The Tactical Shooter genre is one of the oldest and largest out there, with millions of players daily across popular titles like Counter-Strike 2, Rainbow Six Siege, and more. Naturally, it’s a challenging genre to break into: new games are released constantly, and differentiation is key to offering players something they haven’t experienced yet. There are only so many surface elements that can be altered before a Tactical Shooter title drifts away from the genre and into another.
Enter Spectre Divide, the debut game from Mountaintop Studios. I had the opportunity to play the game early and test out its mechanics, and I’m blown away by the creativity and uniqueness of this title. Spectre Divide focuses on smaller team gameplay, a major shift from the rest of the genre. Inspired by three-player modes in titles like Halo, Mountaintop’s upcoming title is a 3v3 tactical shooter with a major twist.
Duality – The Beating Heart of Spectre Divide
Spectre Divide has a major gameplay feature called Duality, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the genre. Simply put, you have two bodies. Every match begins with six total bodies but only three players on each team. You have control over your active body and a Spectre, your inactive one. To swap, you simply press X on your keyboard, and you’ll switch places with your Spectre.
When the Spectre is not in use, it doesn’t move. However, it can detect other players nearby, which will cause an alert at the top of your screen. This can be extremely useful to understand where enemies are located on the map, as you can instantly switch over and take out the inbound assailant.
Of course, position and location is everything, and it is entirely up to you. At the beginning of each round, you’ll have access to a map where you can select the spawn points of both bodies. Sometimes, it might be best to throw your Spectre behind a corner near the objective. Other times, you might aim to keep your Spectre close as cover for your other body who might be sniping.
In the game, you can also move your Spectre with ease. Mountaintop has implemented a mechanic called the Puck, which is a throwable object that acts as a spawn point for the body. You can throw the puck to areas you never would have been able to reach otherwise. This includes areas like ledges, on top of items, and across railings. While you can move your Spectre during the match, it won’t happen instantly. The timing is distance-based, so bodies further away will take longer to travel to the Puck’s location.
Overall, Duality is simply a marvel, and it feels incredibly balanced, even now before launch. I only played for a few hours but I’m still thinking of all the possibilities this feature unlocks. Watching the community take charge with clever ways to utilize the Spectre will be nothing short of fascinating.
Terrific Gunplay
Now, for the meat of the gameplay. Spectre Divide is a joy to play. Even as someone who does not spend much time with Tactical Shooters anymore, I had a blast and was able to jump right in with a minimal learning curve.
Besides Duality, another major focus of this title is Full ADS. This means you can move and shoot at full accuracy while you aim down the sights. It’s a game changer in many scenarios, providing many more tactical combat encounters that would not have been possible otherwise. As a result of this implementation, Hipfire does have lots of recoil, but you can still use it in close-encounter scenarios.
There are plenty of other unique features as well, like Sponsors. These are essentially equipment sets that provide you with roles/items that you can use to assist your team. You can do things like scout enemies, place traps, and heal teammates. Mountaintop has opted to not include any ultimate or instant-kill moves, so you have to rely on your tools and skills to defeat all opponents, even at the last second. All of these features have been designed around Duality, which creates a cohesive experience. Everything feels purposeful and balanced, with nothing too powerful or weak.
A Passion Project Made by Experienced Players
Speaking on Mountaintop, the team is incredibly motivated and passionate when it comes to the genre. During the preview event, I heard from multiple members of the senior leadership team who described their backgrounds with the Tactical Shooter genre, and it became clear that, first and foremost, the team at Mountaintop are players. When it comes to delivering an experience that understands what players want and need, I have no doubt that this team will deliver.
Some things of note regarding this release: The game will be free-to-play with no pay-to-win items, only cosmetics. Mountaintop is self-publishing the game, which was incredible to hear. I was told that controller support will not be available at launch, but it is an in-progress feature that the team at Mountaintop is planning to release post-launch. Additionally, down the road, the team will be bringing the game to consoles. However, the focus now is perfecting the PC release and making it as outstanding as possible.
Overall, I’m incredibly excited to spend more time in Spectre Divide once it’s available. There’s a clear level of passion and attention to detail with every inch of this game at Mountaintop, and I’m looking forward to watching the community get their hands on the game. Spectre Divide truly feels like it could be the massive evolution that the genre has been waiting on. It’s fresh, unique, and unlike any shooter I’ve ever played in many ways.
Even if this might not seem like a game up your alley, I highly encourage you to check it out when available. For the first time in years, I’m excited about a tactical shooter, and I cannot wait to see how this one makes its mark on the industry for years to come.
For more on Spectre Divide, stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Mountaintop Studios Co-Founder & CEO Nate Mitchell and Spectre Divide Game Director Lee Horn.
