When it comes to multiplayer games these days, they fall into one of two groups, the hardcore game that if you are not in day one, you are never getting in and the free-for-all type game, where you can have fun, no matter what. Knockout City somehow manages to straddle the line between the two, but does that make it a masterful multiple title, or is it a big misstep?

Knockout City is a pure multiplayer game, one where you can play on your own, along with two random people, or with two friends as you form your own squads. The goal is quite simple, throw balls to take out the other team, win two rounds and you win the match, the catch is how you can use the games mechanics to make your wins. One of the more important elements that you need to be aware of is that the game offers a wealth of customisation, from hairstyles to gloves, icons and win poses and while you can buy them with real world money, there is not a single item that you can buy that helps you out in the game. If you are someone who just wants to earn items, you can do that to, the same items you buy, can be earnt by playing the game and levelling up, which can grant you some holobux. Levelling up is done by competing in games, if you win them or takedown opposing players, you will earn more xp and level up that way, the more interesting way to earn xp though, is with contracts, there are simple tasks, like dodging a certain number of times, curving a throw and so on and when completed you can earn big chunks of xp, to help you level up more. It is a remarkably simple system yes, but one that rewards you for playing, rather than spending, but if you absolutely must have that custom car paint job, you can buy it.

As far as game modes go, there are only a handful and while each is unique enough, there is enough cross-over between them, that if you jump from one to another, you won’t feel like you are left in the wind. The mode that you will start with and depending on the playlist in the mix, will be your standard is just 3v3, your team of three players takes on another team of three, it is quite basic. The goal is simple, first team to 10 points wins the round, win two rounds and you win the match, that same mechanic is in play in the others as well, there are just additional things to work into your plans. The game gives you a few movement options, such as dodging, tackling and of course throwing, but it is how you use them that is important. Throwing can be as simple as just throwing the ball straight ahead, an effecting option, but one that can be easily caught, if someone is hiding around a corner, you can put some spin on it and throw that ball around the bend.

Curving the ball around a corner, or up and over a wall, are things you will need to consider doing a lot, if you want to have a chance at winning your matches. While you can stick with the straight and narrow, as it were, doing so will leave you waiting for perfect shots, which can happen, but is not likely given the environments are as chaotic as the players within them. If the standard 3v3 doesn’t appeal to you, there are other options you can try, like Diamond Dash, which plays very much like a standard 3v3 match, but with one twist, a knockout won’t earn you a point. Instead, you need to collect the diamond that your victim, I mean target, will drop, the first team to collect 30 wins the round. While a simple objective, it can be complicated by the fact that the opposing team can reclaim their friends dropped goods, which denies you a point. The extra level of having to claim dropped loot is actually something that can take some getting used to, which is probably a good reason it is locked until you level up a bit.

The other modes are wildly varied as well from a mode that drops you and three other players into the map for a total free-for-all, or a mode that forces everyone to ball up, in order to be the ball. That is not a zen thing, you have to roll up and let the members of your team throw you, or you throw them, because there are no other balls to be found, no special ones and no basics either. As of now there is a half-dozen locations that you can battle across, but more are expected as the game grows and while the locations themselves are not too out there in their concepts, the execution is done quite well. One location has you battling it out across two rooftops, with a small bridge joining the two, whereas another one, has you competing around a sci-fi burger joint, with walls that spin around, blocking your access to the central part of the map for brief moments. Each of the maps is fun to play on and offers a unique element to it, from a set of rotating walls to cranes that go up and down, but thankfully, there isn’t anything complicated about their design, that will have you scratching your head trying to understand. That could also be said about the mechanics of playing dodgeball, that the games systems are not that deep, which is true, but Knockout City is offering a fun game that it is really easy to lose yourself in, during the pure chaos and joy that each match brings.

Something else that is joyous is the games presentation, it is part 50’s bowling club and Pixar animation, the combination of which might not blend together well in your head but manages to come out strong in the game. The 50’s era is easily highlighted with the cars, default clothing and even the disc jockey, but it is not front and centre, so much that it become the main theme of the game. While the characters and items look like they are from the 50’s there are modern touches to everything, that when combined, creates something stylistically unique, much like the Cyberpunk or steampunk aesthetics, this is taking parts to create something whole. Even some of the more ostentatious colours and designs of items, manage to fit with the design choice that Velan Studios went with.

On the audio side, things are a little different, the music that you can hear is catchy, upbeat and can easily set you up for a good time, but it rarely makes itself known during matches. At first, I thought this was an issue, maybe a bug in the game, but the more I played, I soon realised it was an intentional design choice. Music is important in a lot of mediums, it can elevate story moments, create suspense or make you get up and dance, but here the most important aspects are the throwing of the balls and music would just get in the way of that. It is still there, but it is in the background, so much that, when you are in the zone, throwing and catching balls, you may not even notice it. The upside for this is that without the music blaring at you, you can focus on hearing incoming balls, letting you adjust yourself to catch them or dodge out of their way, I am sure the team tried multiple volume levels, before settling on the one they have now.

When you are in menus, the music is amped up and I honestly couldn’t help but tap my foot, in time with the music, even when inspecting newly unlocked items, the music always made me smile. There were sometimes, in the menus, where the music kind of just stopped and I don’t know if that is due to my being in them too long, or a glitch in the game, but when I would jump into matchmaking and the music would kick back in, it was often loud and surprising. The other element to the audio is the DJ, broadcasting from his booth on the moon, hearing the intro pieces is fine, but in action the voice is just a little too slow, to stay up to date with the chaos that can break out in a match. Hearing that a team is falling behind, when the score is mostly tied, is a little weird and can be pointed at the fact that it is slow. The game will often highlight in the corner, double ko’s or a triple, but the voice will still be on something else, this is quite annoying, especially if you are using the VO as your way of keeping track of the action.

Something that the game is missing though is the ability to see my stats, how many KO’s I have delivered, how many times I have been taken out, things like that. While there is a listing in the Street Rank menu for your KO Card, it doesn’t provide any information, just shows the level of where you are in the Street Rank system. Even at the end of rounds or matches, there is no simple way of viewing stats, the game will award you points for your KO’s, so you can see how many you got in that round, but that is it. It is not a critical feature, but the simple fact that it isn’t there, makes the game feel incomplete.

Knockout City is one of the most charming and unsophisticated multiplayer games that I have seen in a number of years and that is an incredibly good thing. Far to often games require you to sink dozens of hours in, each week for the first month, in order to unlock the best gear or stay on track with the other players, the result being that if you don’t you are going to get creamed. Here the game has an even playing field, with simple mechanics but that offer up more depth if you’re willing to invest in them, but if you don’t the game doesn’t leave you behind. If multiplayer games are not your thing, I honestly recommend that you give Knockout City a go, it is an enjoyable multiplayer game, that is more about the match-to-match experience, rather than the levels, ranks and gear that other games rely upon.