interface and controls.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Campaign is fun and engaging (weight 0.5): The campaign mode is widely praised for being fun, interesting, and well-designed. Players enjoy the variety of missions, the blend of new units, side quests, exploration, and interesting objectives.
- Continuous improvements (weight 0.34): Players note that the game has evolved and improved over time, with constant updates and enhancements.
- Game runs smoothly (weight 0.31): The game is noted for running great and smoothly. Players appreciate the polished feel and the fact that it runs well on high settings.
- Free-to-play model (weight 0.26): The game offers a free-to-play model with various modes available for free, including multiplayer and skirmish modes.
- High potential (weight 0.25): The game is seen as having a lot of potential and showing promise for future development.
- Strong RTS mechanics (weight 0.2): The game is praised for its robust RTS mechanics and is considered a well-crafted real-time strategy game.
- Improved visual style (weight 0.2): The game's visual style is noted for being detailed, clear, and modern, with significant improvements over time.
- Unique Stormgate mechanic (weight 0.19): The Stormgate mechanic is highlighted as cool, interesting, and unique, adding a fresh element to the gameplay.
- Feels good to play (weight 0.16): Players enjoy the overall feel of the game, noting that it feels solid, smooth, and worth playing.
- Distinct factions (weight 0.14): The game features distinct and visually strong factions, each with unique mechanics and appearances.
- Impressive map editor (weight 0.14): The map editor is highlighted as a neat sandbox and impressive tool, with recent additions and community-built content.
- Intuitive interface (weight 0.13): The game's interface is praised for being intuitive, modern, and streamlined, making it easy to learn and use.
- Responsive management and units (weight 0.13): The game is praised for its responsive management and units, making the gameplay feel smooth and natural.
- Enjoyable cooperative multiplayer (weight 0.11): Players enjoy the cooperative multiplayer modes, finding them fun and engaging.

Common complaints:
- Game lacks polish (weight 0.65): Many players have noted that the game feels unfinished and lacks polish, particularly in cinematics and overall presentation. There are frequent mentions of the game being rough around the edges and needing more development time.
- Disappointing compared to expectations (weight 0.3): Many players express disappointment, stating that the game fell short of their expectations and did not live up to the promise or the standards set by its predecessors.
- Boring and underwhelming gameplay (weight 0.25): A significant number of reviews highlight that the gameplay is boring and underwhelming. Players find the missions and overall gameplay experience lacking in excitement and engagement.
- Missing promised features (weight 0.21): There are complaints about many promised features being missing from the game. Players feel that the game was released without all the advertised content.
- Unit pathfinding issues (weight 0.2): There are numerous complaints about unit pathfinding being poorly implemented. Players report that unit movement and control are problematic and need improvement.
- Always-online requirement (weight 0.17): Players are frustrated with the always-online requirement for single-player mode. This is seen as a significant drawback, especially for those who prefer or need offline gameplay.
- Overpriced and poor monetization (weight 0.17): There are widespread complaints about the game's pricing being too high and not worth the cost. Players feel that the monetization strategy is poor.
- Poor unit design and control (weight 0.16): The design and control of units are criticized for being poor. Players report that units feel awkward to control and lack detail.
- Lack of manual save feature (weight 0.14): Players are frustrated with the lack of a manual save feature, as the game only saves at checkpoints, which can be inconvenient and disruptive to the gaming experience.
- Poor voice acting (weight 0.14): The voice acting is widely criticized as being terrible and poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.
- Outdated graphics and art style (weight 0.12): Players find the art style and character designs lacking and outdated. The visual presentation is seen as subpar compared to expectations.
- Poor AI implementation (weight 0.11): The AI for bots is criticized for being poorly implemented and of low quality, which affects the gameplay experience negatively.

Gameplay feedback:
- Campaign mode details (weight 0.41): The game features a story-driven campaign with 12 missions, offering a mix of free and paid content. Players have noted the introduction and overall enjoyment of the campaign.
- Gameplay improvements and style (weight 0.27): The gameplay has been praised for its smooth and responsive mechanics, with improvements in art style and engine performance. It is described as fast-paced and fun.
- 1v1 multiplayer focus (weight 0.25): The game offers various 1v1 multiplayer modes, including ladder and skirmish options. This mode is highlighted as a significant feature for competitive play.
- Editor capabilities (weight 0.2): The game features an editor with extensive capabilities, including terrain editing and custom map creation. This tool is designed for player creativity and community content.
