Wildgate Review: Gorgeous Space Piracy Where PvP Can Get You Spaced

Wildgate is the kind of game that, at first glance, feels like a genre-defining experience. A slick fusion of extraction shooter, tactical space combat, and team-based first-person gameplay, it offers a ton of promise. On Xbox Series X, it runs beautifully, with crisp visuals, impressive effects, and ship interiors that look like they belong in a big-budget sci-fi film. The idea of crewing a spaceship with your squad and diving into a galaxy of danger is endlessly appealing. And yet, while Wildgate soars in some areas, it crashes hard in others, mostly due to matchmaking issues, a perceived imbalanced to its PvP design, and a lack of meaningful progression in its central mode.

Let’s start with what works: the presentation is stellar. Whether you are gliding through asteroid fields or piloting toward a massive orbital station, the world feels alive and cohesive. Ship designs are functional yet stylish, and there is a satisfying sense of place to every console you interact with. Managing turrets, launching probes, or manually adjusting ship systems feels tactile and immersive. The UI is clean, the controls are responsive, and every action has weight behind it.

PvE missions are where Wildgate starts. Each match drops your team into a contested zone, and from there you decide what kind of objectives to chase. Want to upgrade your cannons or shields or other ship equipment? Hunt down rogue AI drones or scan derelicts for loot. The loop of completing quick missions, grabbing gear, and returning to your ship creates a rhythm that is both relaxing and exciting. It is especially rewarding when played with friends, as everyone can take on a role, whether it is piloting, manning guns, or boarding stations for objectives. Working together moves things along faster but at a price: no one’s watching the ship.

Where things start to break down is in the PvP. When you are up against a similarly well-coordinated enemy team, battles can be incredibly tense. Dogfighting, boarding, and defending your ship from invaders are all dynamic and thrilling when skill levels are evenly matched. But when your team is inexperienced or playing without microphones, Wildgate becomes a lopsided and frustrating experience. There is little forgiveness for learning on the job, and communication is absolutely critical. Without it, your ship will be boarded, your crew wiped out, and your match over in minutes.

The boarding mechanic, in particular, feels undercooked. It is far too easy for enemies to breach doors and execute the entire crew before you can even react. High-skill players often dominate these encounters, and the lack of protections or deterrents makes it difficult for newer teams to survive. Once an enemy is aboard, if you already don’t have the right equipment, there are few effective counters unless your squad is perfectly synced. It creates a harsh learning curve that turns many early matches into one-sided slaughters.

The game’s main objective, which centers around finding and escaping with a mysterious artifact through the titular Wildgate, rarely plays out as designed. In most matches, the artifact is ignored entirely, with teams instead focusing on destroying each other and becoming the last ship standing. While this does create moments of drama and tension, it undermines the unique identity of the game. The Wildgate feels like an afterthought rather than a central goal.

As it stands, there is no real onboarding mode for PvP, only a PvP with AI option that does little to prepare players for the chaos of full multiplayer. It is too easy to get dropped into a match with veterans when you are still figuring out how to operate the ship, much less making a race for booty to have an even stronger ship. A less intense, casual queue would go a long way in helping players build confidence before stepping into competitive territory.

Despite these issues, Wildgate remains a memorable and ambitious experience. It is polished where it counts, with systems that work well and a core loop that feels rewarding when the stars align. The PvE foundation is excellent, and with a few updates to PvP balance and matchmaking, the game could become a genre staple. Right now, it is a bit of a wild ride, but one worth taking if you have the right crew.

RATING: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Wildgate is available for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X.