BRAWLOUT Critic Reviews

Good but limited Smash Bros. like game that can conquer the hearts of those that are waiting for a real Smash Bros. game while they're waiting.

It is easy to call Brawlout a Super Smash Bros.-clone. It is, but this game choses competition over party and if you are ready to do a lot of grinding, you will thoroughly enjoy this game.

The biggest problem of Brawlout is his lack of identity. A funny and aggressive fighting game for Switch with interesting game mechanics and a lot of single-player and multiplayer content. Perfect for local play with other three friends.

So is Brawlout a good game? Yes, for the most part, it offers everything I would hope to see in a fight arena game. However, a lack of ingenuity in design and some awkward paywalls in the store may find this title on the wrong side of a TKO judgment come round 12 in the ring.

Brawlout had an uphill battle going into its Nintendo Switch launch, and while the fighting is good the lack of variety in the roster coupled with the steep learning curve brings the whole experience down a few notches.

Brawlout, especially in local multiplayer, is immediate and fun to play.

Brawlout’s core action is a lot of fun; with a huge amount of ideas inspired by genre greats such as Super Smash Bros., the action feels tight, fast, and can be a pleasure to play. The limited character roster means that attack variations can only go so far, and some performance hiccups prevent Brawlout from being truly wonderful, but for an on-the-go, cheaper alternative to a game that hasn’t even been announced for the console yet, this isn't a bad choice – just make sure to keep the issues we mentioned in mind.

Brawlout is positioning itself as the sort of indie Smash, especially with its addition of Hyper Light Drifter and Juan into the mix. With proper post-launch support, and most importantly, an audience, it could grow and fill that Bowser-sized hole that Smash Wii U left. Until then it'll serve as a fun party game that could be a little more.

In its current state, Brawlout is a competent Smash clone. While its frantic and deep mechanics are a fun time for competitive types, the overall lack of features can make the game feel empty at times. However, with promised updates and patches, this game could take the spot as one of the better fighting games on the Switch.

Brawlout is fundamentally a great take on the Smash Bros. format, and they’ve nailed the weight of the characters, movement, and the pure fun that getting four players together for some combative carnage can bring. Unfortunately the limited roster and the unrewarding grind of the in-game store can temper that somewhat, but as a starting point for a new indie fighting franchise there’s a lot here to like.

Brawlout is a fine smashlike for Nintendo Switch, though has got some pretty evident flaws.

Brawlout probably isn’t for most Smash fans, including me. It simply can’t compete in terms of roster size, interesting characters, and overall personality. All of those things are critically important. Gating what little it has to offer behind a slow-drip progression feed is a mistake, too. Players who don’t have the time or patience to unlock everything can console themselves with the knowledge that they aren’t missing out on much.

Brawlout feels like it was perhaps released a little too early on Switch. At the time of writing, it still hasn't left Early Access on PC, and feels like it could still do with some tweaking and perhaps a reassessment of its piñata loot system. Still, if you're desperate for a Super Smash Bros. style brawler on Switch there may be enough here to warrant a purchase as long as you plan to put plenty of hours in with your friends.

Brawlout isn’t terrible, but it’s a struggle to recommend to anyone. If you play Smash Bros. by yourself a lot, maybe this has the kind of content you’ll enjoy, but with no reason for casual players to get involved, and an inferior competitive game compared to Smash, Brawlout isn’t a game I’d put on my wishlist.

If you’re a Nintendo fan desperate for a Smash clone to pass the time you may have some fun with Brawlout. Just be prepared to deal with the grind and have a couple local friends that you can battle with, but If you go into the game expecting it to live up to Nintendo’s multi-franchise powerhouse though you’ll be sorely disappointed.

While Brawlout won’t become a staple of my local multiplayer hangouts, it’s a fun game that apes the Smash Bros. experience as well as any other competitor has. Being the best Smash Bros. clone might not add up to much, but Brawlout is very much that. It’s unfortunately bogged down by a dearth of single-player material and ultimately, this game is doomed by the fact that it stakes so much in online play that doesn’t run well. If the online was workable, Brawlout would be much better. As it stands, it’s not, and this is a highly flawed experience.

Brawlout is clearly trying its best to create a unique identity from the game that inspired it. However, the ways in which it's trying to do this--by removing key mechanics and putting an emphasis on grindy unlocks--don't work in its favor. Combine this with an online mode that just doesn't seem to function correctly most of the time and you've got a game that's disappointing in its current form.

Brawlout tried to differentiate itself from its inspiration, but ultimately the changes it made, took their toll on the overall experience. The omission of blocking and grabbing is weird and the online could be better, but it’s still a fun game, albeit a bit underwhelming.

Brawlout attempts to fill a niche that is currently not occupied on the Switch. Unfortunately, being plagued by a rushed launch, it is not fully polished and feels lacking in content. Combat, the main focus of this platform fighter, feels clunky and requires a fair amount of tweaking before it's "just right." Paired with a handful of bugs and questionable mechanics, competitive players might not be satisfied with the current status of this title, but more casual players or those who want a party game with friends can find some enjoyment to be had here.

There are flashes of what might have been, but otherwise Brawlout doesn't feel so much a plucky underdog as a no-hoper, entering a fight it knows it can't win in the hope of a big payday just for showing up. A first-round stoppage to the champion, then, with the challenger being booed out of the ring.