- Automated assistance systems (weight 0.18): The game includes automated systems for tasks like building depots, unit production, and worker management. These systems are designed to assist players with various in-game tasks.
- Multiplayer and co-op modes (weight 0.18): The game offers various multiplayer and co-op modes, including 3-player PvE and hero co-op. These modes provide diverse gameplay experiences.
- RTS with multiplayer and campaign (weight 0.18): The game is an RTS with a strong focus on multiplayer, offering different races and accessible strategy mechanics. It includes both campaign and co-op modes.
- Cooperative multiplayer mode (weight 0.18): A cooperative mode is available, allowing players to team up and enjoy the game together. This mode is noted to be in development and highly anticipated.
- Real-time strategy genre (weight 0.17): The game falls under the real-time strategy genre, featuring base building and strategic gameplay. It is noted for improvements over other games in the genre.
- Quick macro and control groups (weight 0.16): The game includes a quick macro system and automatic control groups for easier management of units and buildings. These features enhance the gameplay experience.
- Unit design and differentiation (weight 0.15): The game includes various units with distinct roles and abilities. Players have noted issues with unit design and the need for clear differentiation.
- Heroes and upgrades system (weight 0.1): The game features a hero-like system with upgrades and unique units. This system adds depth to the gameplay and strategy.
- Focus on multiplayer and esports (weight 0.09): The game is oriented towards multiplayer and esports, with a balanced and competitive multiplayer mode. Developers have emphasized this aspect of the game.

Performance notes:
- Smooth and responsive gameplay (weight 0.32): Many players experience smooth and responsive gameplay, with natural controls and efficient pathfinding.
- Optimization issues (weight 0.25): Players report various optimization problems, including computer shutdowns and poor performance on high-end hardware.
- Server and connectivity issues (weight 0.24): There are numerous reports of server problems, including connection hangs, losing connection to servers, and poor server performance.
- Miscellaneous bugs and glitches (weight 0.17): Players encounter various bugs and glitches, including unhandled exceptions, screen blackouts, and login interface freezes.
- Graphical and engine issues (weight 0.13): There are reports of graphical glitches, lighting problems, and issues related to the UE5 engine.
- Sound and AI issues (weight 0.11): There are reports of annoying sound loops, sound mixing issues, and AI/pathing problems affecting gameplay.
- High network latency (weight 0.1): Players experience high ping and network latency, affecting the overall gaming experience.
- Forced online play (weight 0.1): Players are frustrated with the always-online requirement and issues related to forced online play.
- Positive performance on lower-end hardware (weight 0.08): The game runs well even on less powerful computers, with good performance reported.
- Performance issues on specific hardware (weight 0.07): Some players report performance issues on specific hardware configurations, such as Ryzen 7 5700G and Intel B580.
- Game stability and corruption (weight 0.07): There are instances of game stability issues and reports of the game corrupting computer systems.
- High unit counts and lag (weight 0.06): High unit counts in the game can cause lag and performance issues.
- Game launch and exit issues (weight 0.06): Some players report issues with game launch and improper exits, particularly on Steam.
- Inconsistent framerates and latency (weight 0.06): Players experience inconsistent framerates and latency issues, affecting gameplay smoothness.
- Pixel ratio and graphical settings (weight 0.05): There are reports of pixel ratio issues and support for high resolutions like 5120x1440.
- Large game save files (weight 0.03): Game saves occupy too much space, which can be an issue for some players.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for RTS fans (weight 0.36): Many players highly recommend this game, especially for those interested in the RTS genre. They suggest giving it a try due to its engaging content and appeal to RTS enthusiasts.
- Worth trying the free version (weight 0.25): Several reviews mention that the game is worth trying out, particularly because it is free to play. This makes it accessible for new players to experience without financial commitment.
- Appeals to StarCraft fans (weight 0.24): The game is often recommended for fans of StarCraft and Blizzard-style RTS games. Players suggest that if you enjoy those games, this one is worth trying.
- Specific improvements needed (weight 0.19): Players have identified several areas for improvement, including the story, realism, offline mode, maps, unit handling, and various technical issues like keybinds and camera zoom.
- Game has potential (weight 0.13): Many players believe the game has potential for future content and improvements. They suggest that with more development and funding, it could become a great game.
- Needs more development time (weight 0.13): Some players feel that the game should have had more time in early access to polish and improve various aspects. They suggest waiting for future updates before fully committing to the game.
