Battlerite is still a top hit on Steam and the fast-paced arena brawler from Stunlock Studios (Bloodline Champions) is still in Early Access! Nevertheless, this game, which is not a MOBA, is a lot of fun! We actually just wanted to try out Battlerite briefly, but are now completely thrilled!
“Three, two, one – Let’s fight!” This describes the start of a typical round in Battlerite well. As soon as the countdown ends, we already encounter the enemy and a fierce brawl begins, which is over in just a few minutes and leaves us players full of adrenaline with tense fingers on the mouse and keyboard and an elevated heart rate.
This is not a MOBA! Well, not really…
The gameplay of Battlerite is essentially that of a MOBA like Heroes of the Storm, Smite, or League of Legends, just without all the extras like maps, lanes, jungle, items, and level-ups. So, if you always wanted to play a game like LoL but were put off by the complexity and the sometimes very aggressive community, then Battlerite is definitely your game!
Battlerite is classified as an “arena brawler” and that’s exactly what it’s about: intense brawls in an arena! Unlike the point-and-click control of many MOBAs, we control Battlerite more like a top-down shooter such as Livelock. We move our hero with the WASD keys and aim his attacks with the mouse. Using both mouse buttons as well as the keys Q, E, Space, R, F, and 1 and 2, we can unleash a variety of skills, all aimed in the direction we currently point with the mouse.
Skill matters!
To win in Battlerite, we need to defeat an enemy team three times in a row as a team – whether random or with our Steam friends. The battles take place in either 2vs2 or 3vs3 configurations, and matchmaking ensures that the teams are roughly balanced and that, for example, not just supporters face off against a group of melee bruisers.
However, Battlerite is by no means a mindless brawl; rather, it requires a lot of skill and reflexes to keep track of things in the fast-paced battles. At the same time, you shouldn’t charge head-on at the enemy like a fool. That may work once or twice, but if the opponent sees through this primitive tactic, you will quickly be isolated by the group and overwhelmed.
If you master your hero well and proceed wisely, you’ll take down opponents in droves and feel like a true boss. However, if you behave foolishly or don’t pay attention, you’ll be quickly taken out and can watch in a statistic just what got you killed. But we don’t have to mourn long after a defeat; the fast-paced gameplay ensures that the next round starts soon anyway.
I don’t have time!
This makes Battlerite ideal for people whose time is precious and who don’t want to be stuck in a round that’s almost impossible to win or wait long for the next match. Everything in Battlerite goes incredibly fast. If no decision is made after a few minutes, the battlefield suddenly shrinks via a force field. Anyone caught in the barrier takes massive damage, and crafty players wait until this moment to slam a currently overpowering enemy into the energy wall using a knockback effect.
This “Sudden Death” mode makes Battlerite even faster and prevents cowardly stalling tactics. At the beginning of the round, you can more or less hide behind obstacles in the arena (you can’t see through walls), but soon the hiding game comes to an end, and even the most cautious tactician has to engage in close quarters eventually. This makes ranged fighters, who have a clear advantage at the start of a round, noticeably less useful towards the end. A good balancing measure.
After each round, we can choose one of three “Battlerites”. These are passive bonuses that change one of our skills. This allows us to adapt our hero to the respective situation. For instance, if we encounter a very offensive team, we can strengthen our defense or boost our healing abilities.
But this is not the end! Page two continues with the mysterious healing sheep and its buddy, the schnitzel killer!
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