Highguard Shoots Straight but Can’t Pick a Target

When it came out, Highguard already had a lot on its plate. Some people made assumptions, joked, and laughed it off before it even started by the way they talked about it. That answer set the tone for what would happen before anyone touched the keys.

But it has to be said that my first thoughts were more complex. They showed how strong the mechanical foundations were and how the identity crisis that never really ends shaped the picture. For the most part, Highguard is a game about shooting with confidence.

When you shoot, it feels instant, sensitive, and tactile, which is different from other battle royale or extraction shooters. There is a technical way that engagements are rewarded, and they happen quickly and aggressively.

It's clear that the basics were made by a team that knows a lot about first-person fighting, and there are times when they really shine.

Friction shows up in the framework around the gunplay. Highguard combines ideas from looter games, hero guns, extraction design, and siege tactics. It looks like a lot of work to put those two things together. A lot of people who play it say it's not focused. It's not clear what the game wants to be, which makes the pace, map flow, and player drive less clear.

As matches go on, they show big differences. Long periods of moving around and stealing are broken up by quick, chaotic firefights. When teams are about equal, those times can turn into tense, memorable fights. If they aren't, fights end quickly, and players are left to run across maps that are too big for them to handle. That beat breaks up the flow and rush.

The three-versus-three set-up makes this issue worse. There is something more personal and clear about battle when teams are smaller, but Highguard's settings feel like they were made for more people. Huge empty spaces with few people or things going on make the world feel dead instead of living.

Several players have said that the maps don't have enough background sounds, NPCs, or changing events to keep them busy between battles.

It's funny that one of the best things about it is also the weirdest thing that makes it stand out. Moving while mounted has become a feature, giving players more tactical depth and easier control than ever before in shooters.

When you chase horses, you add verticality and counterplay that feel really new. Some people wonder if that should be the main attraction of a gun with a PvP focus, but the game has been a surprise hit. Perceptions have also been changed by technical ability.

Frame rates that don't stay the same, motion blur that isn't needed, and bad picture quality are the main issues from early users. First views are very important for an online release that wants to compete. When visual clarity and reaction don't work, frustration takes precedence over trying new things.

While bugs in the optimization process don't kill the game, they do make people less sure when it first comes out.

Cohesion is at the heart of the larger criticism. Some looting systems don't work with the powers of heroes. Shops are like a competition for exploring. The siege tactics don't seem to be used enough outside of certain places.

Players have trouble figuring out which systems should be prioritized, which makes it harder to learn. When rules are easy to understand, games are fun. Highguard's strategy is often something that players have to learn, then forget, and then learn again.

The market adds another layer. The game probably started to be made when hero shooters and competitive PvP were at their best. Now things are different from what they were then. People who play have become picky, careful, and impatient with tactics that have worked in the past. There are a lot of ideas in Highguard that used to work separately but were put together after the audience had moved on.

However, not all responses are rude. Some players say they get really excited when the pace is right, and everyone works together. It has been said that the lack of aggressive monetization and intrusive systems meant to make people angry is a good thing. That limit is very noticeable in a free-to-play game.

It's not broken or bad; that is the most dangerous word that goes with Highguard. It is dull. That name sticks around and gets around quickly. People don't get angry or make jokes about boring games. They are gone. Now that Highguard has reached a crossroads, it can either change its course with more refinement, clarity, and iteration, or it can confirm the decision that is already being formed.

What's still interesting is the base. How things work is fine. The goal can be seen. People want to know if they can improve their eyes before they move on to something else. It's important for Highguard to know what it wants to be in a market that values focus and being unique.