Lemnis Gate is an ambitious mixture of arena shooter and turn-based strategy
During Gamescom 2020, Frontier Foundry and Ratloop Games Canada presented the curious project Lemnis Gate, which wants to revolutionize the world of arena shooters by adding elements of turn-based strategy. At the same time, the first trailer with the gameplay was shown.
Playing on the infinity symbol, the lemniscate, Lemnis Gate throws 2 or 4 players into the arena and makes them adapt or die. Over five consecutive turns, each of which takes place during a 25-second time loop, players are required to use the unique abilities of a variety of deep space agents to outmaneuver, outwit and outplay their opponents in unthinkable battles in four dimensions.
Players take turns placing their agents in the arena, acting out actions before another player does the same. These rounds back and forth in time span five turns in 1v1 or three moves in 2v2. Lemnis Gate redefines one of the most popular genres and offers an original multiplayer tactical first-person shooter gameplay. Here you have to think in four dimensions, use not only combat skills but also rely on tactics. We’ll have to think over an impeccable strategy so as not to leave the enemy a single chance. Non-linear logic, abstract thinking, and unpredictable techniques will be used.
Lemnis Gate matches are played in time loops. Players have 25 seconds to complete an action, be it firing at an enemy, moving an agent, or preparing for the next turn. When all players have made their move, the next 25 second round begins. At this moment, you will have to face what happened and try to prejudge the future. Each of the five rounds is a chance to change the timeline when the past, present, and future merge together.
The player will be given a choice of dissimilar characters, each with different capabilities. For example, you can cut off the enemy’s path with toxic waste; slow downtime for the perfect shot; activate protective spheres to help yourself in the near future; correct the mistake; save one of your killed characters; penetrate the camp of the enemy and so on.
Each Team Fortress 2-inspired agent has distinctive weapons and a special ability that can turn the tide of battle. Ratloop has not yet detailed the full set of classes that players can use but confirmed the presence of a sniper and an attack aircraft – in total, the game will offer seven classes at the start. Each class, after being used in a round, cannot be applied again, that is, it will not be possible to recruit, for example, only snipers in the squad.
The Lemnis Gate auto-cooperative feature allows you to control each of your allies. The player has full control of five agents, which allows two opponents to fight in an animated duel with ten characters. The use of the timeline results in an ever-changing situation that encourages quick responses provides a lot of room for experimentation and creates unique gameplay.
Regular and ranked matches are promised, and there will be four possible game modes, including Capture the Flag. Lemnis Gate will be paid, but the developers do not reject the possibility of enabling micropayments. The project will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2021 – possibly cross-platform play will be supported. Hopefully, the developers will really be able to offer something interesting and fresh.
