After a crackling reveal at the recent Nintendo DirectThe project Knockout City is almost ready to land on all platforms, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S and obviously - Nintendo switch. But, what's it about? It is almost difficult to find a genre for the new program funded title EA Originals di Electronic Arts, which is positioned between the concept of a multiplayer arena and that of a sports game. What is sure is chand the dodgeball games developed by Velan Studios have very little in common, and the experience is apparently very promising.
Although the release is set for 21 Maggio 2021, the developer has already given us a small taste of his experience, with a beta on PC that allowed us to test the game mechanics in a single 3vs3 mode, which however acts as a mere business card compared to the complete package. Waiting for debut with cross-play for all platforms, we therefore want to talk to you about impressions that Knockout City left us in the testing phase.
Dodgeball to the death
Starting with a fairly straightforward tutorial, albeit for now available in English only (like the rest of the game) we immediately managed to understand the game mechanics, and then plunged into clashes, which - as was actually predictable - took us quite by surprise. Although the lyrics are really clear, and the explanation phase allows you to try all the mechanics a bit before diving into the action, It is not easy to prepare for the frenetic pace that Knockout City discounts present. The movement possibilities of the players are so many, and despite some useful indicators that warn before receiving a hit, at the beginning you will really have the impression that two eyes are not enough to be able to compete with the other players.
The open and well-layered maps allow you to jump and pop out from every corner, trying to target unsuspecting players with balls, who could otherwise dodge or parry to counterattack. The multiplayer battles of Knockout City are in fact not simple dodgeball games, but matches where players really have at their disposal dozens of possibilities. We move from movement to the aforementioned counterattack, while deciding whether launch an uncontrolled ball, try to fooling opponents with a feint o charge a shot until it reaches the speed of light.
In addition to an in-depth knowledge of the maps, useful for finding the respawn points of the classic and special balls (which unleash devastating effects among other things), the game allows for a truly extraordinary coordination with the team. Suffice it to say that the developer has decided to encourage all types of interaction with his team, through lethal bonuses for opponents, if well exploited. For example, let's talk about passaggi, to confuse enemies and allow allies to launch unpredictable balls, or the possibility of charge your shot with exchanges between sudden and full of players cleverly hidden quick time events and structured. There is also the possibility of "balling up", which consists incrouch to allow allies to gather you and make the most of it with a thousand other possibilities, just like with regular balls. However, this action allows you to do the same damage to enemies, which leads to a very good chance of a KO served on a silver platter.
Knockout City aims for success
It almost seems, at least apparently, that Electronic Arts has been somewhat burned by the latest EA Originals multiplayer project, just that Rocket Arena which did not take off at all, due to several problems. The most incisive was certainly the price, not only high, but also inappropriate to the current market situation, where it is difficult to compete with the hundreds of productions that landed on digital stores day after day. Luckily, Knockout City will be a Free to Play game, which with its “hit and run” game formula seems perfect even for just a few sporadic games.
Furthermore, according to what has been tested, at least in the short term, the experience is fun both for the mechanics themselves, and for the cooperation with the team, which with the right communication can be fundamental. The debut on all platforms undoubtedly facilitates this factor, and will allow thousands of teams to communicate and have fun in many modes and maps, all at no cost. We are particularly eager to find out how the work will evolve, hoping it will achieve the success hoped for with its debut in May of this year.
![[Gamescom 2018] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Tried, the two faces of Japan by FromSoftware](/images/posts/be1b85d9d9945aef4d8ff416fd204b4c-0.jpg)
