![]() Beyond the normal cosmetics and fun intro animations, the field is wide open for other stuff to be added into Knockout City. Indeed, all of Knockout City feels like a platform for development and change. Another fun configuration allows 3v3 matches with only special balls, which leads to its own type of chaos.ĮA and Velan have made no secret of the fact that modes will be cycled in and out of the game, so who knows what will be next. ![]() For those who want to avenge a grudge, a 1v1 match is available. This leads to a lot of very close up, very tight skirmishes, where people are throwing balls every which way and trying to push each other away from the diamonds. ![]() If the opposing team picks them up, they get points, but the team of the knocked-out player can swoop in and snag them and prevent the score. One fun mode drops a few diamonds on the map wherever a player is knocked out. Besides team match, which gives the win to the first team with ten knockouts, a few other modes round out the experience. Matches are played in a standard 3v3 configuration, though private matches allow players to set up other configurations (check out me teaming with my son for a miraculous 2v3 run here). While it is fun to play with randos, I would recommend hooking up with a friend or two and developing some strategies to try out. I won’t be surprised in the least when hideout customizations show up as level rewards in a few months. When grouping up for matches, you can invite your friends into your hideout for some non-scored dodgeball violence. ![]() The entire thing is smart, clean, and fun. A practice dummy even throws balls at the player so they can practice catching. But even after completing the tutorial, players get dropped into their “Hideout”, an open space in which they can practice jumping, throwing, and executing trick attacks. A very nicely done tutorial section introduces every facet of gameplay, allowing the player to practice without needing to jump feet first into a match. Knockout City gives the player plenty of room to get acclimated to its concepts and controls. A variety of “special” balls spice up the mix with a few fun – but carefully tuned to not be overwhelming – special attacks. Holding a player/ball and “charging” them will shoot them straight up in the air, allowing them to bring themselves back to the ground as a guided missile, impacting the ground with a powerful AOE attack. In a cool twist, players can roll themselves into a ball to be picked up and thrown by other players for one-shot knockout. Players have a pretty powerful jump to take advantage of the sizable maps’ verticality, and a double jump opens a Breath of the Wild glider that makes it easier to get around, but also makes you a vulnerable target. Dodging out of the way and ducking behind objects are great ways for your opponents to avoid getting hit, so as an aggressor, you need to time things just right and choose the correct throw if you want to hear that satisfying “doink” sound your ball makes when it blasts into someone’s head. While players do not need to aim (the reticle shows up whenever anyone is in range), there is still the matter of timing the shot and catching your opponents off guard. A few trick shots are easily available to everyone, allowing for bomb shots and curved shots that can whip around corners to track your target. But watch out, because players can catch the ball and whip it right back at you. If you hit them twice, they are out, respawning after a few moments and granting your team a point. You know the basic rules, but they are tweaked here to make for a better videogame. Knockout City is all about dodgeball, every kids most beloved and dreaded middle school gym sport. The second is that you don’t have to aim. But there are two primary factors that, in my mind, set Knockout City apart and will ensure that it lives a long and successful life. I haven’t seen a game that can draw in such a diverse crowd since Fortnite, and indeed, Knockout City tickles a lot of those same sensitive pleasure areas in the brain. It seems almost impossible, but Knockout City works for everybody. But Knockout City is also appealing to people that adore competitive online multiplayer games. Knockout City is a competitive online multiplayer game for people that do not like competitive online multiplayer games. I frankly haven’t spoken to anyone that doesn’t love it. Here we have a competitive online game for the masses – something for everyone to enjoy. EA and Velan Studios’ Knockout City is something of a revelation.
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