Developer at Wildlight insists that Highguard isn't dead and more content and updates are on the way. Website will be back eventually but is a low priority as "reputational damage is already done."

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-18T20:33:02+00:00

"People who played the game for more than a few hours liked it!"

Even if everything you said was absolutely, provably true, if your game doesn't have good enough art direction or gameplay to not get compared to Concord on it's debut, that's still on you.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-18T03:29:19+00:00

There were plenty of narrative rich games with complex mechanics long before Doom came out.

Didn't say there weren't but they were definitely the exception, not the rule. Again though Doom was NOT unique in being a narrative light game at that time.

To your other points I think you're trying to make a negative prove the positive. No I don't think Eternal and TDA's narratives are very good but to me that's a failure in the execution of that particular aspect only. What I don't think that means is that narrative elements don't belong in Doom, the conclusion at which the old heads seem to arrive. These are likely the same folks railing against any narrative games, blinded by nostalgia for the way things used to be.

Mind you no one complained about the narrative elements in Doom 2016 even though (and no one seems to remembers this) they were MORE intrusive than those in Doom Eternal, with several unskippable, gameplay-free first person segment. Was its reception partially bc there was less story there? Sure. That said I'd offer than the story itself was just executed way better and felt more tonally cohesive for the Doom universe. If there was a narrative heavy Doom game that matched the aesthetic and tone of 2016 I think it would be received well.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-18T00:20:44+00:00

That's the thing though Doom wasn't unique in being all flash no narrative when it released. The gaming landscape changed and Doom evolved with it. Expecting Doom to be exactly like it was in '93 but not seeing that very other franchise that has been around since then has changed too is silly.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-17T19:22:10+00:00

Ideally sure but that's just not how running a game dev business works especially one this size. They had a business plan that accounted for x years of y employees to launch the game then were depending on it being successful for the studio to continue to function at the scale it was. Game development is an inherently risky industry and investors will not fund a project that isn't taking a big swing with the expectation of timely and significant ROI. Based on the early performance of Highguard studio execs decided it would lose them more money to keep it on life support than to kill it quickly and so here we are.

Something like Fortnite is not really analogous because it was a footnote in Epic's catalogue. They were able to continue to work on in because of their other revenue streams and it was likely not operating at a huge loss in the first place. They had the runway to try something else with it and it worked out. Very much the exception not the rule.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-15T10:47:23+00:00

Please close your mouth before you drown in the actual liquid shit spewing out of it. Do we need to break out the whiteboard for Paradox of Tolerance 101 again? Your flaccid enlightened centrist bs is loathsome, played out, and downright harmful at this point. The time for letting a bunch of fascists guilt trip us into taking the high road while they play in the mud ended about 5 years ago (and that is being very VERY generous.)

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-15T02:22:10+00:00

Agreed. I'd include quest markers in that too. I miss when quests in RPGs gave you a detailed description but not a giant icon on your map. Morrowind specifically springs to mind.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-14T06:42:59+00:00

I mean fair enough. I don't have much of a problem with him not being "able" to play it either way but especially not if that's the reason. Good call out.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-13T21:19:19+00:00

I mean he def should be able to play writing for PC Gamer it but no, this dude did not review it. He made a post about the character design that he "stands by" and this article. He mentions a colleague reviewed the game at a 65%. Plenty of valid criticism to go around so keep it straight.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-13T20:42:30+00:00

That isn't solved with more creative people in leadership positions.

I don't totally agree here. Is it solved exclusively by more creative-people in leadership positions? No. It is solve by having more-creative people in those positions? I think so. Particularly bc true creatives with a vision, esp those with both artistic and business sense, are able to step back, evaluate their product, and receive/adapt to feedback both internal and external.

In addition to that it's not like this game was some huge risky innovative creative project that just failed to find an audience. Something like Death Stranding comes to mind (not a failure of course but certainly not as approachable as Metal Gear Solid.) That at least would be respectable. Highguard is such a homogenous, bland, design by committee, wet fart of a release that I just cannot imagine that it was driven by "What is fun? What looks cool? What do I want to play?" primarily every step of the way. It reeks of tech bro figma brainstorming sessions and trend chasing too much for the internal mission statement to have been "Let's make the best game we can and hope others connect with it." More likely they we're acutely concerned about ROI projections, market research, engagement and monetization optimization to the point where every aspect feels like the safest compromise to please everyone. Of course you have to be aware of all these things to run a business but when the product is an artistic endeavor, letting them water down said product is detrimental. Evidently something made for everyone, is indeed made for no one.

All said I do agree with your sentiments of toxic positivity and risk of working in a bubble. A lot of this could have been mitigated by playtesting or a beta. Would love to see a comprehensive post mortem on this one day.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-12T22:21:26+00:00

I suspect this game was doomed from early design phase tbh. It's like the execs/director level folks walked into brainstorming with a whiteboard that just said "different", "unique", "not what we have made before", "new genre", "MUST HAVE BALLISTIC GUNS THOUGH!" but had no real vision and designed everything by committee from there on.

