Every once in a while a game pops up in our radars with a lot of hype. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, or PSASBR, is one of them. Originally tagged as a copy of the Super Smash Brothers franchise, PSASBR has recently been released last November and I must say based on experience, and from fellow PS gamers, this is far from being so.
The heck is this?
The game is developed by SuperBot Entertainment, an independent company, who was brilliant enough to put together this long-sought after type of game for PlayStation fans the world over (why didn't gaming companies think of this before?). Careful study and meticulous research has been given to the final choice of 20 playable characters you get to choose once you play the CD in your PS3.
Overall, I'm satisfied with the roster; it has a mix of old and new beloved characters since the PlayStation's inception. It's funny how some fans reacted to choices like PaRappa (from PaRappa the Rapper) and Spike (from Ape Escape) - quite obvious that some of the rants come from gamers that were not even born or haven't had the chance to know these characters during the golden age of the PS1. Missing out on the list is Crash Bandicoot, MegaMan, Cloud Stryfe, Solid Snake, and Spyro the Dragon; but fans are still hopeful with the upcoming DLCs for 2013 that they would be included in.
According to Dan Ryckert of GameInformer, "Every character has approximately two dozen attacks in their arsenal, and they vary widely.". For fighting enthusiasts out there, like myself, this is pure joy! PSASBR wouldn't be limited to button-mashing alone, but carefully thought over combos that can make or break you during the course of the game; plus if you're bored, you can use the wide variety of random items / weapons that appear in the map for you to use against the competition.
Gameplay-wise, PSASBR features a robust online tournament mode where players will be able to compete against each other as well as play cooperatively. Story mode is simple at best, but if you plan to unlock a lot of trophies you have to go through this and the other features like Combo Trial mode and Tutorial mode.
This is madness!!!
Overall, this game is truly worth a buy for PlayStation fans out there. I'm currently using Sweet Tooth and/or Dante at the moment and boy are they addicting, and hopefully, the next few game patches won't NERF them out. I give PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royal a gargantuan damage score of 9/10! Will there be a sequel? Definitely! PSASBR is also the Official Game of the Month of the Pinoy PS forums as well.
I'd also like to thank Cynetzone Gaming's Cubao branch on their wonderful facility and services which allowed me to enjoy the PSASBR experience to the full!
My PSN ID is NinjaKabute. You can also follow me on Twitter to get the latest updates on my blog, PS3 news, manga, the NBA, photography, or just my gaming experience cramped up in 140 characters.
