![]() There’s also a group of special balls to utilize, with a random one chosen for each round. The end result here is a fast-paced arcade-style action/sports hybrid that still has a heavy emphasis on strategy, encouraging players to learn advanced techniques, utilize skills such as fake throws or curved shots and lobs that can get around obstacles, and properly work with their teammates, even allowing you to create your own crew with up to thirty-two players. And of course, you also have to contend with any of your foe’s teammates that can notice you and knock you out during your attack, and the fact that even if you do hit your target, the dodgeball is now right alongside them, meaning the other team can grab it. And if they catch it at the right time, it instantly gains a bigger charge, allowing them to fling it right back at you or a teammate at a greater speed. Players are alerted to what direction shots are about to come from during this time, however, meaning the longer the charge, the more time your opponent has to respond and catch the ball. To correctly nail an opponent, you basically need to lock onto them first, and potentially charge up your shot first so that it goes faster and makes the ball harder to catch. Mastering these skills, though, involves a lot more skill. ![]() But in all cases, the basic controls are simple: Right trigger to throw, left trigger to catch, with additional dodging, gliding and passing. Sometimes it’s simple three-on-three combat, sometimes it’s a Diamond Dash where you have to collect diamonds from those you knock out, or sometimes it’s even just one-on-one battles. How does the actual meat and potatoes, the dodgeball action, actually hold up? Pretty great, actually! Knockout City is yet again one of those games that really delivers in the area of “simple, yet genius.” Jumping into one of the modes - or playlists, as it calls them - has you scrambling around a themed arena with various quirks and hazards, flinging dodgeballs at rival players in order to knock them out. ![]() ![]() Still, all of that is surface-level stuff. Have you ever dreamed of smothering your opponents with a giant whoopee cushion? Well, now you can! The only downside is that unless you want to rely on random drops each time you level up, you’re going to need Holobux in order to purchase cosmetics like these from the game’s store, as well as Style Chips to modify clothing, and there sadly doesn’t seem to be many ways of earning either at the moment. Knockout City also doesn’t hold back when it comes to its cartoonish elements as well, like taunts and knockouts that manifest word balloons with dynamic fonts, or letting you choose the shape of a giant hologram that you create with an Ultimate attack. It’s all colorful, fun and gleefully over-the-top while still feeling unique and mixing in a few modern touches as well, mainly with the numerous outfits and unlockable bits of customization in general, which use a different variety of different styles and fashions that all look amazing. More specifically, a lot of the game seems to evoke the more colorful aspects of the 1950s, with hovering hot rods, burger joints, classic neon, an emphasis on likes of greaser clothing and hairstyles such as pompadours in the character customization, and even a Wolfman Jack-esque announcer who broadcasts from a pirate radio station on the moon, while providing an impressive jazzy soundtrack that feels like remixed versions of classic tunes of the era. What makes Knockout City stand out in particular is the somewhat retro-futurist angle it seems to be going for. As mentioned earlier, many have scoffed at it supposedly looking like a Fortnite knock-off, but it soon becomes clear this is its own unique being. The first thing that might jump out at someone upon playing Knockout City for the first time is its style and aesthetics. Hopefully the current free trial has won some folks over and has ended the battle in Knockout City’s favor, because Velan Studios have indeed crafted one fine twist on a schoolyard classic here. Apparently, several people were hoping for a title featuring the likes of Princess Charm instead of the multiplayer dodgeball game that they got, especially since they also saw it as another multiplayer game trying to copy the more colorful and wackier style of Fortnite, creating negative feedback and low expectations in the process. Its initial trailer from a few months ago apparently confused more than a few people, building up to the reveal with fake game characters in an interview format. Knockout City was facing an uphill battle prior to its release.
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