Small, cute comic animals can be underestimated, can’t they? That’s what MeinMMO author Max Handwerk thought when he stumbled across “Super Animal Royale” on Steam. A closer look at the game shows, however, that it has much more to offer than just a quirky setting.
What is Super Animal Royale? During the week, there was great news: “Super Animal Royale” is finally also coming to consoles. After being available on Steam since 2018, players on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, or Nintendo Switch will soon be able to land on the island of cute killer animals. Wait, you don’t know the game? Yep, I felt the same way.
That changed, however, when the developers of Pixile Studios announced the upcoming console launch during the week. With the following trailer, which you should definitely check out yourself:
Brief summary: We see a few cute, singing comic animals. In “Super Animal World,” they sing a little song about how great they can dance, rap, cook, tell jokes, and… kill. Then a fox is ambushed by a beaver (?), after which the whole scene shifts over the map.
Then the little animals jump down onto the island and fight to the bitter end. All accompanied by a cheerful song about grenades, brutal battles, and that the animals, unlike humans, are the future.
It’s a bit Happy Tree Friends-like, but quirky can also be fun. In any case, the trailer was enough to lure me to Steam – where you encounter a lot of really good reviews. And rightly so, as was shown after a few rounds on the island of animals.
What’s in Super Animal Royale
This is praised on Steam: The reviews on Steam rate the game overall as “Extremely Positive” – both for the summary of all reviews and for the recent reviews (that is, the ratings from the last 30 days). Overall, 95% of all ratings were positive. A damn strong average.
In detail, players touch on many different aspects, but especially highlight the fun factor of the free game.
- “A fun game that you can play alone or with friends. The paid versions only give access to more cosmetics, which do not affect gameplay,” praises a user (via Steam).
- “A really beautiful game, even if the first impression based on pictures might not be so great. The game was really fun for me right from the first round. I was already fed up with Battle Royale, but this game just has a fresh gameplay feel. I can only recommend everyone to try it out a bit. Besides, it’s free anyway,” writes another user (via Steam).
- “This game is a hell of a lot of fun! The community is really cool, the devs address issues promptly and take feedback from the community directly in Discord. Great potential here for a cool game in between or if you are ambitious to play for hours on end,” says another comment (via Steam).
How my first rounds went: The good atmosphere around the game also led me to hit the download button. The download was completed within minutes, and I could dive onto the island as well.
Gameplay-wise, it follows the familiar battle royale principle. 64 cuddly animals land without equipment on the island and fight until only one player (or team) is left. The ever-shrinking combat zone creates time pressure. However, it’s not a storm like in Fortnite that sweeps across the map, but “Super Skunk Gas.” What else.
The top-down view, from which you play, is unusual. You always have a decent part of the map in view, while shadows and buildings provide cover that can only be exposed when you go in yourself. So it’s not like you can see every opponent at all times – that would be too easy.
To go after each other, the little animals collect all kinds of tools. I’ve seen katanas, SMGs, rifles, pistols, grenades, bows, or bananas – the variety of weapons is definitely present.
In terms of movement, you rely on your own paws but can quickly evade in all directions or cover a few meters with a skilled roll by pressing the space bar. Additionally, there are crazy means of transportation, like rideable emus or rolling hamster balls.
This is what the game excels at: The mechanics are quickly learned, even if you, like me, are more accustomed to console than PC. You should keep an eye on the skunk gas, though. In any case, I’ve given up a round a bit too hastily after getting lost in the variety of weapons and completely missed fleeing to the safe zone.
The matches in Super Animal Royale are comparatively short, which is why the map shrinking kicks in fairly early in the match. Therefore, you often and quickly encounter enemies; prolonged hiding is not on the agenda.
Apart from the gameplay, the game also impresses if you take a closer look at it. The map is lovingly designed, full of little details. Sometimes it’s almost a shame that the skunk gas comes in so quickly.
All in all, Super Animal Royale is much more than just a mix of a quirky setting with battle royale gameplay. The game is simply a lot of fun thanks to fast-paced combat, unusual look, as well as a detailed map and equipment. If you’re looking for a free game with entertaining, quick matches, you’ve come to the right place.
If you generally prefer MMORPGs, you will rather find them here: Here are the 10 MMORPGs on Steam with the best ratings
