Brawlhalla : Why Do You Need It?

When someone tells me there has been a game created in the style of Super Smash Bros, with a multiplayer community based around MOBA characteristics, you may as well be telling me to take out some more student loans and say goodbye to my already very limited social life.  Brawlhalla is that game, and my gosh darn jimmies haven’t been this rustled in a while…but in the good jimmy rustling way.

Brawlhalla takes the 2D platformed character fighting system to the next level of online.  Developed by Blue Mammoth, and founded by Matt Woomer, who gave us one of our best interviews at PAX and will be posted in one of our upcoming episodes of Not Another Gaming Podcast, Brawlhalla mirrors the gameplay of Super Smash, but also brings forth an expansion into online multiplayer that Smash really never reached.  The combat is face paced with giant gladiatorial weapons spawning from the sky, and these weapons play a much bigger role than the spawn items in Smash.  Think of in Halo, when teams fight over power weapons like the Energy Sword or Rocket Launcher…that kind of importance.  Beyond the amazing gameplay, the online truly reminds me of how MOBAs operate.  If you purchase the game you unlock all of the characters, similar to Smite, however, if you play it for free, there is a rotating schedule of heroes you can play as and earn in game currency to permanently purchase heroes, just like League of Legends.  To my understanding, there will be new heroes released as the game and its community grows, creating longevity for a game that I think could become a staple in fighting game eSports.

Brawhalla hits every sweet spot for me when it comes to multiplayer fighting games.  A battle system in similar fashion to Super Smash Bros, and online community established in comparison to the MOBA genre that I love…..and hate at the same time (fuck you League of Legends).  The team over at Blue Mammoth treated us like royal guests in their kingdom of awesome at PAX and Matt Woomer is easily one of the nicest and most easy going guys we have had the pleasure of interviewing.  Brawlhalla is out now on Steam, Mac, and PS4, so go check it out, the game is fantastic.