I’ll be honest here by saying that fighting games really aren’t my thing; this is something that became very evident to me back in the PS1 era. Unsurprisingly, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (try saying that five times fast!) followed this trend, without even receiving a second glance from me.
Battle Royale boasts over twenty first and third party PlayStation characters, each with their own moves and unique abilities. You can’t deny that there is certainly something special, and incredibly crazy, about pitting Nathan Drake up against LittleBigPlanet’s Sackboy or a Big Daddy from BioShock.
Another point in favour for Battle Royale is the cross-buy feature, allowing you to receive both the PS3 and PS Vita versions for one purchase. There has also been a healthy amount of DLC following release including new characters and arenas.
Blair, unlike me, was a lot more enthusiastic about the game when he reviewed it, scoring the game an impressive 9/10.
Although he initially called the game “a tough one to judge” he went on to say that “the arcade mode is perfectly played out”. He also gave credit to the character-specific stories before and after each arcade mode saying that “SuperBot should be proud of just how loyal they’ve been with each game series”.
For the review Blair tried out the PS Vita counter part too, concluding that the “Vita version is every bit as good a game”.
To put it simply, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is exactly what a mash-up should be – not single game environments, not stories that only include the character of one specific game, but a fusion – a celebration even – of the brilliant PlayStation games that we all know and love.
It’s a complete package with a few flaws, but ultimately a brilliant purchase for both PlayStation and fighting fans. Get some friends around – or play with them online – and have an absolute blast with SuperBot’s brilliant debut.
Now it’s over to you to share your opinions on Battle Royale. Pop down your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to remember to give the game either a Buy It, Bargain Bin It, Rent It or Avoid It rating. We’ll have the verdict article up next Monday, so get your thoughts down by Sunday.
Kennykazey
One of the best party games on PS3, and one of the most impressive looking Vita games out there. Not quite as good as SSB, but damned close. Buy it, so we may see a sequel with decent menus.
Sitorimon
Love the game – buy iy. It is perfect for some amazing multiplayer locally and its ability to be quite a level playing field. I think snobbery got the better of it – just because it’s like Smash Bros – it doesn’t mean it’s not an awesome game in its own right. I do wish sometimes the press would get over itself and stop being so lazy in general about how they lump everything together. Shame really, I think that in part ruined its success.
Bodachi
I love PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. I’ve got the platinum in both versions and I still play it from time to time. I’m a sucker for a crossover and getting to play as characters that I adore is brilliant. I have little attachment to Nintendo characters so I never really cared much for Smash Brothers but given that I’ve played every series that these characters are from I was over the moon when I heard the game was coming it.
It is the perfect fighting game to play for parties as anyone can play it as you don’t have to learn an extensive move set. It saddens me that we may never see a sequel to as it performed so poorly as I think given everything learnt from the first title as second one could be amazing like the jump from the original Smash Brothers to Melee.
It is a love letter to PlayStation fans and I hope that it isn’t the only game we get.
BUY IT.
SYY2127
Short and simple, All-Stars is one of those games that you buy once and then every time a couple friends are over you can have a blast with over and over. Worth every penny. Buy it.
ProjectJAY
I’d never been more excited for a game as I was for PlayStation All-Stars. I couldn’t wait to play a fighting game where I could duke it out as Jak and Ratchet. Smash Bros comparisons be damned. I won’t lie; it didn’t quite live up to my expectations…but those expectations were so high that they almost escaped the Earth’s gravitational pull.
What I got was a fighting game that actually managed to balance accessibility and depth; something a lot of more famous fighting games (*cough* Street Fighter *cough*) struggle to do. The Marmite Super system was unconventional but makes the game unique and is incredibly gratifying when it works. And the fan service is staggering; from the stage mash-ups to the rival cutscenes and even the small details in things like each character’s moves and dialogue.
As a PlayStation fan, I can’t help but crack a smile every time I boot up this game. If you too or a fan, or if you’re looking for a different kind of fighting game, then BUY IT.
elpablo79
This is a strange one. This game has a lot going for it, good graphics and broad range of fighters. The single player modes themselves are good, although I still feel more could have been done with it. It’s a game I do enjoy playing but primarily it would be for local multiplayer. A sequel, which probably wont’t happen, would be able to build on this, as there’s certainly a solid framework here. Bargain bin it