A classic in physical education is ball sports, where players must hit each other with a ball. While games like dodgeball are more known here, EA and developer Velan Studios are now trying their hand at the English-American variant by translating dodgeball into a PvP game. MeinMMO shows you what it’s all about and how it is received.
What is Knockout City? It is a PvP arena shooter. However, this doesn’t mean a classic shooter where you take out opponents with more or less realistic weapons.
Knockout City rather brings back flashbacks to physical education in school. Because fundamentally, it is dodgeball, a ball sport that is particularly popular in the English-speaking world.
The game mixes this sport with elements familiar from games like Rocket League, and the character design also resembles well-known games like Fortnite.
Overall, the style remains colorful, and there are crazy moves. Players can throw their teammates around and glide through the air for a time with a type of glider.
Here you can get an impression from the trailer:
What is dodgeball? Many of you might remember Völkerball, which is very similar to dodgeball and was regularly played in physical education classes at many schools in Germany.
The pleasant feeling of just having received the ball full in the back, or simply the uplifting experience of having been in the game for an incredible 5 seconds before the ball lands right in your face. What could be better? But I digress.
For those who, depending on luck or misfortune, did not have the pleasure of experiencing similar sports in school, here’s a brief summary:
- Typically, teams of 6 players face off against each other
- These teams position themselves on opposite sides of the playing field
- The goal is to send all opposing players off the field by throwing them
- The team that eliminates all players of the opposing team wins
Knockout City translates this into their PvP game and turns it into a kind of arena shooter. In various modes, teams of 3 compete against each other. Players can dodge, jump, and glide in the air, similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild.
If you have played a third-person game in recent months, Knockout City should feel familiar. It seems to work well if the initial feedback is any indication.
First reactions say: It’s quite fun
These are the first reactions: Knockout City is being received well after the first days. But let’s first look at the numbers.
- On Metacritic, the PC version of Knockout City achieves a score of 76 after four days, with a user score of a fairly stable 7.2. (via metacritic.com)
- The PS4 version performs better and even gets an 81, with a user score of 7.6. (via metacritic.com)
Many tests are still incomplete after such a short time. Therefore, one should wait to see how the score looks when more reviews come out. However, there are already some impressions of Knockout City that can be read.
It is often praised how accessible Knockout City is. The controls are apparently easy to learn. Nevertheless, the game offers enough depth to master it and leaves room for various play styles. (via PCGamer.com)
However, some warn about the fast pace of the game, which could initially feel overwhelming. One should not be surprised if one does not immediately grasp what is happening in a round. (via Polygon.com)
In the subreddit dedicated to Knockout City (via reddit.com), most players agree: The game is fun. The controls are smooth, but it’s not too easy, as chenDawg writes: “I had a lot of fun last night with a full group for several hours. There’s a lot more depth than I assumed before trying it. The controls feel super tight and it looks like there are numerous ways to outplay your opponents.” (via reddit.com)
Here you can see what crazy stunts are possible in the game:
At the same time, a player mentions a concern that many others share. What about long-term motivation? Some doubt that Knockout City will really entertain for more than a few hours.
As mengplex writes: “It’s really fun – but I’m not sure how long it will hold my or others’ attention. It’s not like a fighting game with many different characters, it’s not like an FPS with a variety of weapons.” (via reddit.com)
Additionally, it seems there are some issues with mouse controls on PC, as rxh339 writes: “In the menu, the mouse is like on crack, in the game, it’s slow. When I turn up the sensitivity, it jumps everywhere and is jittery like crazy.” (via reddit.com)
Overall, the first reactions are quite positive. It remains to be seen how long Knockout City stays motivating and whether a solid player base forms. The potential seems to be there.
Knockout City available through EA Play and Game Pass
How can you play Knockout City? Knockout City is available on all major platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and the Nintendo Switch.
How can you test Knockout City? Currently, there is a free trial version available for all platforms. This is available until May 30. After that, the game can be purchased.
How much does it cost? If you have EA Play or the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can download and play Knockout City “for free”. This specifically applies to the PC and Xbox versions.
On the other platforms, you will need to purchase the game, and the price is set at 20 euros. For online gameplay on the Nintendo Switch, a subscription to the online service is not required.
Is there crossplay? Yes, Knockout City offers crossplay between all platforms.
What do you think of Knockout City? Have you tried it yet? Or is this not for you? Discuss with us!
