Brawlout (PC) Preview

Brawlout, just like any arcade-y and couch play-friendly title, doesn't have a complex menu or anything. It's just, pick a mode, pick a fighter… and fight; therefore, it's kind of annoying that this is actually the most buggy part of this game, with keybindings that don't… bind, characters that can't be selected, and several hiccoughs here and there. Generally, a thing that many developers tend to forget is that Early Access is meant to test a, for the most part, stable piece of software.

Fortunately, there are little to no problems once the fighters step into the arena, and that's certainly a good thing. Now, besides the obvious "Is this fun?," the real question, unavoidably, becomes this: what does this have that the Super Smash Bros. franchise doesn't? The answer is, at least for the time being, not much, with this feeling nothing more than a "clone," with the same small and simple stages, the easy-to-learn controls, and a fast pacing that makes this perfect for having some good ol' brawling fun with a couple of friends.

Currently there are only two modes available: practice and versus, and since there is no way to battle against the CPU, it's impossible to comment on that aspect for now. However, is the human-vs.-human element enjoyable, at least? Actually, and despite the overall simplicity, it's very enjoyable. As mentioned before, the gameplay is quite fast and the controls are very responsive, with the only flaw being that the characters don't build momentum and move on full speed whenever the direction pad is touched.

In terms of move sets, apart from the basic attack, most moves revolve around the use of the 'special' key, along with a direction to pull off some more specialised hits or manoeuvres, with each character following a certain "theme," like, for example, the toad who is a wrestler/grappler or the walrus who is the ice-wielding Sub-Zero of the game. Moreover, as players fight, they gain Rage, which can then be used for even stronger attacks.

This is nice and all but it has a serious challenge to face - it must stand out somehow. More characters, modes, as well as eight-player fights, will soon be implemented, yet, for the most part, the developer has made no risky, creative moves, with the perfect analogy being the look of it all. From the generic action music to the forgettable cartoony animal cast, through to the nice-looking, colourful, and devoid of texture stages, Brawlout lacks a distinctive identity…