PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Review Round-Up

It’s easy to be cynical about a game that borrows so heavily from a well-loved franchise. And there’s no question that, on the surface at least, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale bears more than a striking resemblance to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. But this is a game where appearances can be deceptive. Underneath its collection of classic (and not so classic) characters, four-player battles, and tongue-in-cheek franchise mash-ups lies a fighter that eschews button mashing and over-the-top special moves for a deeper, more technical fighting experience. (Gamespot)

Outside of matches, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a somewhat plain game. Its menus and options are functional but uninteresting and, for all the attention to detail that has been lavished on the characters and their move lists, the more general presentation lacks flair. Seth Killian’s involvement (the ex-Capcom designer best known for his appearance in Street Fighter 4 as the final boss) is likely responsible for the excellent tutorials, which teach not only the basic move list for each character but also a number of combos, and there’s a faint sense that the game hopes to find a place in the competitive game circuit. But as a serious fighting game Battle Royale is, like its inspiration, too scrappy, too random and too unfocused to warrant the accolade. Meanwhile, as a celebration of lineage, the game boasts far fewer extras than 2008’s comprehensive expression of the fan service fighter, Super Smash Bros. Brawl – and, perhaps, Sony lacks the lineage for a celebration on this scale. An enjoyable, workable clone then – and a surprisingly un-cynical one – but lacking the raw ingredients to truly replicate Nintendo’s success in this niche. (Eurogamer)

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale isn’t perfect, and it clearly owes its existence to something very special that came before it. But it’s also special in its own right. PlayStation fans have long had to deal with unfair comparisons to Smash Bros. while eagerly awaiting this game, but the wait is over, and now you can see for yourself that the two games are as different as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. PlayStation has a proud, nearly two-decade-long legacy, and All-Stars celebrates it. It combines characters, environments and ideas into a tight package that’s worthy of consideration for anyone who owns a PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita and considers themselves a brand loyalist or simply a longtime fan. The fact that the experience is identical on both platforms, that you’ll receive both versions for the price of one, and that progress can be shared between PS3 and Vita to make one ubiquitous ecosystem is hopefully a sign of what’s to come with PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and beyond (even if the game is certainly more at home on PS3). I know it’ll be hard for some skeptics to believe, but PlayStation All-Stars is its own game, and it even happens to do some things better than what inspired it. Give it a try and see for yourself. (IGN)

Brawlers are the silly brother of fighting games. Maybe you’re not terribly proficient with fighters. Maybe you go to arcades and would love to approach the unoccupied joystick, but that one dude has the most fierce look on his face that you just know he’ll end up wiping the floor with you. Enter a game like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, where it’s much easier to get a handle on each character’s moves, and therefore a lot more accessible to all sorts of players. The next time your friends are around and not too keen on versing you in a fighting game for fear of embarrassment, you can tell them to rest assured knowing that this brawler is fun and accessible. And they may even catch a reference or two that gets them smiling for the recognition. (Kotaku)

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