- Adding character personality to the battle royale
- Varied character playstyles and gear customisation
- Effective implementation of touchscreen controls
It was in 2017 that the landscape of competitive gaming was changed forever when Fortnite burst onto the scene with weird blue juice and a mess of blueprints. It continues to thrive by introducing new content and other games are trying to make their mark in the battle royale genre while they still can. This is where Battle Crush makes an impact using the efforts of NCSoft to catch attention. It’s currently in beta so there’s still a lot to be worked out in development, but there may be enough already to get us excited for the finished version.
What is Battle Crush?
If you’re playing a battle royale hoping to get swept up into a rich and emotional narrative journey, you don’t understand the point of this genre. That being said, Battle Crush might be trying to do more than have a bunch of weirdoes throwing hands in an arena. It takes place in some sort of floating island realm where even the least majestic warriors can visit with relative ease. There is some sort of power manifesting in this realm and everyone wants it, only willing to share it with two others at best. So, it becomes a race to eliminate everyone else before the island falls apart and gravity gets the drop on you.
The Battle Crush Pros
Betas are made so that people can see everything it currently has to offer and try to find any issues that could ruin the experience. As it stands, Battle Crush is in a fairly solid state. It seems to combine elements of Fortnite with League Of Legends in a bid to stand out. You don’t have avatars, you have Calixers, which are different warriors that all have their own style of playing, pacing, and variety to make them feel different, at least to a degree.
However, much like “Heroes”, “Champions”, and whatever term is given to “online game character with a name and background”, you can customise them. You have the usual visual goods of cosmetics to make your version of the dinosaur athlete support a team you like, but you can also change their gear. You can give them different weapons and armour that unlock as you play to change what kind of edge they have in battle. There’s also the on-the-go gear mechanic that lets you equip temporary weapons and armour as you collect them, improving yourself bit by bit as the fight progresses.
Despite the general hectic nature of the online competitive scene and battle royale overall, the game has been tailored effectively for mobile and touchscreen play. There are enough movements and attacks for engaging combat, but not so much that you’ll be floundering just to move, dodge, or use items. The loot and interacting have been streamlined to trigger on contact so those are countless seconds saved in the heat of battle.
The Battle Crush Cons
Since this is a beta, harshness has to be tempered in a certain way. You could criticise the cake batter for being too goopy and Battle Crush still needs time to bake. That being said, maybe some of its ingredients need rethinking. First off, a lot of resources will need to be put into having and maintaining quality servers. Any lag or processing hiccups can instantly break the flow and slowly start building frustration.
The biggest issue with this cake is the taste: It’s too familiar. Right now it’s shaping up to be a competent and efficient blend of two familiar styles, but it needs more to help it stand out in terms of gameplay. The character designs and behaviours are a good start, but we need to be able to do more with them. This point may end up being moot if additional game modes or even a campaign are in the works, but even so, only having the battle royale format leaves this game at risk of becoming stale.
Crushing on Battle Crush
Battle Crush is the upcoming battle royale by NCSoft that’s getting comfortable on mobile. The characters are colourful and dynamic, the battle royale feels slower-paced and strategic, and the controls work quite well. What should be taken from the beta tests is ensuring that this stylised game will run smoothly and firmly and that more gameplay elements and activities will be introduced so that this title can battle crush it!
