Blast Brawl 2: Bloody Boogaloo is a hard game to review. For the asking price of 15$, there isn’t much here… some tutorials, a wave mode and a local versus mode. And that’s a real shame, because I had a ‘Blast’ with what there is.
Blast Brawl is a 2D brawler, where the only things you need to worry about are dodging and killing…and the occasional taunting. The controls are quite simple; LT is a block/parry, RT is your attack. LB is your dodge ability and RB is your character’s special move (anything from laying down proximity mines to going invisible.) You move with the left stick and you can taunt with Y. Each level has various vertical and horizontal elements to it, and you can jump with the A button to access these locations. The movement is very fluid, and although the control scheme may seem simple, it will take a bit of time to get good at.
Before I dig into the gameplay, I’ve got to say, this game is just so full of personality. It’s got this really retro look, some old arcade-y music and brings a pixelated style like the old classics. The characters are very diverse in the way they look and play, and you can tell the differences in the way they move and fight. The maps go from vibrant to dark, and offer nice changes between themselves. The game is fun solo, and it’s even more fun if you play with friends.
The gameplay is fluid, it’s fast, and it’s just relatively fun to play. The characters all have different abilities, and can be really unique; like the snipers long range rifle, or the vanguards defensive shield. Each character not only has different attacks and abilities, but their movement speed and dodge abilities also differ. Along with that, each character has a bio that can be read, and some taunts that you can use that are quite hilarious as well. Still though, it’s disappointing, as the game only has seven characters to choose from, which you will unlock using the in-game currency. Unfortunately, this is quite useless after an hour or so, because it’s only used to unlock characters.
Blast Brawl 2 is quite difficult initially, but rewards a skilled hand. Learning each character takes a few games, and mastering them may take much longer. The game definitely rewards players who can keep up their mobility, and it punishes people who can’t keep up with its fast paced brawls.
The maps are quite good, with each one having its own unique enemy types, but unfortunately there are only four maps in total. In the “Neon City”, there are zombies and demons, and in the “Bunker”, there are some robot type enemies. The maps also have events that occur; there is a map near an artillery base which gets bombarded every once and awhile. The last map, which is in a dark cave, has movable lights so you can see different parts of the arena, but not all of it at once.
The amount of enjoyment I got out of such a simple premise greatly surprised me. Blast Brawl 2 is a very easy game to pick up and play, whether by yourself, or with a group. There aren’t a lot of games out right now where you can just jump into some hectic action for a few minutes, then leave. It’s definitely a nice change of pace from the norm, but as of this moment, there is just not much to keep players interested. In the future, the game will definitely receive some updates, as even in the game, the developer mentions that it isn’t finished yet.
But ultimately, It really leaves me wishing for more, there are just so many possibilities. I really wish there was some type of side scrolling campaign, but there is nothing like that here. If there was an online PvP even, my play time would have probably at least doubled. There just isn’t anything to keep me playing. Even some small additions like new costumes that can be bought would add to this games playtime. Obviously some new maps and modes would be great, and for 15$ there isn’t a lot of bang for your buck.
If you like old style games, or you’re just looking for something you can play for short amounts of time that’ll keep you entertained, this may be something you look at buying. Outside of that, I can’t really justify spending 15$ on this when there are a lot of other indie games that give you a more wholesome experience for around the same price.