Knockout City Review

Knockout City
Developer: Velan Studios
Publisher: EA Games
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 (via backwards compatibility)
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

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Dodgeball is a classic game that just so happens to be a favorite of mine. The fast-paced excitement of dodging throws while also trying to get others out is thrilling and always has me wanting to keep playing more (even if I’m not the best at the game). So it should be no surprise then that Knockout City has turned out to not just be one of the best multiplayer games I’ve played in years, but also my absolute favorite.

I wouldn’t have thought this would be the case though after the game was first announced earlier this year. The game’s reveal trailer failed to impress and didn’t foster any interest from me. But after playing the game and getting through my first match, I quickly realized that it was truly something special. A simple, generic multiplayer game this is not.

On the surface, the game is easy to understand; run around the map to any of the ball spawns, and land hits on your opponents to K.O. them and score points. Once you spend enough time with it though, you’ll start to see the extra layers of depth that provide different skills and tactics to master. For example, there are different types of throws you can perform. You have your basic normal throw, a curved throw, and a lob throw, with each having their own advantages. If there’s an enemy around a corner that you don’t have a direct line of sight on, you can do a curved throw to hit them. Or if someone is on a higher level than you, a lob throw will arc your ball right up to them.

These trick shots are helpful tools that not only make the act of eliminating opponents more fun and dynamic than if there was only your normal throw, but they also add a level of strategy to things. Do I approach my target head on, or do I pretend to run away only to turn around and throw from around a corner? Should I do a normal throw right at them or should I lob it to try and catch them off guard? This gets even deeper when you take into account that your throws can be charged up for extra speed, making them harder for opponents to handle.

Of course, one of the keys to success in a game of dodgeball is catching and that applies to Knockout City as well. Catching is crucial as not only does it keep you from getting hit, but if timed right, you’ll perform a Perfect Catch that automatically charges up the ball. This charge can be stacked up to six times, with the ball becoming increasingly faster each time. Getting into catching rallies with opponents is intense and extremely rewarding when you finally land your hit. On the other hand, being the one who gets hit at the end of a long back and forth can be crushing, yet still exciting.

The final key to winning in dodgeball is teamwork, and likewise, it’s important here as well. Everyone is able to be used as a ball, so if there aren’t any around, a teammate that’s in ball form can be picked up and used as one, meaning there’s always a weapon at your disposal. Throwing your teammates rewards you with one-hit knockouts on opponents, but also comes at the risk of them being caught and either used against you, or tossed them to their doom. This isn’t the only way that teammates can be used. Once in hand, charging up a held teammate allows them to be tossed up in the air for an explosive landing that eliminates anyone in range. It takes time to pull off and is relatively easy to dodge, but it’s great for safely taking out anyone that may be giving you a hard time.

Passing to teammates is also an important technique to make use of. With just the press of a button, passing will automatically give your teammate a charged ball to use, which can come in handy when they most need it. If you pass to someone that’s already holding a ball, yours will bounce back to you with a charge as well. This was something that I found myself and others taking advantage of as we were looking for opponents, that way we were fully prepared once we found them.

There is voice chat for greater communication with your teammates, as well as voice cues that are activated with one button press. While verbally communicating with your team in real time will always be the better option, the voice cues are a good way to coordinate with your team as well, making it easy to simply work together. I never used voice chat in any of my games, but still found great success with just the voice cues and making good use of each of the game’s mechanics, so there’s no need to worry if you don’t have a mic or don’t feel comfortable using it.

What helps make Knockout City stand apart from your typical game of dodgeball are the many different special balls that can appear in a match. Ranging from a ball that lowers gravity while holding it, to one that’s a ticking time bomb, these special balls drastically affect every match, with strategies being formed around whatever ball is available that match. My personal favorite is the Cage Ball. It locks whoever it hits into ball form for a short amount of time, presenting the opportunity for a quick and easy knockout.

When brought together, each of these mechanics cause matches to become incredibly intense affairs. While the game is inherently more casual than something like Call of Duty, it’s not uncommon for matches to become real nail biters that have you gripping your controller tight and really giving it your all. It’s this intensity though that makes it so much fun and had me going “one more game” after every match. What I would initially plan to just be a one-hour session would easily go on for far longer because I couldn’t bring myself to stop playing the game.

Each of the game’s six maps are also really unique and contribute to the fun. I thoroughly enjoy playing on every map due to their great design and the different gimmicks they have to differentiate them from one another. One map takes place across two rooftops with the rising wind offering a speedy glide between them. Another takes place in a back alley with three different tubes that quickly transport you to another spot on the map. Although there’s only a small amount of maps available right now, I haven’t gotten tired of any of them yet since they’re all so much fun to play on, and don’t see myself getting tired of them any time soon. That being said, I am looking forward to the new maps that come in future seasons of the game and what unique features they bring with them.

There are multiple different game modes as well, and they’re all fun for the most part. You have your standard 3v3 Team K.O. that’s the equivalent of Deathmatch in your typical FPS, Diamond Dash which is akin to Kill Confirmed from Call of Duty, and the 1v1 Face Off mode for those who prefer having real personal matches. There’s also more out there modes like Ball Out Brawl which ups the team count to 4v4 and forces everyone to use each other as balls, and Party Team K.O. which makes every ball on the map a Special Ball. It’s an enjoyable variety of game types to play and the modes rotate every couple of days, but I found that the goofy ones couldn’t match level of fun that the more restrained and competitive ones provide.

For the more serious players, there’s a ranked mode where you can compete for bragging rights and rewards that are given at the end of the season. The higher you rank, the better the rewards. I imagine that playing with a team full of people on mic would definitely be the best here, but it’s still possible to do well without it. A large portion of my play time was in the ranked mode and I managed to reach Gold Rank without using voice chat, so I definitely encourage anyone who feels they have the skills to give it a shot regardless of whether or not they can chat.

As with most multiplayer games these days, Knockout City uses a battle pass system for progression, though you don’t need to pay for anything. Earning experience from matches and challenges you complete lets you increase your Street Rank, the game’s version of a battle pass. There are plenty of tiers and each one offers a reward that’s randomized for everyone, such as in-game currency, some cool cosmetic items to customize your character with, or experience boosters. Alongside this is the in-game store which sells items that are purely cosmetic. Nothing you can buy gives an in-game advantage over anyone else, so there’s no need to worry about any pay-to-win trickery going on here.

While Knockout City does just about everything right, there are two main gripes I have with the game. First is the fact that there is no way to see your overall stats. After you finish a match, you can see how well you did in that game, but there’s no way to see your lifetime stats. There’s also the inconvenience of not being able to do any character customization in-between matches without leaving matchmaking entirely. These aren’t major problems at all, but they are omissions that stand out in a time where other games offer these same options.

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Final Thoughts:

Knockout City is a gem of a game. Like the ball you weren’t expecting, it sneaks up on you with its simple appearance. But once you’ve caught it and see the surprising amount of depth and fun that there is to be had here, you’ll be hooked and constantly wanting more. If there’s only one multiplayer game you play this year, you certainly won’t go wrong with this one.