I believe it’s fair to say that Rocket League had helped to influence a new kind of genre within gaming: the super-competitive yet daft as hell sports game. Since Rocket League, we’ve had Disc Jam, Laser League, the return of Windjammers and the announcement of Windjammers 2. Hyperbrawl Tournament is another example, but it has all the makings of becoming a breakout hit.
Hyperbrawl plays out like a cross between Windjammers and Rocket League, or “Handball” as its known in the much more boring real world. In either 1v1 or 2v2 games, players compete to throw a ball into the opponent’s goal while slapping the piss out of each other. Sounds simple enough, until the opposing player uses a jetpack and ground pounds the floor, KOing everyone in the area.
Yes, power-ups factor into the game, but they’re given big cooldown times so that they can’t be relied upon at all times. Some of the best power-ups included the aforementioned jetpack, a mag glove that brings stray balls to you no matter where they are in the arena, a grappling hook that can KO opponents from long range and a massive hammer for when punching fools isn’t good enough.
Hyperbrawl Tournament also includes multiple characters with varied stats, which makes team composition just as important as throwing the ball in the goal. Strong characters are best served bullying opponents or going for Hail Mary throws, while faster characters are more adept at picking up loose balls or making the defense look like a bunch of idiots. It’s about finding the style that’s right for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASa-_jtcLJY
At a base level, Hyperbrawl should make for an entertaining party game as power-ups and friendly fire are present. Yes, you can KO your teammate, and yes, you can throw the ball so hard it bounces off a wall and knocks you into the middle of next week, and both are absolutely hilarious. With four friends, the chaos and bedlam makes for brilliant fun.
Still, Hyperbrawl Tournament also hides another layer of skill underneath the cutesy graphics and over the top gameplay. Using the right stick after throwing a ball allows you to use aftertouch to guide the ball’s flight once it’s left your hand, allowing you to curve the ball in ridiculous ways. Mastering this feature will mean the difference between a casual player and, well, the Milky Tea dev team that were on hand to play with EGX attendees.
Much of Hyperbrawl Tournament’s success will be determined by how well it manages to sustain itself post-launch, but the model is there to allow for new characters, arenas and power-ups in free updates after the game launches early next year for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. We’ll see you in the arena.
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