Since the birth of League of Legends and the change to F2P that Team Fortress 2 has made, many developers are trying to break in to this rapidly expanding market. Sadly this means the emergence of lookalike imitators and sub par attempts at a decent gaming experience. But amongst the proverbial crap that we as gamers are forced to experience when a new fad becomes popular there is hope. A rising star, Brawl Busters, has caught the attention of this player and maybe even changed my whole opinion on pvp games in general. The combat is fresh and easily adaptable controls give even the less seasoned pvper a chance for glory. With a variety of game modes and a humorously animated art style this title just grabbed my attention.
Story: N/A
You start out in a magical kingdom searching for a princess who never really puts out even after you save her over and over again. I know its madness...wait...no that's not right... okay sorry guys I was wrong no story here. Oh well its a free pvp game so no biggie.
Gameplay: 4.5/5
This is where the game shines. If I could choose one thing that sold me it had to be the combat. Its fast paced, hectic and unpredictable, delivering those heart pounding moments that make player vs player what it is. The main mode of the game is your classic red vs blue team death match. Four player teams go head to head beating the piss out of each other till one side gets to nine kills. There are 7 levels total that are all designed fairly well with out giving any one class a real significant advantage over the other. The only thing I had minor issue with was that a couple of the levels felt a little small causing more A.O.E spam battles than tactical combat.
I liked how each of the 5 classes you get to choose from had a way of dealing with each other. Rarely would moments arise where you were just plain screwed, unless you were being triple teamed in a corner but that goes without saying (oh my). Whether you live or die revolves solely round your tactics, reaction and luck. Even though I would have to note that some classes might need a little nerfing/buffing as they currently stand.
Aside from the PvP combat there is also a team co-op mode that allows you to pit yourselves against waves of zombies. Honestly I preferred the team battles more but this was pleasant change of pace for time to time. Especially when finding a match to join was taking too long or a losing streak was getting old.
I wouldn’t go as far to say that this title’s gameplay is revolutionary or the birth of a new genre. If anything it feels like a cross between Team Fortress two and Super Smash Bros (Which is a pretty bad ass combo if I do say so). But its fun, fast and easy to just jump into at your leisure which makes it ideal for the free to play market. Nooblets and pros alike can both find their niche in this new style of online pvp warfare.
Graphics: 4/5
The visuals are not worth raving or complaining about but they do their job well. The art is over the top and heavily animated slightly resembling the style of Team Fortress 2. One thing in particular I really enjoyed was the character creation / customization. From the armor sets to different weapons there is a variety that gives your avatar a nice personal touch. My only criticism I had with the game was that the amount of different customizations were just ok. As good as the current cosmetics in the game were more would of been nice so I didn’t run into my clone in the opposite color as often.
Presentation/Interface: 3.5/5
This is where I had the most discrepancies with the game. In combat the U.I. was superb. Straight forward controls and easy to understand interface that didn’t clutter your screen made game play a breeze. Yet at the main menu I found it a bit clunky to navigate. Performing tasks like buying multiple items at once or currency to spend in the game is a chore. Even the friends list, which can be described as basic at best, makes playing with friends a very manual task. Also not being able to group up and queue for games with your friends was a tad bit lame. Granted this is a newer title and maybe with time these UI improvements will be implemented. As for how it stands now its not a deal breaker but its definitely a facet that could use some modifications.
Sound: 4/5
Similar to the graphics the audio didn’t have any soundtracks I'm about to slam on my ipod but it worked for what it is. The sound effects don’t distract from the game play which is always the goal and the music evokes a playful yet competitive spirit. It would of been nice though if muting the music in game actually muted the 20 second jingles that played when you received a team power up. I know this isn’t the biggest issue but for someone who plays their own music half the time when gaming it would of been an added bonus.
Overall: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
In short its a free to play pvp game so if your looking for depth and not recreation then you’re in for a cold shower. This title sets out to be a casual game that people can sink a few hours into here and there and I believe they accomplished that goal. Yes there are a few things that could use some touch ups but its a newer release so some slack should be granted for now. Whats important is the gameplay, its a blast and easy to get used to, making it ideal for the free to play genre. Personally I enjoyed the game. As someone who went in somewhat skeptical I have to say its at least worth the free download and the old college try. If you don’t like it at least you can say you made up your own mind which is pretty bad ass in itself.
Rundown:+ Easy to learn combat
+ Free to play
+ Offers PvP and Co-Op modes
+ Runs well on most PCs
- Mild amount of customization options
- Interface needs work
- Friend networking almost non existent.
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