Fortnite’s influence on Spellbreak is visible everywhere – there’s even an ever-encroaching killer storm for goodness' sake – but the main way in which Spellbreak notably splits from its inspiration is in the distinctly fluid form of magical combat. To say that the genre has become saturated is quite the understatement, then, which makes it that much more difficult for a newcomer to stand out.Įnter Spellbreak, an enjoyable new battle royale which ultimately feels like it’s releasing about two or three years too late. There’s a battle royale version of Tetris. There’s a battle royale version of Super Mario Bros. If you want something a little goofier, you can try for some crowns in Fall Guys. Fortnite has proven itself to be the poster child, of course, but there are other shooter alternatives like Call of Duty: Warzone or Apex Legends. These days, it’s hard to imagine that there was once a time when the 'battle royale' genre didn’t exist. We don’t need extra long animated winning poses, or taking 5 seconds to open each of the 10 boxes you’ve got.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Have I mentioned how much I hate all the waiting around in something like Fall Guys? And many other games. A quick screen saying you came first (or whatever) and then back into the next match. Kind of glad it doesn’t have anything fancy when you win too. More spells and runes might be nice in future, and a much better thing for the developers to be putting their time into than squeezing in a story. Especially when all that chaos is happening around you and you’re trying to revive a team mate and exile another player before they can get revived.Īt least it tries to do something different to the 83 other battle royale games launched this year.Īnd nobody needs a story in a game like that. Once you get to the end of a match and everyone’s exploding toxic clouds and launching firenados all over the place, it gets to be lots of fun. A game which feels equally rewarding whether you come first and last isn’t going to get many endorphins a pass to exit your pituitary gland. I looked at the screen and thought to myself, is this it? It was only after the next match that I realised the victory screen looks identical whether you come first or fourteenth. I won my first game, systematically murdering my rivals and eventually wound up looking at a screen of my avatar milling around saying I came first. Everyone loves the fanfare that comes with besting their opponents. This is a game with so much potential thanks to the depth of its gameplay, but it just doesn’t feel particularly satisfying.Įveryone likes winning. The problem is the other side of that coin. Since you can only equip one at a time, choosing the right rune, and choosing between your current rune an upgraded version of a less powerful one, adds another layer of customisation and character building to a game which is already building a fair amount of depth. The equipment and scrolls are much of a muchness - you either find them or you don’t - but the runes are actually interesting. Scattered around the Hollow Lands, you’ll find runes which grant powerful abilities, like invisibility or the ability to scan for enemies, Predator style equipment that allows you to run faster, wear more armour or wield more mana and scrolls that level-up your passives. Playing solo is, as with most battle royales, often a game of running around for 10 minutes, looking for someone to fight, before being almost instakilled by a shot to the back. The team modes are pretty engaging, working with friends to take down other players, whether in trios or duos (which has just been unlocked today). This adds a nice layer of strategy for those who want to play co-op. When you become a Level 3 toxicologist, you unlock a passive skill that gives you (and your teammates) the ability to drink potions faster, regardless of whether you want to play as a pyromancer or anything else. Digging a little deeper, you find that each class levels up independently, unlocking perks you can then use across all classes. The class system is just first layer of depth that Spellbreak offers. You can go into the settings and change this manually, but unless you’re accustomed to digging around the settings, you wouldn’t know the option is there. This is all great if you’re right-handed, but lefties will find that their primary weapon is in their offhand, with their secondary weapon - the only one that can change – locked to your main hand.
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