Tactical shooter "Spectre Divide": the schizophrenic brother of "Counter Strike"
Attackers against defenders, defusing bombs and special skills: at first glance, "Spectre Divide" appears to be a generic tactical shooter à la "Counter Strike". The game differs in that you play two characters at once. That sounds as crazy as it is.
"A spectre is haunting Europe - the spectre of communism" is the first sentence of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' Communist Manifesto. Founded in 2019, Mountaintop Studios wants to be just such a spectre and scare the big boys with "Spectre Divide". As an independent studio, they are taking on "Valorant", "Counter Strike" and "Rainbow Six". Established titles in an oversaturated market. I was allowed to play a round in advance and was pleasantly surprised.
The general attack is designed to work with a unique mechanic. Instead of controlling just one character, I control two. This turns three against three into six against six. Of course, I can't control both characters at the same time, but I can always switch back and forth between the two. The other character is always inactive. So you have to hide it well in the level. The highlight: the Specter can be repositioned using a kind of grenade, which is called a "puck" in the game. This allows me to save my alter ego from dicey situations or get him into a better position.
Source: Mountaintop Studios
Everything just stolen and that's a good thing
In addition to this "Duality" mechanic, "Spectre Divide" makes very generous use of the competition. The "Aim down sight" mechanic from "Call of Duty", planting and defusing bombs like in "Counter Strike", additional skills like in "Valorant" and colourful graphics like in "Overwatch". That fits, because better well stolen than poorly made. In a first short test, the weapons look weighty and the gameplay seems well balanced. The individual skills such as smoke grenade, screen or radar are easy to learn, fortunately there is no all-destroying ultimate.
The new shooter claims a niche with teams consisting of three instead of five people. The developers' reasoning makes sense: I can easily find two friends or girlfriends. Getting a team of five together for "Counter Strike" or "Valorant" is an impossibility in my case. In the end, thanks to the "Duality" mechanic, there are twelve characters scurrying around the map anyway.
"Free to play" without "pay to win"
As a free game, "Spectre Divide" aims to earn money with cosmetic content and faster unlocking of all skills (called "sponsors" here). Streamers like Shroud provide the necessary hype. The former "CS:GO" pro is on board in an advisory function and could provide the necessary boost. After that, "Spectre Divide" must manage to build up its own loyal Community. Is it the spectre that makes the big players tremble? Or is it like communism: a utopia that sounds good but doesn't work?
We'll know more soon, "Spectre Divide" will be released this year, initially only for PC. The exact release date is not yet known. <p
When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.