122 Brawlout
PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Developer/publisher Angry Mob Games Format PC, PS4, Switch (tested), Xbox One Release Out now (PC, Switch), 2018 (PS4, Xbox One)
Angry Mob Games’ multiplayer brawler isn’t the first Smash Bros clone, nor will it be the last. But with every new game that attempts to mimic the formula, we gain new appreciation for Masahiro Sakurai and his team. The difference between the real thing and a pretender to its throne has rarely been more pronounced than it is here. Opportunistically rushed out for Switch in an attempt to cash in on the absence of its inspiration, Brawlout is, in every sense, a poor man’s Smash.
At first, it appears to have the basics down. Character movement is swift and responsive, and the controls will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s ever pitted Link against Captain Falcon on Final Destination with items turned off – this is aimed at a competitive audience, so don’t expect any items or gimmicks at any time. It’s just you and up to three opponents duking it out on plainly designed stages, attempting to launch one another off stage or screen until the last frog, ape or eagle standing is declared the victor.
Its one big fundamental difference is undoubtedly a change for the worse. Though some characters have moves equivalent to a grab, there are no guards or throws. Angry Mob has replaced them with a rage meter that builds as you’re hit: you can spend it when half-full to interrupt combos, or save it up to boost attack power. The total absence of a defensive game means aggression is everything. As such, figuring out your fighter’s strongest attacks and then repeatedly spamming them is by far the most effective tactic. Perhaps not so much outside of local matches, mind, as the action stutters constantly online: about the best we can say for it is that everyone seems to be in the same boat.
Meanwhile, the offline game quickly becomes a tiresome grind. Just three arenas are available from the start: to unlock more you’ll need to complete numerous battles with one character to unlock a single stage, and repeat the process for the rest. Two types of currency are handed out for completing battles, tutorials and daily objectives: you’ll spend these smashing open piñatas, Brawlout’s loot-box equivalent, for skins, avatar icons and the like. The most expensive ones earn you new fighters – there’s no way to accelerate the process with real money, but given the miserly post-fight purse, that’s not much of a mercy.
There are flashes of what might have been, but otherwise Brawlout doesn’t feel so much a plucky underdog as a no-hoper, entering a fight it knows it can’t win in the hope of a big payday just for showing up. A first-round stoppage to the champion, then, with the challenger being booed out of the ring.