We’re always happy to see fresh takes on tried and tested gameplay loops in the shooter genre. It’s why we loved Ready or Not last year, and it’s also why we’ve been quite eager to give EMPULSE a shot, what with its wall-running hijinks and mechs bringing the scope for some very intense battles.
But are the post-utopian streets of Freehold a suitable battleground for your style of play? Well, we’ve put together a list of things that might help you decide one way or another. Let’s not waste any time and get right to it.
1. A 6v6 Movement Shooter
EMPULSE isn’t just about how well you can aim and fire off shots at your opponents. It’s about fluidity and using your forward momentum to control the space around you, and position yourself in places where every shot gives you an advantage. The streets of Freehold come with a lot of verticality, and you’ll need to seamlessly move between traversing maps, using your wall-runs, grapples, P.A.I.N.T. tools, and mechs to gain every advantage you can get.
2. Movement-Based Combat
To that end, you’re going to be chaining wall-runs into grapples and swings, setting up those perfect mid-air kills that look like a perfect combination of style and spectacle. Every district in Freehold is built around getting to that “flow state” with your movements, and that’s a good thing. You’re going to have to be fast, precise, and deliberate with your pathing through a level if you want to get the drop on opponents who are also trying to do the same thing against you, after all.
3. The Walls Are Combat Lanes
You don’t just wall-run forwards, but also backwards in this one. That means you get the ability to keep your opponents on their toes as long as you use the game’s movement mechanics intelligently. What’s more, nearly any ability can be chained into a wall-run, which could mean that the walls aren’t just decorative, but a crucial part of succeeding in Freehold’s many districts. That’s a mechanic that holds a lot of promise, and it definitely has us interested in trying it out for ourselves.
4. A Grappling Hook Like No Other
Of course, wall runs aren’t the only trick that the game gives you. Your grappling hook is going to tie in very well with your vertical flights of fancy, allowing you to build the momentum you need to cover large distances, swing around cover, and generally get to your enemies a lot faster while letting you throw off their aim. Even better is the ability to reel them in for a one-hit melee attack that could have you gaining a significant advantage in battle. The best defense is a good offense, we’d say.
5. Use The Element of Surprise
The grappling hook isn’t just a useful tool for getting around and closing gaps, but can also let you launch attacks that your enemies won’t see coming until it’s too late. Use it to swing across angles and hit your enemies when they least expect it, and you’re going to find yourself tearing through your opponent’s ranks with ease. Of course, you’re going to have to be vigilant against surprise attacks yourself, but that only makes this one look like it’s going to be very entertaining indeed.
6. Let Your Teammates Carry You
Yet another unique feature of the grappling hook is the ability to tether yourself to your teammates or any mechs that they may be piloting. The use cases for such an ability open up a lot of possibilities for you in the heat of battle. Use your buddies to gain some momentum, or coordinate your attacks to hit your enemies from all sides as you swing past their sightlines and launch an offensive that could have them scrambling for cover. It’s all up to you and your wits when you’re on the battlefield, and that’s probably going to be among this one’s biggest strengths.
7. Holojumps and Jetpacks
You’ve probably already guessed that in a game that puts a lot of emphasis on kinetics, wall-runs and grapples aren’t going to be the only ways to get around. You could pick up a jetpack that lets you take the high ground, or use Holojumps to keep your vertical movement going. Chaining both of them, along with all the other movement options at your disposal, is paramount to your success, and the last ones walking away from the fight are probably going to be the ones that managed to outfly their opponents.
8. P.A.I.N.T.ing a Pretty Picture
Aside from everything we’ve already talked about, Freehold also has something called P.A.I.N.T. Bombs, which come with varying effects that alter the surfaces you deploy them on. Using those effects well is definitely going to work in your favor, and this one’s probably our personal pick among the many fascinating mechanics that EMPULSE is offering. You could turn the map itself into a very potent ally if you use it correctly, and you’re probably going to get in the habit of doing that fairly regularly once you settle in.
9. Create New Routes With Jump P.A.I.N.T.
If the rest of your gear and abilities aren’t giving you the elevation you need to pull off a spectacular kill, the Jump P.A.I.N.T. lets you turn a nearby surface into a launchpad, opening up new routes and new ways to get the drop on an enemy, unwitting or otherwise. You could also use it on a wall to open up a high-speed kick off, which could be quite nifty if you know your opponent is expecting a grapple.
10. Keep Your Momentum Alive With Speed P.A.I.N.T.
Like its Jump counterpart, Speed P.A.I.N.T. lets you sustain your forward momentum off of nearby surfaces or perhaps do the same for one of your teammates as they attempt to pull off a spectacular kill. What’s more, you could slide into it to get more momentum at the end, which is certainly going to help with chaining your moves like wall runs and grapples to become a speed demon that your enemies are going to have to work to keep up with.
11. Bring The Fire With Explosive P.A.I.N.T.
A bomb that bursts not once but twice? We’re definitely going to go for something like that. This one is going to be quite useful for laying traps, protecting your flanks from an ambush, or straight up blocking off a route that your enemies were counting on if you use it correctly. Denying your enemies an advantage could be the difference between victory and defeat in a game like EMPULSE, and trading raw damage for a bit of control is a tactical move that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
12. Heal Your Buddies With Heal P.A.I.N.T.
Of course, your P.A.I.N.T. Bombs aren’t all offensive. There are ones that add a healing surface to where you deploy them, which gives your teammates a moment to catch their breath and recover from damage before they get back in the fight. It’s a great way to give EMPULSE a hint of strategic thinking without making it feel less like a hero shooter in the process. Use it well, and you’re going to have your team shaking off injuries that could have otherwise ended their run.
13. Slow Things Down With Sticky P.A.I.N.T.
If you find yourself on the run from an enemy soldier or mech, this one could be what you need to make a clean getaway. It slows down anything that steps on the surface you lay it down on, and 1047 has told us that it’s incredibly useful against mechs. That means you negate a significant advantage your enemies get in the event that they get to a mech before you do, letting you wrest control of a battle away from them before you’re wiped off the map.
14. Mechs Are The Center Of An Intense Power Struggle
You’re going to see two Mechs form at the center of each level, and getting to them should be a priority, given that they come fully equipped with a deadly arsenal. We’re happy that you don’t call them in and have to fight for control of them for the advantage of a massive health pool and some serious damage potential, thanks to each one’s firepower coming into play. Think of them as a weapon to end all weapons, and act accordingly.
15. You Can Counter Mechs
We’ve already told you about Sticky P.A.I.N.T., but that’s only one way to bring a mech down. It isn’t going to be easy considering each one’s chaingun, rockets, powerful melee capabilities, a charged jump or slash that can have you second-guessing your own reactions, and that giant health pool. Did we forget to mention a darned bubble shield? But have hope, as a coordinated attack can have that shield down in no time, while the rest of your team whittles away at its health until it’s down.
And that’s about it for this one. It’s fast, and looks like a lot of fun once you manage to find your rhythm. It enters early access on June 24, 2026, and we’re definitely visiting Freehold when it does. We’ll see you there!
