Rumbleverse Brings In The Brawler Royale Genre
Rumbleverse is a new free-to-play battle royale game being published by Epic Games. Being a sister to Fortnite, this game has the same aesthetics, flavor, and wackiness of that universe. The major difference is the fact that this new title is all about melee combat. There are no firearms to speak of. The main map of this new IP will take place in Grapital City. This metropolis was built on the foundation of fighting with all its incarnations and up to 40 players will duke it out to become champion. Players will be able to custom-make their own characters and prep them for battle. At the beginning of every match, they will be launched out of cannon so they can land anywhere in the city. Much like every other battle royale game, players will need to scramble to find loot and gear up for the showdown.
The characters in this game are almost like superheroes with their functionality. They can leap great lengths, scale buildings, and uproot anything in the game to use as a battering ram. The entire city is basically a giant wrestling mat that has no referee. Players can either jump in solo or fight as a tag team. Based on what gameplay has been shown, this game isn’t going to be a mindless button-masher, either. There are definitely some nuances to the combat and it will take a certain amount of strategy to best the opposition. This is the start of something fundamentally new, sparking a fresh sub-genre which is called a “brawler royale.” This new project will be coming soon for the Xbox, PlayStation, and PC early next year.
Rumble and Tumble
Much like PlayStations’ exclusive IP, Infamous, players will be free to climb anything on the map. There will apparently be no fall damage since characters can elbow drop on competitors from the tallest building. There is very much a Looney Tunes level of violence here that appears to be equally humorous and bone-crushing. Players will be able to dash around their avatars all over the map, clearing large areas within seconds. Of course, this won’t be something that they can spam. Rumbleverse will come with a stamina meter that will need to be tended to. This can especially be true when climbing buildings, as well. Thus, there will be designated buttons that will enable players to dodge and block incoming attacks. There will be combos to unleash onto other players that come in the form of standard punches and kicks. However, the real meat of the combat comes with grapples, power moves, and air juggles.
Matches will be littered with power-ups that can juice up characters in a variety of ways. Potions that increase life points, stamina, and strength will be the norm during fights. On top of that, there will be books that players can find in which they can read to unlock new takedowns and power moves. There is even a special meter called, “Super Mode.” This meter can be built up during matches either through the accumulation of “blue stars” peppered throughout the map or by landing hits during combat. Once the meter is full, players can unleash their ‘Super Mode’ which enables them to drop massive damage and enables their moves to become unblockable. Players can even smash each other into walls, setting up sundry wall bounce combos to spice up encounters in almost unlimited ways. Lastly, there are even options to charge up attacks, setting up ambushes while waiting for an unsuspected victim to turn around the corner. This can launch them in any direction, which can crush them into walls, vehicles, or even up into the air for special combos.
Smash and Crash
Rumbleverse is in its infant stages and it seems to have a good idea starting to form. Currently, there are a few melee weapons that players can utilize to increase damage and gain the upper hand. Naturally, there will be new additions with future seasons, as of right now players can generally find baseball bats and chairs to bash heads in. Weapons can also be hurled and used as a projectile for distant opponents. Cars can be used as bouncing points to jump on and catch serious air. This, in turn, sets up all kinds of airborne attacks and even in-air fighting that’s akin to Dragonball Z. This game will indeed come with a Battle Pass with in-game currency which will be called “Brawlla Bills.” Thus, there is another type of currency that players can earn that’s called “Fan Mail.” This can be used to purchase new skins, outfits, and other goodies.
Even though Rumbleverse is called a “brawler royale” it still comes with the basic rules of any other battle royale game. One, in particular, is the fact that the map will have a closing ring. Now, the major difference here is if players find themselves outside the ring, they won’t take damage. Instead, a 10-second countdown will start and they will need to make it inside the ring before it reaches zero. Of course, if the countdown completes itself, it will be an automatic KO for the player. The ring is the closest thing to an actual referee that this game has. As far as gameplay is concerned, the rules are pretty loose. There will be ganking, cheap shots, and spamming galore with this game. That is just the nature of the beast. Some would argue that this is what makes online competitive games fun. The chaos and insanity of it all provide an experience unlike any other.
Slamming and Bamming
There was a recent early access demo with this game and it appears to be leaving an impression. Rumbleverse may be rough around the edges right now, but it is brimming with potential. If Epic Games gives this new title the same treatment as with Fortnite, then this can go a long way. There is already a roadmap laid out and there seems to be big plans outlined for this project. Expect this game to officially launch for the PC and consoles in February 2022.
