PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a game that was so unfairly treated when it was released! People could not get over the fact that the game was so similar to another franchise rich fighting game made by a certain plumber led developer that they could not give this game a fair shake. That is a real shame, I would argue that Sony has a cast of characters and franchises that is as rich as what the big N offers!

The Original Mascot Is Back

Ok, so one area where PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale cannot stand up to Super Smash Bros is the story. At the time of release, Super Smash Bros Brawl was the current game and that had an epic story mode. With this game, we get something much simpler and that is a basic arcade mode.

You pick your chosen fighter and then take on a series of opponents, before taking on a rival that is specific to your character and then the game's boss, Polygon Man. This is actually a lot of fun as Polygon Man was a mascot Sony used in the very early days of the PlayStation so it is cool, they would poke fun at their history like that.

The Gang Is Kind Of All Here

Sony has added a lot more killer first-party franchises since PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale so someone new coming in here may find the roster a little lacking. It does feature PlayStation favorites such as Kratos, Nathan Drake, Ratchet & Clank, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, Sackboy, and many more. So, it is awesome if you are a PlayStation die hard!

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale also has a great supporting cast of characters. They had people like Dante from Devil May Cry, Big Daddy from BioShock, Raiden from Metal Gear Solid, and Isaac from Dead Space. I thought this was awesome, but believe it or not, Sony was criticized for having so many “guest characters” back in the day, this is something Smash is celebrated for now!

Two Become One

One thing that this game does which is awesome is melding the stages together. There is a great selection of stages here and each one is comprised of two games. For example, Stowaways (which is my favorite of all the stages) is a stage that is both Bioshock and Uncharted. During the battle the stage will actually change, it is a really cool effect and some awesome fan service.

Put Up Your Dukes

The fighting engine on offer in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is decent enough. You have three attack buttons and each character has their own set of moves. It is pretty basic stuff, but that does mean it is accessible by most people, no matter their skill level. One thing that is neat is the AP Orbs system. You collect these as you fight and they give you access to special moves. They fill a meter and it has three stages, you can use it at any stage you want, but if you save it for stage 3 you unleash a more devastating attack.

One area that this game is lacking is the game modes. It is fun to play against friends, especially if you do the stock mode which is what I like to do. However, in single-player there is actually very little to keep you entertained for a long period of time.

Pros:

• I liked the roster of characters
• The way the stages would meld was clever and awesome
• It has a ton of fan service
• This game is so much fun to play with your friends

Cons:

• The roster is great, but so small compared to Smash
• There is not enough content here to keep you coming back