Gang Beasts Review : Physics-Based Brawling Lands On The switch

I ’ m ashamed to say, that despite hearing tales of the hilarious physics-based antics of developer Boanloaf ’ s Gang Beasts, I ’ ve never actually played it. Until now, that is. With Gang Beasts last making its way to the Nintendo Switch, I decided to jump and see what I ’ ve been missing out on. And, equally soon as I had jumped into a few matches, it was immediately clear that what I ’ five hundred been missing out on was a sin of a distribute of fun ! Given that Gang Beasts has been around in some form since 2014 when it was released in early access on personal computer, I doubt that it ’ s a deed that needs much insertion for most. If you ’ re like me, however, and had never sampled this askew physics-based brawler, let me get you up to speed.

Octodad Meets Smash

Before jump in for my beginning game, a colleague here at Hey Poor Player told me to expect “ absolute chaos ” and described the game and its controls as something akin to “ bibulous Octodad. ” Hilariously, he was absolutely spot on, as I think Gang Beasts is good described as bibulous Octodad, with a hint of Smash. true, upon entering the independent menu, Gang Beasts comes across as quite a circumscribed box. Players can opt to jump into local or on-line shimmer, the latter of which is supported by matchmaking. The modes seem initially sparse, with free for all, team-based battles, a soccer mini-game, and wave defense mechanism modality being the only options available. Upon jumping into my first base couple, though, I soon realized that this international relations and security network ’ t a title that needs a wealth of modes and gameplay options. much like something like Rocket League, Gang Beasts is a nigh-on perfect example of how an amazingly playfulness and simple gameplay loop is more than enough to keep players coming back. At its effect, Gang Beasts is an highly dim-witted PvP brawler. Jump, kick, punch and grab inputs are just about the only controls you need to commit to memory, with movement handled by the leave joint. As person who normally shy ’ s away from complex brawlers or fighting games, I was initially please to see that this looked to be a brawler that catered towards person such as I, who immediately enters button-mashing panic mode when playing any competitive combat-based game .

deceptive simplicity

“ Excellent, ” I thought ! “ I ’ ve got this, ” I said to myself as I loaded up the matchmaking, searching for a game of melee, Gang Beasts ’ free for all mood. The next few moments were a bit of a smear, as I came to the startling realization that not only would I be fighting my opposition, but I would besides be wrestling with the purposefully awkward controls and physics that much of Gang Beasts ’ hook shot relies upon. My adversary danced rings around me, looking like a jumping bean on acid, dressed as Rick from Rick and Morty. I spammed my attack buttons with heedless abandon, trying to make sense of it all. I bounced off walls, railings, and came perilously close to throwing myself into a pit of burning fire, wholly unaware of how best to control my floppy limbed avatar. then, just as I was last getting to grips with how to move in a square agate line, my opponent, who apparently had a black belt in how to play Gang Beasts, channeled his inner Liu Kang and launched himself towards me with what appeared to be a flying kick. I was down, my eyes were shut, and before I knew it, my opponent hoisted me above his head with two hands and launched me into the fiery depths below. Shocked and confused, I said to myself ; “ oh male child, so there are levels to this sh*t. ”

Hidden Depths

Jumping in for a few more rounds with my dignity in tatters, Gang Beasts finally began to click. At a airfoil level, Gang Beasts is an highly straightforward party brawler. Dig a small deep, though, and as with all good physics-based games, there is a method acting to the rabies. You ’ ll memorize to balance and manage your momentum, so you don ’ triiodothyronine propel yourself off the side of a moving hand truck, or a blimp, or any of the other 21 hilarious and parlous stages that battles play out on. next, you ’ ll realize that the deceptively simple move set is capable of a lot more than it first seems ; in the right hands, of course. By combining punches, kicks, headbutt, and jumps in the right manner, more complex moves like throws, flying kicks, and leaping headbutts are all possible. The stages themselves are there to be mastered besides. It may not seem it at first base, but after watching person elegantly jump between shipping containers suspended in mid-air whilst I struggled to walk to the border of one without plummeting to my death, it ’ south clearly there is an art to how Gang Beasts unpredictable physics can be manipulated.

equitable For Laughs

I ’ m never going to be able to gracefully move around Gang Beasts stages, putting together Bruce Lee esque highlight reels. It doesn ’ t matter, though, as, in all honesty, I think this type of game works dear when you lose yourself to the absurdity and chaos, throwing strategy out of the window. This is an feel that is bespoke for people like me, who are equitable interested in sitting some kin or friends in battlefront of the television receiver and letting them have at it over a few drinks. certain, you can do spectacular things if you truly master the simpleton motion laid, but I think that about defeats the purpose of Gang Beasts. It ’ s a title that in truth sings when you ’ re in the lapp room as a bunch of people who have no theme as to what they are doing beyond the basic inputs. Embrace the chaos with local multiplayer, and you ’ ll find that Gang Beasts is able of providing belly laughs like few other games. I spent a few hours in the company of my partner and a employment supporter, both of whom aren ’ thyroxine actually into video games. Despite their lack of interest in the medium in general, they were wholly absorbed, laughing their direction late into the night cashbox we got to the period where we weren ’ triiodothyronine certain whether it was the game ’ randomness physics that were causing us to repeatedly walk straight to our deaths, or the bottles of wine we had good plowed through. It ’ s the above know that has resulted in Gang Beasts decidedly being something I intend to keep install going forwards. The hilarious simplicity of it perfectly complements a party atmosphere, and I can decidedly see this becoming separate of my regular rotation when I have friends over before heading out for drinks. Besides the unblock for all battles where my meter review was largely exhausted, Gang Beasts besides has team-based battles, adenine well as a football and drove mood dash mini-game. I ’ ve only briefly dabbled with these, and can ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate delay to dig deeper into these modes and see just how chaotic things can get when upping the numeral of players on screen door .

Your mileage May Vary

honestly, it ’ south heavily to find fault with Gang Beasts. The only complaint I can in truth level at it is the lack of variety in modes which I touched on earlier. The football mini-game is a blast, and it would be bang-up to see what else the developers can do with the balmy physics. At the same prison term, I ’ molarity slightly hesitant to even call this a gripe, given how playfulness the existing modes already are. That ’ mho not to mention the tractability and variety already within those modes in terms of stages and how many players you add to the mix. I silent think it ’ south worth calling out though, as your mileage may vary depending on how much of a kick you get out of what is already in place .

termination

Unless you flatly hate having fun, Gang Beasts ’ hilarious and deceptively simple physics-based fight is an absolute good time, specially when played locally with friends and family. certain, it could possibly be a bite more fleshed out in terms of modes, and playing on-line may not result in the like horizontal surface of fun as local play. however, when viewed strictly as a local multiplayer party plot, which you can ’ thymine help oneself but feel is the way it was intended to be played, I can ’ t think of many experiences that are as capable of entertaining for an evening in the manner that Gang Beasts is. final verdict : 4.5/5

Available on: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC; Publisher: Skybound Games; Developer: Boanloaf; Players: 1-8; Released: October 12, 2021 (for Nintendo Switch); ESRB: E10+ Everyone 10+; MSRP: $29.99 Full Disclosure: A Gang Beasts review copy was provided by the publisher.