There are a few notable games that have come in and done things so completely different, that people can’t help but pay attention. Experiences that seem small on the surface, yet hide a perfect formula for addictive fun that you can’t get enough of. Velan Studios tapped into something special when they landed on dodgeball, the age old game that most people have a love/hate relationship with. Knockout City isn’t just a match of the classic schoolyard game however. It’s dodgeball taken to a whole other level; a new way of looking at those red rubber balls. It’s dodgebrawl. It’s Knockout City, baby.
Knockout City is just as addictive as dodgeball itself, and it comes without the risk of getting smacked in the real face with a real rubber ball. The brilliance comes in how perfectly the mechanics encapsulate something different that just another shooter. This isn’t a game about perfect aim and “clicking heads” with rubber balls rather than bullets. In fact, you mostly don’t even need to aim at all. Knockout City’s autotargeting system takes care of that for you, as long as an opponent is within your line of sight. The ball will mostly fly right at them as long as they don’t dodge behind cover. With targeting handled by the game, players are free to worry more about positioning and timing. In some ways, Knockout City has more in common with fighting games than shooters. Holding R2 will charge your shot and ma...