I landed on a rooftop mid-match and realized I could sprint toward the objective or become a highlight reel for the enemy. My squad hesitated; I didn’t. One flawless slide later, Empulse announced itself: thrilling movement with raw, unfinished edges.
Sanmay Chakrabarti—my colleague and the friend who tested over 50 Steam Next Fest demos—flagged Empulse as the one worth trying. He called it the Titanfall the industry never finished; that note brought my squad together and into the demo. I spent a few hours sliding, grappling, and sledgehammering my way through matches. Here’s what stuck with me.
Standing in a capture zone, I watched a player vault past three defenders without firing a shot
The movement system is a springboard—fast, forgiving, built for improvisation. Empulse gives you wallruns, grapples, slides and momentum that reward bold routes and split-second decisions. If you loved what Titanfall did with flow, Empulse scratches that same itch by emphasizing traversal over static gunfights.
The demo offered several modes: Capture the Mech (closest to Halo’s CTF), Intel & Upload (ball possession modes), and plain Team Deathmatch. I lived in TDM and Capture the Mech, and both highlight how movement is the currency here. You’ll win fights by out-positioning opponents more than by lining up perfect bursts.
P.A.I.N.T. bombs are the clever mechanical twist. You get Speed, Jump, Heal and Damage variants, and they change engagements in a flash. A Speed P.A.I.N.T. tossed by a teammate pushed me past an enemy; a Jump P.A.I.N.T. vaulted me cleanly behind another. These grenades create micro-plays that reward timing and coordination—small decisions with outsized payoff.
Is Empulse like Titanfall?
Short answer: yes, in spirit. The DNA—rapid traversal, vertical fights, mech moments—is unmistakable. But Empulse is not a carbon copy. Movement here favors pace and improvisation over the mechanical polish Titanfall shipped with.
If you come from CS2, Valorant, or hero shooters such as Overwatch and Marvel Rivals, expect a different rhythm. Empulse asks you to master motion first, aim second. That will thrill some players and overwhelm others—Splitgate veterans may nod knowingly.
I hijacked a mech, rode it three steps, then watched it explode into confetti
Mechs are present in most matches, but they don’t feel like a reward yet. Mechs feel like lead weights strapped to your mobility: they change the moment-to-moment game, but often in clumsy, punishing ways. Piloting them felt slow, awkward, and easy to counter—hardly the satisfying power fantasy I expected after Titanfall 2’s BT moments.
Gunplay in the demo is serviceable but unremarkable. Recoil is minimal, which keeps fights brisk but flattens nuance—sprays win too often, skirmishes lack personality. And then there’s the sledgehammer Finale: overpowered at the moment, a true one-shot tool that makes some encounters feel unfair rather than cinematic. If 1047 Games trims damage numbers, matches will breathe more evenly.
Is Empulse worth buying?
If you crave movement-first shooters and can stomach early access bumps, there’s a strong case to buy. The title launched early access on June 24, 2026, priced at $19.99 (€18). For that entry point you get PC (Steam), PlayStation 5|5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S support. If you prefer polished competitive ecosystems—CS2, Valorant—you may want to wait for balance passes and mech tuning.
After an hour I kept replaying the same run where a speed P.A.I.N.T. bomb let me clear an entire lane
Empulse is thrilling in short bursts. Matches produce tense, improv-heavy moments that stick in your head; teammates call out plays; you feel rewarded for creative movement. The P.A.I.N.T. tools and map design nudge teams toward inventive play patterns, and that’s the most hopeful part of the package.
But the game needs work to reach a sustained audience. Mech handling, sledgehammer balance, and visual identity all need refinement—right now the aesthetic feels familiar rather than memorable, and that weakens long-term retention. Community features and competitive hooks would help; if the devs listen to feedback like they did during Steam Next Fest, Empulse could find a loyal core fast.
What platforms is Empulse on?
Empulse is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and 5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S. It entered early access on June 24, 2026, so buying now puts you in the middle of the evolution, not at the end.
If you love momentum shooters and want to help shape one, Empulse is a rough diamond with real sparkle. If you prefer finished, polished competitive shooters you should probably wait for balance passes. So will 1047 Games give Empulse the polish it needs to become the movement shooter a new generation can rally behind?