Velan Studios, the studio behind the mixed-reality racer Mario Kart Live: Home, announced its following title: Knockout City, a team-based online dodgeball game. And it’s coming soon, as the game will be released on May 21 on Origin, Steam, the Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, with improvements for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. EA releases the game under its EA Originals- label. .
Knockout City‘s attack on dodgeball is similar to what you probably played in the gym. You and your team try to hit your opponents with balls while avoiding and catching the balls thrown at you at the same time. In addition to straight throwing, you can bend your shots, throw balls over obstacles, and even fake, to try and catch your opponent off balance.
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Image: Velan Studios
But there is a lot that you probably did not deal with when you played dodgeball as a child. There are balls with special powers, like a bomb that will inflate (hopefully not in your hands). You can also turn yourself in a ball, and your teammates can chase you around, focus you on enemies, or even use your built-up form for a special attack.
You will automatically lock opponents in the neighborhood, which means you do not have to worry as much about the goal as in other team-based games. Instead, Knockout City It seems like it’s more about the strategic timing of your throws or coordinating with your teammates to get a good angle on someone.
The game also has a sleek street-inspired style that is aided by the large variety of cosmetics in the game. You can unlock new cosmetics by completing certain tasks or by buying them at Holobux, Knockout City’s in-game currency. And from what I could see, the game seems to have an excellent soundtrack. During a preview, I heard a jazz big-band song that would feel right in a home Unbelievable Movie.
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Image: Velan Studios
Knockout City’s a seductive look of dodgeball and its distinctive style reminded me a lot of Splatoon, which gives a Nintendo twist on the team-based shooter genre with excellent results. I could not try Knockout City myself yet, but I look forward to giving it a try.
The game costs $ 19.99, and the fixed fee gives you access to all nine weeks of seasons. Velan Studios plans to offer a free trial of the full game when it launches, but he did not announce how long the trial will last. There is also a closed beta on the computer on 20 and 21 February.
The game also has crossplay and cross-progress between platforms, but you have to buy Knockout City for each platform you want to play it on. It can be a difficult pill to swallow if you are used to games like Fortnite or Rocket League on which device you accidentally used without buying the game straight.