LEMINS GATE Impressions: Complex Killing...Time After Time
I don’t remember where I heard this, but someone summed up Lemnis Gate in one quick phrase, “If Christopher Nolan directed a video game, it would be this.” That is entirely true and a fine way to describe the game as a whole. It includes all the brain busting and technical feats that you’d expect from a Nolan film. It also has all the complex rules and difficult to decrypt ideas you’d see in a Nolan film. My time with Lemnis Gate was chaotic and loads of fun, even if it took a couple of rounds to adjust to the gunplay and time management systems.
To be as brief and clear as I can about the game, Lemnis gate is a 1v1 or 2v2 shooter. Players try to obtain objectives and kill opponents to gain points to win a match. A match is divided into two rounds. Each round is a loop of the same 25 seconds, there are ten loops in total. Players take turns dropping a character into the loop and then fight, lay traps and obtain objectives during their 25 second loop. After each player has dropped in 5 times each (completing the 10 total loops), the round is over, points are added up and players switch sides and do it again. Points from both rounds are added up and a victor is declared.
This is complicated. Watching a match unfold or playing it out yourself is really the only way to understand it without going into great, descriptive lengths. Even then, it is hard to follow. But when you start to understand that each person has 25 seconds to live and interact with future versions or change past events by killing or saving others, it becomes one of the most fulfilling FPS experiences I’ve had in a long time. Making intense and pivotal plays to save multiple teammates or steal objectives at the last second is terribly satisfying and fun to watch happen every loop. While I wish there was some way to play easier versions of the matches or a more extensive explanation of the game in the game, it is quite fun to explore and discover the workings of Lemnis Gate with your feet on the ground.
Along with the complex rules of time loops, this is also a hero shooter. There are seven operatives that have unique guns and a unique power and players will use a total of five of them each round. While they might seem fairly simple when using their guns and skill compared to the likes of Overwatch or TF2, learning how to effectively use all of them and mastering the rotation of each one can take a lot of work. All the characters feel very powerful in their own way, which leads to each character being exciting and an opportunity for game-changing actions.
The biggest issue right now is really just learning and grasping all the mechanics of the game. It isn’t easy to hop into a game with someone who is experienced (basically no chance of winning or effectively learning the game), so I’d recommend finding a friend who can show you the ropes and just goof around in some custom 1v1 games. Matching with people who are more or less at your skill level and keeping people interested are what I can see being the biggest problems with the game once it is fully released. Some ranked modes, events, battlepasses and such will help a lot though.
Overall, Lemnis Gate is refreshing, intense, complex and chaotic. The beta shows a promising start, but its success will mostly depend on the audience’s interest and desire to play the game over and over again.