- Criticism on current state (weight 0.11): A few players are critical of the game's current state, mentioning poor quality, lack of value, and issues with voice acting. They suggest avoiding the game for now or waiting for significant improvements.
- Mixed feelings on monetization (weight 0.1): There are mixed reviews regarding the game's monetization. Some players recommend the game despite these issues, while others are more critical and suggest waiting for improvements.
- Support the developers (weight 0.07): Some players encourage supporting the developers and providing feedback to help improve the game. They see potential in the game and want to see it succeed.

Other player notes:
- Large Chinese Player Base (weight 0.04): The game has a significant player base in China, particularly for map editing, indicating a strong community involvement in custom content creation.
- Early Access Context (weight 0.04): The game is currently in Early Access, which means it is still under development and may have unfinished features or bugs.
- Battle Aces Mention (weight 0.04): There are references to Battle Aces, which could be a game mode, feature, or related content within the game.
- Petting the Dog (weight 0.03): Players have noted the ability to pet a dog on the ship, which could be a small but enjoyable interaction feature within the game.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.23): The game's poor campaign quality, lack of strategic depth, and failure to meet expectations set by its predecessors, particularly StarCraft 2, have left players feeling disappointed. Issues such as subpar graphics, uninspiring story setup, and the feeling of being scammed due to monetization strategies have further contributed to this sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Players are frustrated with the always-online requirement for single-player mode, problematic servers, and various performance issues such as lagging and graphical glitches. The game's monetization policy, lack of offline mode, and numerous bugs have also contributed to this frustration.
- Hopeful (weight 0.09): Players are hopeful due to the game's potential and the developers' openness to feedback. They anticipate future updates, expansions, and improvements that could enhance the game's current state and make it a leading RTS.
- Hope (weight 0.07): Players express hope for the game's future development and improvements. They believe in the project's potential and are looking forward to future updates and expansions that could address current shortcomings.
- Disappointed (weight 0.05): Players feel disappointed due to the game's unfinished state, poor graphics, and gameplay experience. The game did not meet expectations based on their love for StarCraft, leading to a sense of letdown.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Players enjoy the campaign, story, and fun multiplayer experiences. The gameplay mechanics, interesting characters, and smooth interface have contributed to a positive and enjoyable experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Players are excited about the game's potential and future updates. The unique races, mechanics, and improvements over classic RTS games have generated a sense of anticipation and enthusiasm.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Players are satisfied with the game's distinct factions, interesting worldbuilding, and smooth gameplay. The improvements made based on community feedback and the enjoyable co-op mode have contributed to this satisfaction.
- Frustrated (weight 0.03): Players are frustrated with account access issues, login and network errors, and the requirement to purchase heroes. The uncertainty about the game's and studio's future has also contributed to this frustration.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Players feel angry due to feeling deceived about game content access and Kickstarter support. The poor quality of the game, lack of improvements over time, and unsatisfactory updates have further fueled this anger.
- Excited (weight 0.03): Players are excited about the game's improvements since early access and its potential. They look forward to future game modes, improvements, and the 1v1 experience, which have generated a sense of excitement.
- Angry (weight 0.02): Players are angry due to the game corrupting their computer systems and feeling scammed after paying for early access. The misleading announcement about the game being out of early access has further fueled this anger.
- Critical (weight 0.02): Players are critical of the game's need for more polish and the issues with the campaign's writing and dialogue. They provide detailed criticisms and suggestions for each mission, comparing the game to StarCraft II.
- Satisfied (weight 0.02): Players are satisfied with the campaign meeting their expectations and the improvements in graphics and gameplay mechanics. The overall game experience has been enjoyable and met their standards.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Players are anticipating the release of 2v2 or 3v3 multiplayer modes and future campaigns and features. The potential of the Map Editor has also generated a sense of anticipation.
- Disappointment (weight 0.01): Players feel disappointed due to the game's poor completion and hand feel. The overall gaming experience did not meet their expectations.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Players feel nostalgic due to the game's similarity to classic Blizzard-style RTS games. The comparison to StarCraft 2 and the vibe reminiscent of Warcraft 3 have evoked a sense of nostalgia.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players feel bored due to the lack of challenge and excitement in the campaign. The game is not entertaining enough to hold their interest.
- Disappointment (weight 0.01): Players feel disappointed because the campaign is not fully available and there are additional costs. The developers are described as low-level and the game is not recommended.
- Happy (weight 0.01): Players are happy because the game is very close to Starcraft and they are having a lot more fun with this version now. The similarities to a beloved classic have brought joy.}