Iron Galaxy has not only put forward one of the best games of 2022 so far, it's also created one of the best battle royales in a long time. It manages to be wildly different from its contemporaries while also being a game worth learning and mastering in its own right.
Rumbleverse might be a ridiculous, cartoony dust-storm of wrestling action, but it's shockingly fun and extremely balanced. A few hit detection issues aside, the free-to-play game is one of the most addicting and accessible melee-focused battle royale titles around.
Iron Galaxy has not only put forward one of the best games of 2022 so far, it's also created one of the best battle royales in a long time. It manages to be wildly different from its contemporaries while also being a game worth learning and mastering in its own right. While it's impossible to predict what Rumbleverse will look like by this time next year or a few years from now, this game is off to a great start and has already shown world champion potential.
Good-
Polished gameplay; Fun combat.
Bad-
Large maps are unnecessary and inorganic to the combat; Slow and unsatisfying progression; Extremely derivative presentation across the board.
Thoughts-
Honestly, I can’t walk away from Rumbleverse feeling particularly impressed. While it manages to replicate the core tenets of its genre to a tee in most areas, and does so in a stable, polished package, it makes a near-fatal mistake in thinking a focus on melee combat is some sort of huge ace in the hole. In fact, it often feels like a mismatch for the genre as the large maps are so often underutilized by the inherent closeness the combat requires. Rumbleverse could have easily been a more standard online brawler that puts 10 fighters in a map a quarter of the size of this for a virtually unchanged experience. As a free to play battle royale game you could certainly do a lot worse, but at the same time, I struggle to imagine who Rumbleverse will hang on to long-term with so few ideas of its own and a combat system that, while charming, is just too shallow to stay fun for more than a short while.
The gameplay is pretty fun. But the game has its issues. One of which is blatant teaming. The PC controls are wonky as well, locking you in directions constantly and not allowing things like Irish Whip to be aimed accurately which is crucial for combo starting and special grab setups. Another thing I wish for but wouldn't deduct points for is a male model that isn't a fridge, stick or sphere.
All flash, no substance.
Rumbleverse is a one-note battle royale brawler that provides cheap thrills and gets stale fast, largely due to how unrefined and under-developed the game is as a whole.
At it's core, it's an under baked B-tier free to play title that desperately lacks depth.
The developer clearly recycled assets and put in what appears to be minimal effort to "check off the boxes" in providing a basic gameplay experience with a shiny exterior before getting it out the door so as to clearly maximize on micro transactions and turn profits.
There is a certain addictive quality to the game, which is part of the scheme. Minimalist in terms of actual game development and overall quality but high visual-audio appeal which serves as the hook. Buff and out of proportion character models, flashy outfits, exaggerated attack animations, big explosions, popping numbers, comedic sound effects, etc.
The emphasis was clearly not to provide a lasting title with a quality experience, which is what any game should be about. Rather, this is a case of the developer leveraging the popularity of the battle royale format coupled with a novel idea and flashy aesthetic to get players hooked and hopefully paying over and over. It's an extremely short-sighted concept that isn't new and one that treats players as commodities to be exploited for as long as possible.
Ironically, the game gives you virtually nothing to invest in and because it is so bare bones, the result is little motivation to even spend. What is the point?
Pros:
- Cartoony aesthetic is charming and fun to look at, albeit the character models are clearly unrefined and simplistic.
- Flashy and kinetic gameplay can make for some zany combat mayhem which can be entertaining for a couple matches at a time, provided you are able to keep up with enemy players. Winning fights can be satisfying especially if you get off big executions with big damage.
- Variety in special moves you can choose from which somewhat diversifies the combat experience.
- Charismatic announcer voice-overs that add a certain humor to the overall experience as you play.
- Battle royale elements of open roaming and looting.
- Character mobility. You can essentially scale anything in the game provided you have the required stamina. The sprint ability ensures you can get from point A to point B fast. On the flip side, it can be annoying when trying to finish off opponents who are on their outs while they are climbing and/or sprinting away speedily.
Cons:
- The game menu is bare bones and lacking in refinement, not at all nice to look at.
- Glitchy at times, though incidents seem to be few and far between. Attacks not executing as they should can turn the tide of a fight.
- End of match stats are inaccurate and will always tell you that you've hit a new record regardless of how well you performed. This makes it impossible to track your personal progress.
- Very little character customization, not many base options to choose from which means players don't have much to distinguish themselves from others. But of course, you can always spend money to solve that problem.
- Desperate lack of content. You can solo, duo or do playground mode to practice. All of these modes take place in the exact same context (same place, same items, same gameplay loop). No story, no in game NPCs, no compelling quests, and an uninspired progression system you won't care about.
- Repetitive gameplay loop that hinges entirely on your ability to understand the combat mechanics and the timing of the character attack animations. If you are new and coming in fresh, expect a brutal learning curve. Anticipate a range of emotions from mild irritation to maddening aggravation while learning the ropes, particularly if you are up against a seasoned player who knows how to exploit the gameplay mechanics to a T, in which case you'll be chain stomped without being able to get a single attack in. It can be fun when you're up against weaker or evenly matched players, but trying to win fights is tedious work against experienced opponents. A big part of fights is simply waiting out enemies and capitalizing on mistakes / misses, then rinse and repeat ad nauseum.
- Yet another game littered with "woke" elements, i.e. game trailer and starting characters.
SummaryRumbleverse is an all-new, free-to-play, 40-person Brawler Royale where anyone can be a champion. You play as your own unique citizen of Grapital City, as you battle your way to victory! Customize your fighter by mixing and matching hundreds of unique items, and stand out from the crowd. Get launched from a cannon, drop into the streets,...