Brawlout - Just a Smash clone?

For a while now owners of the Nintendo Switch have been demanding a new Super Smash Bros. game for the system. However, there has been no news from Nintendo regarding this so, for now, we have to make do with Brawlout.

Looking at Brawlout you might think that it's just a Smash clone but I think it has enough unique mechanics to make it distinguish itself from other Smash games. It's by no means a perfect game but I believe it accomplishes the goal it sought out to achieve.

GAMEPLAY

Brawlout is an Arena Fighter and its core gameplay is like any Smash game. Each character has a Normal Attack Button and a Special Atack Button. These combined with different directional inputs will result in different attacks. Also, while in the air, Normal Attacks will perform differently.

Hitting an enemy with any type of attack will make its percentage go up. The higher the percentage the further they'll be launched after getting hit. So, the goal of the game is to build enough percentage to make your enemy ring out. 

If you're having trouble doing this try performing a Smash Attack by pressing the Normal Attack button and a directional input at the same time. This attack is devastating and will certainly send your opponent flying! On the other hand, if you keep getting hit remember that you have a dodge button, you can even use it in the air! Besides all this, there is a unique mechanic called Rage Meter. 

Since Brawlout has a heavy focus on combos there was a need to balance this issue.The answer was the Rage Meter You can use half of the meter to stop an enemy from combo you or use the full meter to enter a Rage Mode which will also make your attacks send your opponent much further than usual and absorb any damage they do to you.

Another different thing this game has, or doesn't have, is the lack of any Shields or Grabs. This is what really makes Brawlout stand out from any other Smash game. It might look like a clone but the gameplay experience is completely different do to this.

FEATURES

Brawlout offers some single player content but it's obvious that the main focus of this game is the Online Mode which is a bit laggy sometimes. I think it all depends on yours and the other person internet connection. I've had some matches that were impossible to play and others that were fluid has a single player match.

If you're not into online play you can have some fun with the Arcade Mode. It is a bit similar to Mortal Kombat in the way that you have different tiers that you must climb by defeating enemies. 

The Medium and Hard tiers can be a bit frustrating since you are playing a 1vs2 and 1vs3. In each battle, you win Gold to spend at the Store and Exp for your Brawler. If you are able to reach the top of each tier you'll be rewarded with a Brawler Shard to unlock a different Brawler. Also leveling up your character will unlock you Stages, Piñatas, and Gems. 

In this game, there are 10 locked characters which are nothing more than variants of already existing characters. They have different values for their speeds, weight, etc... And also, they have a different special move. For example, I have unlocked Vandal which is a variant of Volt. However, Volt's recovery is a bit bad but Vandal's is insane! They changed its Up Special to this amazing long jump and just this justifies unlocking him.

You can get these new Brawlers by collecting Fighter Shards but that is not the only way of unlocking them. By going to the store you have the option of purchasing three types of Piñatas. The Brawler Piñata costs you 40 Gems and unlocks a brand new brawler. The Fiesta Piñata costs 3500 gold and unlocks different Skins and K.O animations. And the Stylish Piñata unlocks different types of Emotes and Avatars. There are a total of  92 unlockables in the Pinãtas and I assure you that it'll take you hours and hours to unlock everything.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Brawlout is a great game for its pricing. I think it would be wrong to demand more from it for only 19,99€. The gameplay is fun and smooth and it performs well enough online, at least for me. I've heard people complain a lot about the lag. If you experience this just leave the match and find someone different to play with. 

The one thing I don't like is the way you unlock new characters. If you want all 10 Brawlers you are stuck with doing nothing but the Arcade Mode or Daily Missions. Which by is required to have an internet connection. This is kind of frustrating but at the same time feels very rewarding when you finally unlock a new Brawler. So, you can say I have mix fillings about this. 

Is this game for you though? If you really like games like Smash clones I'd say to give this a try but be aware that you'll have to sink in some hours if you want to unlock everything. Also, it helps to have a liking for online and competitive play since that is the main focus of the developers. But, I really hope they introduce a new fun Single-Player mode in the future to help unlock everything. And some new original fighters would be nice too!