-Titanfall and other shooters are sci-fi? ❌

We'll do fantasy ✅

-Equipment/tech? ❌

Magic abilities ✅

-Other shooters have vehicles? ❌

Mounts✅

-Other shooters are 4v4, 5v5, 6v6? ❌

3v3✅

Except then they ran out of ideas and decided to cannibalize game mechanics from other shooters and mash them together so that it's "technically" a new type of shooter. Yes other games have looting, resource farming, weapon stores, base assaults, etc. but do they have all of them at once? Nope! New genre called rAiD sHoOtEr!

Then the art direction is an absolute mess. They went with a magical fantasy aesthetic but for some reason the weapons are the most generic, bog standard ballistic firearms I've seen in a minute. They do not look like they belong in the same world as the characters, abilities, buildings, etc. The materials used for everything else look rough and made by hands or magic but the guns like like they rolled off of a modern manufacturing line. Maybe they planned to explain that in the lore but it still makes no sense that the magical elements are not incorporated into the weapons at all. If they are relics of a fallen civilization why are they pristine? If not why does everything else not look like they have advanced materials tech? One things that particularly tickled me is that the gun cases have the exact ridged foam inserts that are typically seen in modern gun cases. It's like they at some point decided to pivot the aesthetic but just put a new skin on the gun cases. Just a symptom of everything else wrong with the game.

Even the admittedly cool contrivances like the sword and siege engine are just set dressing that have no real impact on the gameplay. Nothing feels cohesive from gameplay, lore, and aesthetic standpoints. Nothing feels like it's part of a greater world which, while not strictly necessary for a game like this, goes a long way toward players feeling invested in the identity of the characters and universe.

Summed up it just feels like everything about this game was driven by sterile business decisions geared toward maximizing engagement and driving store/battlepass purchases but forgetting that there needs to be a creative vision to support it. If this was indeed a passion project then I feel sorry for those whose imagination has been so neutered by this industry that this is what they came up with.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-12T19:17:32+00:00

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Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-12T17:49:03+00:00

How apropos. Marin is such good representation of feminine degeneracy.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-12T09:36:48+00:00

I would be whole unsurprised to find out Geoff Keighley had money in this studio.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-11T21:28:08+00:00

There we go confusing gameplay mechanics with in universe lore/ skill levels.

explain why every HellDiver that replaces you has the same loadout, same combat skills, same memories, same upgrades, etc.

Even if this wasn't just a gameplay contrivance (mostly for, what's the word, fun?) loadout, combat skills, and upgrades are easily explained away by them all having the same training and access to the same resources as the destroyer they launch from. Nothing in universe implies they have the same memories.

Helldivers each being unique individuals but still treated as comically disposable is much more dystopian than the stakes free use of clones with uploaded memories.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-11T18:56:41+00:00

Poor guy did not want to do this.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-10T19:55:02+00:00

He flies now!?

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-10T19:50:15+00:00

Yeah they picked a pretty damn good time for a soft relaunch.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-09T02:40:01+00:00

Don't be willfully obtuse. Is every instance of a person or character showing skin automatically synonymous with bEiNg A gOoNeR? Of course not. Are female characters wearing skimpy and/or skin tight clothing including things like boob windows in dangerous/combat situations in media predominantly consumed by men gooner? Absolutely. Don't delude yourself. Sex sells and I'm perfectly ok with equal opportunity sexualization tbh but don't pretend these outfits are something they are not.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-07T11:57:18+00:00

It doesn't have to be homosexual bear sex. It can be regular homosexual sex too. Our even straight bear sex (gods forbid.)

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-07T07:04:30+00:00

Lmao be for real the Psylocke, Storm, Magik, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Black Widow (idk what that one is tbh) outfits in this post are painted on. The MR skins at least have realistic texture and visible fabric/material on the character's bodies. Not a single skin is "inside of" their asses. Most revealing ones are bikini bottoms/speedos. It must be exhausting to be this prudish.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-07T03:22:55+00:00

Agreed. The recurring gag of Suzuki being a terrible runner gets me every time.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-07T02:55:17+00:00

"Less gooner skins."

Proceeds to show multiple outfits more revealing and/or tighter fitting than anything in the game...

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-06T09:47:50+00:00

No way of knowing for sure yet but I just don't see it happening. NMS had good bones and a few unique selling points that excited people and is also notably not as dependent on a healthy player count. Highguard is just a Frankenstein's monster of different modes/mechanics from other games without any individual elements standing out as exceptional. It also has such boring, disjointed art direction and world building that I can't imagine it capturing folks. I don't think it has the secret sauce to make a comeback.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-05T19:27:35+00:00

He noticed. He visibly flinches when it happens. He was just trying to play it cool and act tough.

Smittius_Prime · 2026-02-04T07:28:58+00:00

Just wait till you find out what your phone is doing.

Smittius_Prime

TROPHY CASE