- A new map targeted at beginners was specifically designed to be utilized as a tutorial in Gigantic: Rampage Edition during our hands-on experience. Due to the fact that the map is suitable for teaching the purpose of moving, proto, jumping, and grabbing, it serves as a good introduction to the game. Opportunities for beginners to practice their moba skills are supplemented by elements of progression that offer features typical of the PlayStation Experience including heroes, skill trees, and more. Players will be drawn into the atmosphere by the game’s art work and visual elements, as well as the diverse procedural environmental hazards.
New Map: Heaven’s Ward
- The first map that is played in this psychedelic mash-up of the two Available Maps is a faded out nightmare filled with mossy walls and lots of green. Power is available in abundance, and players are largely confined to cover one another. Jump pads and other shenanigans are linked with the place, offering a unique experience entirely. Playing sessions are several in length, each with a unique hero automatically allocated to the players. Game length is about an hour long.
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The first of the two new maps we played through was Picaro Bay, a bustling coastal town home to multiple competing pirate crews. The fact the pirates are constantly squabbling adds to the level, the unfortunate results of which may well impact the layout of the level in subtle ways as the match progresses. It’s another good example of the game’s smart approach to level design, making use of the verticality between the slanted rooftops and the street level to encourage ambushes and even some mild platforming. In clash mode, when each Guardian has its final heart reduced to half, the pirate ship that otherwise serves as the floating E capture point will cynically be set ablaze by cannon fire from an offshore source—as such, the effect of the match outcome will be some shifts to the map layout. It almost brings to mind the nature of the Battlefield series’ evolving maps, or as much as I can reasonably expect from a MOBA.
While the ranged heroes would likely hold sway atop the rooftops and courtyards, the choke points were plenty as we wound our way down Picaro Bay. With all the map’s tight corridors and labyrinthine courtyards, it reminded me a great deal of Process in terms of choke point density. As such, it’s not surprising we made good time with Buttercup, though playing as Trip or Tyto would have worked just as well. It doesn’t hurt that the height and layout of the rooftops made hiding from snipers much easier, too. It might help that the level works well enough in rush mode since the verticality remains, with some paths and capture points simply cut out for the shortened play time, but I imagine that even in clash mode Picaro Bay would do just as well. Its geometry is just as central to how we approached combat as the fact we were familiar with our characters.
New Map: Heaven’s Ward
One of Heaven’s Wards’ most memorable features is the series of abyssal areas in the map’s center, where I expect that many of Gigantic’s knockback-equipped heroes can be found fishing for a cheeky instant kill . The map’s combination of winding streets and deadly drops kept me focused on memorizing the layout and landmarks, fostered by the sensation that I was being rather clever for outfoxing my pursuing enemies as I flanked around from an alternate route. The version of this map was in a late alpha stage of completion before Gigantic shuttered in 2018, and Abstraction Games have done a wonderful job of recreating and/or realizing the original vision of its creator, Motiga.
Both of the new maps hereby presented are wonderful samples of what makes Gigantic great. They are an excellent demonstration of the intricate and dynamic level design that sets Gigantic apart from its MOBA kin, and the incredible team play that is only possible because of the unique level design. With that said, the maps are still deceptively symmetrical. Vast visual differences from North to South mean that their symmetry is less apparent than many of the other maps this may remind players of, but a look at the minimap will show viewers that both teams are actually on a very equal footing from the start. As an example of the other new maps two possible opposing colors, green and blue, always own the same assets: the same capture points, the same route lengths, and so forth. However, these are minor complaints about what are generally very incredible new additions to Gigantic: Rampage Edition.
Gigantic: Rampage Edition’s New Rush Mode Is Accessible Instant Gratification
In the new Rush Mode, Guardians only have one heart of health compared to the three health bars players must delete in standard Clash mode. Additionally, map layouts are more condensed, with players often funneled into brutalist dungeons and more confined spaces with more controllable routes. Heroes can also be swapped mid-match, so team comps may switch around heavily through the match as players counter other teams or simply experiment with their own compositions. Characters will also gradually buff their skills though a predetermined, on-the-fly chosen set of talents as the match progresses, so the only meta concerned with is the one in the moment action, and even then there are simple, easy to understand icons for when for when a skill upgrade trigger. Overall, it’s highly playable and straightforward, a mode that may very well be the first mode that new players play and quickly learn about the mechanics of the game before transitioning over to the standard modes, but is also a solid mode in its own right and perhaps my favorite mode, as I’m a person who prefers the more “instant action” type of pace when it comes to MOBAs.
Gigantic: Rampage Edition is an all-around upgrade
Gigantic: Rampage Edition has an array of small quality of life details that are highly appreciated during matches as well as outside of active play. The title places a huge amount of emphasis on feeding information back to the player, with floating above characters describing anything that happens to them, including taking damage via falling or being inflicted with a lot of debuffs or buffs, such as for a support how often they are firing to maximum character capabilities.
This feedback extends to the post-match performance metrics, which assign each player a letter grade. Playstyles are ranked with descriptors such as taking damage, dealing damage, or buffing allies, so players can easily see if they’re above or below average for their preferred playstyle. There is a ranked mode coming to the game at some point post-launch, so these assessments should be key in preparing players for higher-stakes matchups. Furthermore, there are a ton of optoins for customization between matches, and none of them are microtransaction-based. Instead, they’re all unlocked by regular gameplay. This would not only be a welcome, player-friendly system for MOBA cosmetics, but it would make them feel like meaningful stepping-stones to progression. It’s the same way that Helldives 2’s warbond system makes me excited to earn the next cool cape or helmet – which, in Gigantic’s case, can range from flashy new particle effects for the first “jump” into the match to full new skins for the characters, which do far more than just retexture the preexisting model.
So far, it looks like Gigantic: Rampage Edition will be a great inclusion for any MOBA fans looking for a new routine. It will be interesting to see how the game shakes out in April League of Legends to thank for its second chance.