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An interesting blend of Battle Royale and MOBA | Review - Battle Crush Beta
3K View2023-10-24
Battle Crush (Beta), is an upcoming game that boldly combines the intense battle royale format with the strategic depth of a MOBA in a bite sized manner. Developed by NCOSFT, this multiplayer action game seeks to carve its own niche by combining two genres. It is coming for Android, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam), with an ongoing Closed Beta Test from Oct 23 to Oct 30. It will feature full cross-play support between these platforms.
📖Premise
📖Premise
Battle Crush plunges players into an arena filled with Calixers, mythological figures personally chosen by the gods. These heroes range from Gods like Hades and Hercules, Myths like Medusa, or Legends like King Arthur and Lancelot. Their mission? To stand as the last warrior in the arena. If this sounds like a typical battle royale setup, you're on the right track. However, Battle Crush brings its own flavor to the mix.
🎨Graphics and Art Style
🎨Graphics and Art Style
The graphics are simple but striking, adopting a stylized hand-painted aesthetic. The visuals are characterized by their cartoony and soft appearance, which adds a lighthearted and somewhat casual tone to the game.
The art style isn't overly complex, but it works perfectly for Battle Crush. The characters and in-game assets are charming, and the effects, especially during combat, are over-the-top and flashy
🎮Gameplay
The art style isn't overly complex, but it works perfectly for Battle Crush. The characters and in-game assets are charming, and the effects, especially during combat, are over-the-top and flashy
🎮Gameplay
The royale battlefield arena can host up to 30 combatants in solo or team-based matches, every few seconds, the arena shrinks ever so smaller as the floor outside the zone collapses, leaving no room for passive gameplay. Rounds are kept brief, clocking in at a maximum of 8 minutes. Players must adapt to the constantly changing battleground, avoiding the collapsing terrain while fending off opponents from all sides.
The game, although straightforward, provides a high-octane gaming experience with a strong competitive element under a casual tone. It's a formula that's tried and true, but Battle Crush adds its own unique mechanics and charm to make it stand out.
⚔️MOBA + Battle Royale?
The game, although straightforward, provides a high-octane gaming experience with a strong competitive element under a casual tone. It's a formula that's tried and true, but Battle Crush adds its own unique mechanics and charm to make it stand out.
⚔️MOBA + Battle Royale?
At its core, Battle Crush is a fusion of battle royale and MOBA elements, and the result is a dynamic and strategic gaming experience. The gameplay is focused on quick rounds, strategic choices, and action-packed battles.
The game offers various character choices known as Calixers, each with its own unique abilities and playstyle. This character variety is reminiscent of MOBAs, where characters fulfill different roles, including support, melee damage, tank, ranged attacks, and more. It's a clever way to blend MOBA character depth with the competitive nature of battle royale.
As a genre we’re all familiar with, The gameplay dynamics are centered around a constantly shrinking battlefield. Although this feels like another light take on Battle Royale, as players just pin their starting positions on a map divided into nine areas, leading to a quick start phase. During this phase, players can see other players' starting positions, and have one last chance to quickly switch to any nearby location. The round begins, and over time, the map starts to shrink as the playable zone collapses. Players caught outside the zone will fall to their death, discouraging camping outside and relying on healing to get by.
Looting is also part of Battle Crush. Players can find weapons, armor, and healing items scattered around the field, and everything is automatically picked up and equipped. This streamlined approach keeps the pace fast and the focus on combat.
⚔️Combat
The game offers various character choices known as Calixers, each with its own unique abilities and playstyle. This character variety is reminiscent of MOBAs, where characters fulfill different roles, including support, melee damage, tank, ranged attacks, and more. It's a clever way to blend MOBA character depth with the competitive nature of battle royale.
As a genre we’re all familiar with, The gameplay dynamics are centered around a constantly shrinking battlefield. Although this feels like another light take on Battle Royale, as players just pin their starting positions on a map divided into nine areas, leading to a quick start phase. During this phase, players can see other players' starting positions, and have one last chance to quickly switch to any nearby location. The round begins, and over time, the map starts to shrink as the playable zone collapses. Players caught outside the zone will fall to their death, discouraging camping outside and relying on healing to get by.
Looting is also part of Battle Crush. Players can find weapons, armor, and healing items scattered around the field, and everything is automatically picked up and equipped. This streamlined approach keeps the pace fast and the focus on combat.
⚔️Combat
While the controls are simple, the combat can be quite complex. Players can combine five types of skills, including Light Attacks (quick moves and combos), Heavy Attacks (powerful blows that knock enemies back), and Dodge Attacks (quick counters). Additionally, Ultimate Attacks become available as players fill their meters from attacking, allowing them to unleash powerful attacks that deal massive damage and knockback. This variety in combat skills adds depth to the gameplay.
All attacks and abilities, along with dodge and swimming in water areas, consume stamina. Managing stamina effectively is essential for success. Players must strike a balance between offense and defense to avoid running out of stamina or being too passive.
Another interesting twist is the way player elimination works. Depleting an enemy's HP doesn't outright kill them; it leaves them groggy with a silver health bar that must be depleted to finish them off. Players can also revive themselves by letting the timer pass without dying. Teammates can collect their souls and revive them at randomly appearing Revive Statues throughout the map. Knockback effects can also be used strategically to bypass an enemy's health bar, adding layers of depth to combat.
💵Monetization
All attacks and abilities, along with dodge and swimming in water areas, consume stamina. Managing stamina effectively is essential for success. Players must strike a balance between offense and defense to avoid running out of stamina or being too passive.
Another interesting twist is the way player elimination works. Depleting an enemy's HP doesn't outright kill them; it leaves them groggy with a silver health bar that must be depleted to finish them off. Players can also revive themselves by letting the timer pass without dying. Teammates can collect their souls and revive them at randomly appearing Revive Statues throughout the map. Knockback effects can also be used strategically to bypass an enemy's health bar, adding layers of depth to combat.
💵Monetization
Battle Crush is a live service game, and as such, it is set to introduce monetization elements such as battle passes, cosmetics, and daily bonuses. While the foundation for live-service is already here, it's important to note that all 15 characters are currently available to all players, but that may change as the game matures. Perhaps some of these existing characters will be locked behind a grindy progression system, or maybe new characters will be added for that purpose. I would prefer to keep these 15 characters free, though, as they provide an excellent starting point for a battle royale hero roster.
📊Technical Performance
As of the current beta test, I found the performance still a bit lacking, and even the game doesn't support my phone's aspect ratio which is pretty standard (seems to be locked to 16:9 only), probably because it is also being developed for the Switch and for PC (Steam). I also found the controls to bit a bit too floaty and unresponsive, and it feels like everything has a delay for me, on top of some of the already delayed attacks like Heavy Attacks and the Ultimate. This aspect needs more work in order to be able to provide a more fluid combat experience.
⚖️Conclusion
⚖️Conclusion
Battle Crush Beta presents an interesting blend of two popular gaming genres, in a lighthearted and bite sized manner. The gameplay is a dynamic blend of short battle royale matches, frantic clashes, and varied abilities, with a MOBA-style combat system that strikes a balance between accessibility and depth.
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