Examining the Lemnis Gate
With Call of Duty being the best-selling video game almost every year for the past decade, it’s no surprise that one of the most represented video game genres is the first-person shooter. Lemnis Gate, a turn-based first-person shooter that’s like playing chess with guns, tries to offer players something unique in the genre. Not only is Lemnis Gate a turn-based first-person shooter, which is enough to make it stand out from the sea of FPS games on the market, but it also makes things even crazier by throwing in a time loop in the mix. So for example, a deathmatch at Lemnis Gate starts as a simple 1v1 affair, where players try to take each other out within a 25 second window. When those 25 seconds are up, the loop resets, and whatever players did with those starting characters still happens, but players now have a chance to pick a new character and do something else, which will make it a 2v2 skirmish instead of 1v1. It continues with Lemnis Gate battles until the battlefield is lit up with 6v6 combat. It’s hard to do Lemnis Gate’s turn-based action justice with words; it’s really something people have to experience for themselves to fully understand. It’s a unique, incredibly fun idea that helps Lemnis Gate establish itself as something truly new. FPS fans have never played anything like Lemnis Gate before.
However, it’s not enough for Lemnis Gate to be a turn-based FPS with a time loop gimmick. The developers added another layer of complexity by making the game a hero shooter, with players able to choose from seven different characters, all with their own knowledge, cosmetics, skill trees , and abilities. Having to factor in the hero-shooter’s abilities makes Lemnis Gate a greater strategic challenge and the battles more action-packed. For example, players can choose to play as Vendetta in the first round of a Lemnis Gate match and use her special ability to set up turrets on objectives. The opposing team can use their opportunity to play as the sniper character Striker and pop Vendetta from a distance, preventing him from building turrets in the first place. This can be countered with the robot character Karl, who can lay down shields and potentially block sniper shots. The matches continue like this, with players going against each other and manipulating the time loop so that in the final round, hopefully whatever they have done will allow them to get the most goals and the victory. The Lemnis Gate roster’s special abilities allow players to make clip-worthy plays, but they can also lead to unexpectedly fun moments. Using the previous example, it’s possible to accidentally move a character in front of a Striker’s sniper shot, and since there’s friendly fire at the Lemnis Gate, that character will be stuck repeatedly dying at the hands of their own teammate every time they re- reset the loop. Players can accidentally blow themselves up with Deathblow’s rocket launcher, and their mistake will be repeated every time until the match is over or another character can interrupt and keep them alive somehow.
Lemnis Gate players need to be very aware of everything that is going on. Not only do they have to think about how to counter their opponent’s last move, but they also have to think several steps ahead. They can use the fast character Rush to kill an enemy character before they set up their turrets, or they can save Rush for the last round and use him to steal an objective. There’s so much strategy in Lemnis Gate that even someone who isn’t usually a fan of FPS and prefers to play traditional turn-based strategy games will probably enjoy it. To aid in strategizing, Lemnis Gate provides players with a useful drone that they can use to mark areas and enemies as well as get a close-up view of the action in the loop. Players are given a decent amount of time before they have to choose their characters, so they can think about what is the best possible play and discuss it with their partner if they are playing 2v2. However, they are not given so much time that it is obnoxious or slows the game down. The 1v1 matches in Lemnis Gate are insane, but the 2v2 matches are where the real fun is. Playing Lemnis Gate with a friend makes the game even more entertaining, as players can hash out strategies and talk about the best characters to pick and what exactly they need to do to become the game is in their favor. Players need to know what the opponent is doing and what their partner is doing, so every move in Lemnis Gate 2v2 matches requires a lot of thought. Players cannot go in without a plan and expect to be successful.
Lemnis Gate battles take place on a decent selection of 12 maps, with three maps per game mode. One of the downsides of the game is that some of the maps seem to be designed in a way that favors one team over the other. For example, the Iridium Plains map starts with one team in an area where they have the ability to lay out a turret where it is protected on both sides and has a clear view of the objective, and the other team has walls on their way that could block their line of sight. Each match has teams playing on opposite sides of the map so it’s even, but it can still be frustrating at times. Really the only other thing Lemnis Gate struggles with is connection issues and technical problems. It’s not clear if it’s intentional or not, but the game sometimes puts partners on the enemy team, which seems pointless in a game that requires a lot of strategy and communication. There are also many times when a player on a team gets disconnected, ending the match early and giving the players an easy, unearned victory. Lemnis Gate players have to close the game more than they are used to in other titles to solve these technical problems and get back into the action, and it is worth pointing out that these problems still exist also about a week after release. But despite these lingering technical issues (which will likely be fixed sooner rather than later), Lemnis Gate is still a must-play game for both FPS and strategy game fans. It successfully takes intense 25-second FPS combat and adds layers of hero-shooter, turn-based strategy, and a time loop to create something truly unique. It has the “one more round” quality of games like Civilization, and the adrenaline-fueled action of games like Call of Duty.
Lemnis Gate players will find that hours are missing when they play it. It’s addictive, impossible to put down, and could be the sleeper hit of the year if it finds its audience. And since Lemnis Gate is available on Xbox Game Pass, it has no problem doing so. Lemnis Gate is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Today Technology reviewed the game on Xbox Series X.