A major coup for Xbox Game Pass in the last year – as well as the hundreds of ‘free’ games at your fingertips – has been the addition of EA Play to the service. And that addition is bringing us EA’s latest release, Knockout City, to thousands of gamers through Game Pass as it releases on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. PlayStation, PC and Switch players can also get in on the brawling!
Developed by Velan Studios over in New York, Knockout City encapsulates the whole ‘city that never sleeps’ vibe with enough loud noises and vibrant colours to keep anyone buzzing for days on end. What we have here is essentially dodgeball on steroids – commonly 3v3 match-ups over online play, in which the first team to rack up a certain amount of kills, collect a certain amount of gems, or the like takes home the bragging rights.
The aim of the game with Knockout City is to time your catches and throws perfectly – an incoming throw only has a brief window of time for you to catch the ball, or you’ll be on the receiving end of a dodgeball to the face and one hitpoint down. Get hit twice, and that’s both a life lost and a lifetime of embarrassment never to be forgotten…
The way you outsmart your opponents is to incorporate a number of dummy throws, tackles, and chaining together exciting traversal moves like double jumps and gliding to catch your opponents off-guard – it really is a game of cat and mouse; one that gets a whole lot more strategic as you progress through the ranks.
‘Throw’ in special balls, the ability to throw your own teammates for devastating exploding shots, a number of modes including the tense 1v1 showdown, and the all-important colourful maps to learn, and what you have here is a recipe for beautiful chaos.
In an age where customisation is key, Velan certainly aren’t letting us down, launching our way a number of cosmetic items to really make your avatar your own – the introduction of a ‘Crew’ system, in which you can equip unique items for you and your mates, just sweetens the deal.
We wholeheartedly recommend checking out gameplay videos of this wacky title from EA, as it really can only be seen to be fully appreciated. If you happen to be a Game Pass subscriber, there is no reason not to give it a try – you have four days to learn the ropes before the start of Season 1 on the 25th May!
Knockout City can now be purchased from the Xbox Store for £19.99 or £24.99 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One (with shiny X|S optimisations to boot), all dependant on whether you wish to grab the Block Party Edition or the Deluxe Block Party Edition. Each do pretty much as you would expect of the base game, with the latter throwing in some Deluxe Content – an Epic outfit, vehicle, logo, banners and 1000 Holobux. Alternatively, heading over to the PlayStation, Switch and PC stores will sort you out for such platforms. Oh, and the game is cross-play and cross-progression, and it has a free trial from 21st-30th May. What’s not to love?!
Keep an eye out for our full review of Knockout City soon. Happy brawling!
Game Description:
Team up and duke it out with rival Crews in Knockout City™, where EPIC DODGEBALL BATTLES settle the score in team-based multiplayer matches. Throw, catch, pass, dodge, and tackle your way to dodgeball dominance!