2D platformer fighter

Super smash bros. look alike

Size: about 200 mb

Easy mechanics

Fast paced

Looks like it doesn’t need much skill but then it does

Game page on Steam

Note: This review is of an Early Access Game. Developers claim that in the future they will add more features, content, balance, social features, gameplay improvements and more. They are aiming to launch Brawlhalla in the second half of 2016.

Basic information

Brawlhalla is a 2D platformer fighter. Looking at map design and game mechanics, this game looks a lot like Super Smash Bros. And it is so much fun! Even though I suck since I just started playing the game, and I never played Super Smash Bros. or anything similar to them, I still feel like I am the very best like no one ever was. I liked it how I played 1 game and after that one game, I already knew what to do. Have I played it well? No, but I knew how to. I am now 6 hrs into the game, played some ranked games, and I am stuck in Bronze (*crying in the corner*).

The best part about the game is the lenght of matches. Average match lenght is about 5 minutes. That makes the game ideal if you are always in a hurry and only have few minutes to spare.

Gameplay

Like in every fighter arena style game, you start the match by selecting your character. There are currently 19 champions to choose from. Every week there is a new champion rotation with 6 champions that are available free for you to try them. You earn gold by playing matches and with that gold you can buy champions to put them in your rooster, so you won’t have to wait for that certain champion you like to be free again.

Once you enter the game rules are simple. Your goal is to kick enemy player/s off the platform while not getting yourself kicked off. You see something like a health bar of every character in a top right corner which as you take damage from attack turns slowly from white to red. As it becomes more red, your chance of being kicked off becomes much greater, as you fly bigger distances when you are being kicked.

Every character has 2 types of attacks, light and heavy attacks. They can also use 2 types of weapons, light and heavy weapon. Light weapon is faster but it deals low damage and a heavy weapon is slower but it deals high damage. You can obtain weapons from weapon crates that drop randomly during the game, and they look like flaming swords. Besides weapons, dropable objects in game are: bombs – you can throw them at your opponent, they cause high damage if they hit; land mines – you can throw them the same as bombs, but once they land they will stay on the ground until either someone steps on them or they explode by themselves after certain time; horns – after you blow it a your companion flies towards you hitting every enemy in the way and drops a weapon crate at the location you blew the horn.

There are 2 types of currencies in the shop, in game gold and a “real money” currency called Mammoth coins. As I mentioned before, you use gold to buy champions. Mammoth coins are used to buy cosmetic stuff like character skins and weapon skins.

Game modes

Couch party

Single player

Online

Custom online

Ranked

Couch party is a basically few players 1 pc type of mode. This mode is made for the times you friends come over and you all want to play a game together. You just plug in few controllers (up to 4) and you are good to go.

Single player is made to be more of a practice mode. There are few sub modes in single players. You have training in which you can try all sorts of different kicks and combos while your opponent isn’t providing any resistance. You can play versus bots in 4 man battles or you can try competing in the tournaments.

Online matches are free for all 4 man deathmatches. Every time you knock an opponent out, you get 2 points, and each time you get knocked out you lose 1 point. After time of 4 minutes runs out, one with the most points is the winner.

Custom online matches are normal matches in custom rooms. They are designed so you can find and play with your friends. There is also an option to watch a game.

Ranked is, for me at least, the best mode in this game. It has 1v1 or 2v2 matches (however to participate in a 2v2 match you need to have a partner in your party). You and your opponent have 3 lives each and the one who loses their lives first lost. It is the easiest way to test your skill and have some fun while doing it. You also have elo rating and tier system which makes the game more competitive.

Overall impression:

I had a lot of fun playing this game, I still do. It’s not the type of the game I would spend hours on at the time, but is fun enough to come on it every now and then and play a few games. I believe the game is ideal if you have a friend to play it with. I don’t really have to say anything bad about it, it is one of those games you like, but they don’t have that “wow factor”, it hasn’t made me feel excited when I played it. I feel happy when I win, I feel sad when I lose and that’s it.

Killing boredom: 10/10

Rage factor: 11/10

Overall: 7.5/10

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