**Highguard: A Fresh Take on the Shooter Genre from Wildlight Entertainment**
Highguard marks the debut game from Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded by veterans of Apex Legends and Titanfall. Ahead of its launch, I had the opportunity to play several hours of Highguard at a preview event, where I discovered how this new shooter aims to innovate within the genre while prioritizing the player experience in every design choice.
### A New Subgenre Emerges
In Highguard, two teams of three players each compete to fortify their own base and then assault their opponents’. The objective is to destroy generators inside the opposing team’s base, which in turn depletes their base health. The match is won when one team’s base is fully destroyed.
Wildlight describes this gameplay style as a “Raid Shooter.”
### Weapons and Wardens: The Heart of Combat
Highguard offers a mostly traditional arsenal including assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, pistols, and sniper rifles. Each weapon can be found or purchased in rarities ranging from Common to Legendary. However, how you use these weapons is heavily influenced by your choice of character.
Playable characters in Highguard are called Wardens, and there will be eight available at launch. Each Warden belongs to one of three classes: Assault, Defense, or Support. Every Warden is equipped with three distinct abilities: Passive, Tactical, and Ultimate.
For example:
– **Atticus** (featured in Highguard’s key art) can unleash lightning attacks on enemies.
– **Kai**, a Defensive Warden, can create Ice Walls to protect herself and her teammates.
The diversity and depth of each Warden stood out to me, both in their visual design and unique playstyles. As a longtime Bloodhound main in Apex Legends, I was immediately drawn to **Condor**, a recon-focused Warden. She can send her bird into the sky to scan for nearby enemies, and her Ultimate lets you control the bird manually to spot foes and deploy gusts of wind that disrupt their vision.
Another favorite, **Redmane**, commands animalistic strength, capable of slashing through walls to alter the battlefield.
### What a Game of Highguard Looks Like
Matches begin with Warden and base selection. Each base offers different layouts that complement specific playstyles and Wardens. Teams vote on the base they want to play on, and if there’s uncertainty, the game recommends a base based on the team’s Wardens.
Once in-game, a defensive phase begins. Teams have a few minutes to fortify their base walls, determining the best strategies to fend off intruders and protect their generators.
Following the defense phase, players enter the gear-up phase where they can leave their base to explore. The map features chests containing weapons, armor, and other resources, as well as vendor stalls for direct purchases. The catch? You might encounter enemy players doing the same, setting the stage for early confrontations.
After some exploration, the **Shieldbreaker** spawns—a powerful sword required to raid an enemy’s base. Its location is randomized among three points on the map. Securing the Shieldbreaker triggers an assault on the enemy’s base.
If a player reaches the shield bubble surrounding the opponent’s base and uses the Shieldbreaker, they initiate a raid via a brief animation. A portal opens, and a wheeled tower equipped with a massive battering ram emerges to destroy the bubble, officially starting the raid.
Once active, all players can teleport to the raid location. Initiating a raid damages the enemy base by 30 points, and destroying each generator increases this damage.
If raiders reach a generator, they can plant a bomb with a timer, forcing defenders to defuse it within a limited window.
### Raid Dynamics and Strategy
Raids don’t last indefinitely, and raiders have a finite number of lives. Once all raider lives are depleted, both teams return to their bases, beginning a new defense phase.
Successfully defending a raid deals 30 damage to the opposing base. Damage sustained during raids persists, compelling players to quickly rebuild and fortify walls using available resources.
Though it may sound complex, Highguard maintains a swift, engaging pace. An Overtime mechanic ensures no phase drags on too long. Maps are balanced well—they’re large enough for exploration but compact enough to guarantee frequent skirmishes.
### Player Strategies and Mounts
With every match, I began discerning distinct competitive strategies. For instance, after defending a raid, teams naturally want to reinvest all resources into fortifying walls. However, sometimes leaving certain walls destroyed—or knocking them down intentionally—can allow faster movement inside the base, adding flexibility to your defense.
Mounts play a vital role in gameplay. Every player can summon a mount instantly at the tap of a button, which is essential for efficient exploration. The maps are designed with distance in mind, making foot travel time-consuming. Mounts help players reach strategic areas quickly and provide advantages during combat.
Mounts can be destroyed by shooting at them, temporarily leaving players on foot while their mounts recover from cooldown. When chasing enemies carrying the Shieldbreaker, targeting their mount first proved the smartest tactic.
### A Commitment to Live Service
Like many modern multiplayer titles, Highguard is a live service game. The developers shared that their experience working on Apex Legends taught them valuable lessons about content rollout.
Where Apex took multiple seasons to establish a steady flow of fresh content, Wildlight is ready to launch with momentum. The first post-launch update will arrive just two weeks after release, introducing a Ranked mode along with new content.
Looking further ahead, multiple seasons—officially called “Episodes”—are already planned. These Episodes will bring new Wardens, maps, game modes, and more. During my preview, the team was actively playtesting content for Episode 5.
### Monetization and Player-Friendly Features
Highguard features Warchests (its version of Battle Passes) alongside a store where players can purchase cosmetics for Wardens and mounts. While the model is familiar, a few details stood out:
– Warchests never expire, and players can purchase previous seasons’ Warchests at any time.
– No cosmetic item in the store will be priced above $20.
### First Impressions
Highguard impresses with its innovative blend of tactical base defense, fast-paced assaults, and rich character variety. Wildlight’s commitment to player experience and content longevity positions it as a promising new entrant in the shooter genre.
With its combination of strategic depth, unique Wardens, and live service plans, Highguard is a game worth watching at launch and beyond.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/147548/highguard-hands-on-preview