Highguard Review: Wildlight's Debut Shooter Struggles With Pacing and Solo Play
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Polygon's review of Wildlight Entertainment's debut shooter Highguard highlights how an overstuffed genre mashup and poor match pacing make for a frustrating solo experience, despite flashes of brilliant gunplay when played with a coordinated team.
Wildlight Entertainment faced an uphill battle from the start with Highguard, which debuted as the closing reveal at last year's The Game Awards. While closed-door press previews showed off the game's potential in an ideal, coordinated environment, the reality of public matchmaking tells a different story. According to a recent review by Polygon, the game suffers from a heavy dose of internet skepticism that turned out to be largely accurate once the servers went live to the public.
The core issue stems from an overstuffed design that mashes too many genres together. Highguard tries to blend first-person shooter mechanics, MOBA-style base destruction, Rainbow Six Siege fortifications, hero abilities reminiscent of Overwatch, and survival game resource gathering. This kitchen-sink approach creates awkward pacing across massive maps. Matches often feature long stretches of dead air spent mining currency and looting chests before a frantic, short-lived skirmish erupts around the central objective, known as the Shieldbreaker.
Despite these structural hurdles, the shooting mechanics themselves reveal the team's pedigree, offering crisp gunplay and movement that feels heavily inspired by Apex Legends when firefights actually break out. However, the experience shifts dramatically depending on how you queue. Playing solo is a frustrating exercise in disconnects and silence, while teaming up with friends for coordinated callouts rescues a fraction of the intended fun. You can read the full review over at Polygon.
Tags: Highguard, Wildlight Entertainment, Polygon, First-Person Shooter, Gaming Reviews
Original article: Polygon