Release Date: April 20th, 2017
Developer: Angry Mob Games
Platforms: Steam (Reviewed), coming to Switch and other consoles
Price: $19.99

If Smash Brothers and Street Fighter combined games the results may be something like this. Brawlout is a fast paced game inspired by Smash Bros. There is a unique depth to this game which makes it seem a lot like traditional fighting games such as Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter. Join The Gamers Lounge as we dive into this game with our fists flying trying to figure it out.

Steam has had a few of these brawlers that have had pretty good followings. Two that come to mind almost immediately are Brawlhalla and Rivals of Aethers. Both Brawlhalla and Rivals have some of the elements of Super Smash Brothers but are different in their own ways. This is similar to what Brawlout offers; there are some things gamers have seen before, but also some nice new touches that make it stand out.

Unlike Brawlhalla, Brawlout has no weapons, but it does have very vibrant and energetic characters. All of the characters are based on animals with a unique twist. Each of the characters has their own distinct moveset. There is a rage meter that fills as the player dishes out damage. This meter can be used to execute combo breakers or let players activate Rage mode and deal more damage with knockbacks.

All of the characters in Brawlout have a double jump and recovery just like in Smash Bros. The characters also have special moves which were ripped straight from other fighting games.

So what makes this stand out amongst the other brawlers on Steam? There are no grabs or shields, fast offense is the key to staying alive and winning. I felt as if the game could have used more strategy and the levels could have been bigger. The biggest tip I took away in the first few mins was that everyone new and old will need to learn the recovery moves fast. I enjoyed how fast and fluid the combat is. The graphics look good for this game, the stages background and themes contrast well with the colorful characters.

Here are the things that could be improved as the game is continually work on. Brawlout is in early access so take everything it features with a grain of salt. I found the respawn irritating, players respawn fast but it's usually in the middle of combat. The online multiplayer right now is terrible and is almost unplayable. I had no luck getting this to work. But for $20 the game is still fun and worth someone’s hard earned money if they enjoy this genre. The rumor is Brawlout is coming to other platforms.

Thanks to the publisher for letting us review the game.

Pros
-Fast gameplay
-Fun and colorful characters

Cons
-Online play is terrible
-Needs more characters

Brawlout Review