Coming into early access, I was a bit apprehensive because of previous asymmetrical games I have tried outside of Dead by Daylight. Even after just a few hours, the fear of wasting my time and money was put to rest. The game runs smoothly and has little to no hiccups. In the past week I have encountered 3+ updates to the game, all of which noticeably improved my experience. It was a clear sign that the developers of this game listen and are seasoned in this craft and are actively communicating with the community that supports them.
My favorite thing about this game so far is easily it's style. The designs of characters and maps in this game are second to none, having a lot of variation and diversity. I love that all the characters have different backgrounds, places of origin and nationalities, along with various languages and voice acting to back up their unique personalities. There are (currently) 6 extractors /survivors/ and 3 Watchers /killers/ with another Watcher on the way this month. No character is like any other character and you will find its easy to pick a favorite that suits your style of play.
While experiences will obviously vary, I found no issues with 3 of the dedicated servers. Connecting to both the US and EU server just fine, and to CN with minor, forgivable lag. It is also extremely easy to connect to any of them on the fly, the option being right in the main menu of the game, instead of having to go through a Steam regional change.
If you're tired of being face camped in DbD and slugged till 30% in SaS you'll be happy to know that this game combats that with it's 'death' mechanic. No more sitting or waiting idly by while your team struggles to save you, in Gold Express half of the self surviving is on your shoulders. You can actively move while in dying state at regular running speed, traversing the environment as if you were alive. It's on you to find a teammate whose willing to help you get back on your feet. This also combats tunneling, something that's often harder to counter in other asymmetrical games.
One of the main features of this game is the ability to manipulate the map to your liking. Both Extractors and Watchers can put up barriers (both high and low) in various location on the map, making each game unique to the players that take the time to set it up. Are you playing against a Geisha? Set the barriers low to counter her slide attack. How about a Warden? Place up barriers close together so it eats through his charges when he uses his ramming lunge. And it works vice versa, allowing the Watchers to counter to their unique kit of abilities.
Gold Express runs on an energy feature. Each character, both Extractor and Watcher, are given a set number of energy that refills to a max over time. Using fast vaults and slides will eat through this energy, in addition to using it to speed up healing or objective time. In the case for the Watchers, it is also consumed with using special abilities. Managing your energy is a skill that you will learn over time to master but is easy to understand and be aware of right at the start.
The pacing of the match can vary and during each game various enhancements will drop randomly on the map, giving unique perks to the person holding them. These enhancements can be collected on both sides and also be denied to the other party. You can either equip it to help yourself or destroy it, denying it to the other side completely. The enhancements vary in effect and potency, ranging from the speed of which you build barriers to the ability to detect the enemy once an objective is complete.
There is a lot I could cover in terms of how a game flows from the start where you choose your spawn location to the end and on how you can escape, but I think that part is best left to the experience. And also... the little tricks you can play as a Watcher in the game. It's a lot to fully explain, and much better to just jump in to.
While I personally find this game to be amazing, it isn't without it's faults. A lot of frustration can be chalked up to lobby wait times, though it's not really a development issue. You may have to change your region depending on the hour of day you decide to play. You may experience some imbalance issues, namely on the Watcher side. As of right now, one Watcher is consistently more played than the other two, and while I have had difficult games against all Watchers, one is a seen as more desirable to play as. I like that each character is unique in having their own skills, but if you like to play 1 character all the time with the same skills as another character, ie, the perk system in DbD, this may not be the game for you. Though I encourage you to try it regardless. And that's really what it boils down to.
Is this game worth your hard earned money? Yes, it 110% is. Truthfully, I feel I committed robbery buying what I think is easily a $40 game for $15. It's given me many enjoyable hours of playtime and will surely give me more. If you want something fresh that takes the best elements elements from Dead by Daylight, Soul at Stake, Death Garden and Deceit, you would be doing yourself a solid by adding this game to your library.
Thank you for reading this rather lengthy review (Its my first one) and again, I hope you give this wonderful gem a shot.
If you've purchased this game, let me be the first to welcome you to the Arena.
