Golem Gates

Overall, Golem Gates, is a unique take on the card-playing genre and welcome addition to the Switch library. Nonetheless, it has some minor flaws, even if it remains functionally intact. Either Way, Golem Gates is a must try for anyone looking for a strategy game on Switch and/or a fun multiplayer option! I can definitely see this game being something I come back to during airport gameplay sessions, or even just when I have a bunch of time to kill.

With 15 story missions, a batch of time trials and a few online modes, Golem Gates has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, the online lobbies were about as lively as a can of air. If you’re a beginner to RTS or CCGs, Golem Gates might be worth a shot; however, those more experienced players to the genre may be annoyed by the lack of depth.

Golem Gates’ main campaign will take you around eight or nine hours to work through, and a survivor and trial mode will give you plenty more to sink your teeth into, should you want. You can also play online 1v1, 2v2 or 4 player free-for-all matches. If you’re a fan of deck building it’s well worth a shot, but the fast pace might not be for everyone. It’s a little rough around the edges, but Golem Gates’ fantastic audio design and the fun deck building is enough to carry it through.

While I’ve only played the Switch version, I have to imagine that the original PC release of Golem Gates would be a lot of fun. All of the actual game design is fantastic and very addictive. Unfortunately, this is another instance of a great RTS game not translating well to a traditional controller. Add to that the performance issues on Switch and the console release becomes an even harder sell. Were it not for a truly delightful core gameplay loop, Golem Gates would be an easy pass. As it is, there is a compelling experience to be found, but it’s buried deep.

If you want to experience well-balanced gameplay with lots of decision-making, then Golem Gates is for you. If you can ignore all the above remarks, then you will definitely enjoy this game. It definitely has the right to live and even create its own little niche of CCG/RTS mash-ups.

Whilst Golem Gates isn’t without its flaws, it does enough right that I enjoyed the what the campaign gave me. The repetitiveness of some missions didn’t make them less fun to play, but after I’d completed a few in a row I was ready to play something else. It takes a few old formulas and flips them of their heads, but it could use a few more twists.