Blast Brawl 2 is a fast paced, one hit death 2D arena style fighter, from the development team over at Minds Eye Games, this title pays respects to classic titles of the same genre such as Super Smash Brothers or SamuraiGunn. This games has gained popularity recently at gaming conventions such as PAX and ran a somewhat successful Kickstarter campaign to bring this gem to Xbox and Steam.

 

The game has two modes, Versus and Survival. Now the main point of this game is the versus game mode, you can have up to 4 players battle it out in 2D arenas that span 4 levels. Players can choose from 7 characters each with their own unique personality, weapons and special ability. Survival mode is a 1 to 4 player wave defence game mode, where each wave randomly spawns certain enemies, each level you successfully complete rewards the player with a extra life, which definitely come in handy later on.

As you start the game you have 2 characters to choose from, with several more available to purchase through the in game credits that are awarded with through versus games or through the survival mode, in which credits drop from dead foes.

 

The characters vary from a Brawler, a Warrior, a Sniper, Ninja, Vanguard, Pirate and the Viking. My favourite and probably the most powerful character is the Viking. He swings a huge axe in a circular motion and when you are quick on your feet, you prove to be a powerful force. The Sniper character was probably my least favourite as her weapon takes long to use effectively, I suppose if I practiced with her more I could learn some new tricks. Each other character weapons vary from a sword, to a shotgun, and a powerful shield.

 

I had a opportunity to test out versus mode with my brother and it was quite enjoyable. As mentioned in the beginning of this review, you die from one hit. So that can make a versus game against your buddy extremely competitive. We only played 1v1 as I only own two controllers and our other friend took turns switching with my brother to play. I can only imagine  how much fun a 3 or 4 player game can be.

 

Another great feature of the game is the amazing soundtrack. With dozens of tracks that provide a classic 80's retro gaming feel, to tracks that have a somewhat dark electronic tone. No matter what the track that was currently playing, I always found myself enjoying that retro tone. Any gamer from the 80's/90's I'm sure would agree.

Now let's get on to some of my gripes with the game, while they are few I still feel these points need to be made across.

 

Technically the game only features 4 levels, each with a versus layout and a survival layout. Versus layouts of maps will feature deadly traps and a noticeably larger layout than the survival counterparts. I feel that should of went the other way around, because a smaller are a could prove more competitive in versus and in survival you have such a small area to navigate.

 

My second gripe is the lack of Xbox Live support. Now I know the developer is trying to capture the nature of old school versus brawlers but as we are coming into 2017 and we are on Xbox One and the fact that hundreds of Xbox 360 arcade titles featured Xbox Live multiplayer, it is somewhat inexcusable to not feature Live Multiplayer. For whatever reason this should not drive you away from the game as Live Multiplayer was not the focus or drive behind the game. As stated before its obvious the title aims to capture a old school feel.

 

Now let's talk about achievements. There are 16, 6 are tied to unlocking the extra characters. One for a 4 player MP game, and the rest are tied to surviving wave mode with each character to level 10. A few buddies managed to unlock all 16 within a few hours, although I'll admit they are more skilled than me in these retro style games. Either way all achievements are obtainable and are certainly not impossible or require a perfectly set up playthrough.

 

 Overall for what Blast Brawl 2 is, the game is certainly fun, whether you just buy the game to perfect your skills in survival or to give you and your friends a fun Friday night gaming session at your house. The competitive nature, awesome soundtrack and tough gameplay are worth checking out. The lack of Xbox Live multiplayer and the lack of variety in maps are only small imperfections in this otherwise worthwhile game.

 

Final Score - 7/10

 

Reviewed by Yodz

 

Follow me on Twitter @akaYodz

 

A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review

 

You can purchase Blast Brawl 2 on the Xbox Store Here

 

Release Date - Wednesday‎, ‎October‎ ‎26‎, ‎2016‎

Price - $14.99

Download Size - 2.14 GB

 

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