Shatterpoint

Introduction

Shatterpoint sets players in the universe of The Shattering event, where everything will be reset to zero at the end of each season. To compete and succeed in-game, players must show their skill and develop themselves over time to attain extra in-game resources and attain a higher level with each character for more entertaining gameplay. One thing that assists you greatly in completing your adventures is Equipment, as well as Runes that can be upgraded. Add to that list Quantus tokens, which are needed for various actions in-game.

Gameplay

First off, before we go into the gameplay and the game modes, let's touch up on the characters and playstyles for a quick reminder. Currently, there are 5 different playable characters; Trevor, Sheer-Ei, Baynite, Admiral Finlay Scofield, and Sha Tu’szu. Each of these characters have their own stats and play style to cater to different players, everything from archer to brawler and rogues alike.

One of the strongest point Shatterpoint has is their art. A very pleasant mix of cartoons and clay figurines. mixed together to form a memorable artistic world. Simplistic in its nature which works very well for the game's characters, equipment, enemies, environment, and the overall atmosphere the development studio, BlockGames, wanted to convey.

PvE

In the PVE mode, you select your starting location from different maps to battle thieves, ogres and a variety of mobs for you to survive and take them down using both your skills and the abilities your character boasts. Shatterpoint features a diverse set of enemies for you to encounter to keep every adventure unique. Along the way, you will often find yourself hunting for the best loot from the precious loot dropped from the opponents you slay and chests you find along the way.

These actions contribute directly to leveling up your character in the process to unlock skills and abilities. In addition to that, completing challenges to acquire Runes, tokens and items. Runes are NFT items that are used to enhance abilities. Depending on the ability and level of enhancement, this can have game-changing effects. For a Rune to have any effect, it must be engraved using in-game Quantus (QUA). All Runes are NFTs. Rune engraving is a random roll with varying chances for success.

PvP

The PVP mode is yet to be released. However, seeing the wide possibilities and variations with the characters, gear, abilities and runes with the engraving and merging mechanics, there is no doubt Shatterpoint is capable of producing a strong competitive environment for players to pursue acquiring the best possible combination for their playstyle to dominate in battles. A variety of game modes within PVP are definitely possible and plausible by the looks of it, with clan tournaments and direct head-to-head modes already announced by the development studio.

The amount of hours we have put so far into Shatterpoint's early access was a very enjoyable experience all together. The story and intriguing world BlockGames has managed to build brings you from one boss to the next through a short path of levels. The bosses in Shatterpoint each have a unique feel to them and every experience feels exciting to play out. The skirmish mode puts players under extreme survival conditions and adds a lot of depth to the experience. Nonetheless, Shatterpoint doesn't deliver anything new to the survival mode formula to differentiate itself in any way.

Review

Shatterpoint features one of the most unique art styles within web3 gaming. The well written storyline and the lore built around each of the characters, how they got there, and how the Shattering event affects the entire world is incredibly well executed. The PvE modes available with the diversity in enemies you face along the way and the plethora of gear for players to choose from to equip on their characters adds a lot of depth and complexity to the game, especially for those who are looking to try completing Shatterpoint utilizing different playstyles and heroes.

Having said that, Shatterpoint lacks that factor that brings in non-NFT users back to the game. The Shattering event can be rather punishing if you don't hold any of the game's NFTs, with every time it occurs, all your progress getting wiped. It feels relatively counter-intuitive to what the web3 gaming should be doing to encourage players to adopt blockchain games and embrace its quality.