Put on your nostalgia hats and dust off the old Nintendo 64 because this game is a time machine!
Bringing you back to the glory days of simple gentleman fisticuffs and the likes of Super Smash Bros, because no true man challenge came closer than any other game to decide who got the last Capri Sun! (For the record, it was always me. I WAS THE TRUE CHAMPION!!)
So you may have seen Brawlout on your Steam lately, skimmed and instantly saw those dreaded two words: EARLY ACCESS… Dear God, hide the children, barricade the doors, seal any cracks! We must not let this early access game come anywhere close to our wallets!!!
I know, I know, a tad harsh? It would be, if not for the fact that we have seen many early access games STAY early access, and pretty much wind up on that rolling wagon of indie developer death. Did I hear someone say “BRING OUT YOUR DEAD!!!”?
BUT!!!
Once I downloaded my copy of Brawlout and began to play, I found that it was actually FUN! It brought to the table a refreshing and familiar… feeling, sensation, memory. It has what most early access games seem to lack, JOLLY GOOD FUN, and a welcoming community of players. “But how could this be?” you ask. Well luckily for you, I put in a few good hours to explain what makes this game a simple, yet fun, experience. Prepare to be wowed! The game is an arena-style beat-em-up, featuring a limited, but very diverse cast of cartoony characters. Two on the roster of our kick-ass friends, are Paco and Olaf. Let’s learn a little bit about these two, shall we?
Paco is really the flagship character of the game, he’s got four muscular arms to prove he is your go-to Mexican frog. I say he’s Mexican because, well, Paco. Paco packs a mean quadruple punch that can quickly stack up those combos faster than you can say “Holy guacamole!” (heh, get it? Cause he’s a green frog, guac is green, and he’s Mexican ? No? I’ll stop.) He also can use that froggy tongue to wrap the opponent up and into his grasp, or even to stick himself to ledges.
He even gives his enemies a massive Headache!
Olaf, the iceman! His icy fists and frosty breath would make anyone tremble. His true power: A SNOW BOWLING BALL! That’s right! He crushes you under the weight of his powerful snowball attack that could leave you on thin ice! (Someone stop me please).
These are few characters, and by few I mean six. Don’t let that stop you, these individuals are bursting with personality; in their moves, their attacks, and their style. They don’t even have voices yet! (Although I’d love to volunteer, wink wink!)
Which brings me to gameplay. The work is shown here boys and girls. Brawlout has some of the better controls and reactive fighting moves I’ve seen in a long time. So long, that classic Super Smash Bros flashed before my eyes. Could this be the spiritual successor I have been looking for? Maybe. Paco’s swift attacks are so fast and responsive I almost get whiplash! It’s surprising how much variety there is; no two fights are the same. There is no character move list or tutorial, but, after a few runs you easily pick it up and learn new ways to bring the smack down! Oh, does it feel good to land that fat punch! Muahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
Talk to the hand
Ah, graphics. “BUT ARE THEY GOOD THO?” Oh, they GOOOOD THO. The devs focused on keeping the setting leaning toward the more fun, wacky side. That also includes adding fun to the graphics, the characters flow well in their cartoonish art style, and the maps add a unique feel of environment,
from glacier battles to a floating Mayan structure, each fight and arena will make you insert that “WOW” meme.
“Hold up bro, gotta check out the view”
As far as sound goes, there’s not a whole lot to discuss here. The game lacks in the audio department, and characters have no voices. Though if you are like me, that is okay. I shall make my own voices to add more entertainment! On the plus side, the music in this game is well done. Main menu music reminisces of the olden times of Super Smash Bros, and the maps have their own musical number as the characters tap dance their way to the top of the scoreboard.
With early access comes some bugs, and how that affects the overall state of the game, and what the devs plan to do about rather than grinning quite dastardly while counting their cash. It’s these moments where we find who is more passionate about their game and wants to make it fun. Brawlout doesn’t suffer that cancer. In fact, the developers pay a lot of attention to the Steam Community. They reply almost every time, and even opened a Discord channel to have players connect with others, report bugs, post fan art, hang out, and even set up matches. The best part, NO SALT! Everyone is friendly! Holy cow, it’s a miracle that I found a game where so far no one has told me to get bent. The community actually cares, and the devs care too. Dreams do come true!
So, what does one get after almost four hours of game time, six characters, five maps, a small lack of voice audio, and a dedicated developer and community that wishes to make this game worth your pretty penny all wrapped up into one? A JOLLY GOOD TIME, THAT’S WHAT! A simple yet fun experience that kept me laughing and feeling the might of Paco match after match, oh and in case you didn’t figure it out, Paco is my favorite, you can’t have him, Paco is mine…Fight me.
FIGHT. ME.
I say this game well deserves an eight out of your mother’s cooking, no one beats your mother’s cooking, but an eight is pretty impressive to even come close to that signature Green Chile stew… Mmmmmm.
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