What do you get once you make a sport influenced by films like The Working Man and Labyrinth, toss in a little bit of aptitude from skilled wrestling (the type with squared rings, not round mats) after which throw all that on high of a co-op 3D platformer with user-generated dungeon constructing? To be sincere, I’m not fairly positive, however that’s form of what Amazon Video games and developer Glowmade are going for with its subsequent title: King of Meat.
Making an attempt to steadiness parts from that many properties looks as if an not possible activity. However after I received an opportunity to play an early construct previous to Gamescom, King of Meat’s world and presentation is perhaps one of the best factor about it. The sport is centered across the Komstruck Koliseum, which is a Battle Royale-esque enviornment that additionally serves because the stage for an in-world TV present. Your job is to struggle by means of varied levels whereas serving to out your mates and retaining the viewers entertained.
That is the place the WWE inspiration elements in as a result of the viewers isn’t merely there for the ambiance, it’s an precise sport mechanic. Grabbing gems and beating up foes will increase your multiplier, permitting you to earn extra factors and get larger ranks (like bronze, silver and gold). The higher you do and the extra bounties you full (like killing a sure variety of particular enemies), the extra foreign money you get, which you’ll then spend on new weapons, costumes and particular assaults referred to as Glory Strikes. There’s even an in-game announcer to assist hold the hype up.
Stylistically, King of Meat seems like a combination between Fortnite and Citadel Crashers (one other inspiration for the title), however with a extra outlandish and sinister bent. Weapon skins embrace Cthulhu-like tentacle swords or jagged 8-bit facsimiles whereas Glory Strikes vary from foolish to surprising, like calling down a large hoof from the sky or birthing a large belch to blow enemies away. And behind this over-the-top, energy-drink-fueled facade, there’s a little bit of evil lurking within the corners, hinting that the fictional megacorps akin to KOMSTRUCT will not be what they appear.
As for the gameplay itself, it’s a reasonably typical hack-and-slash platformer. You’ve fundamental melee assaults utilizing weapons like swords and hammers, a heavier charge-up transfer, specials and a helpful long-ranged sidearm (I used a crossbow, however there’s way more to select from). You additionally get a double soar and whereas there’s some mild comboing between strikes, from what I noticed the sport stops in need of letting you do extra complicated issues like air juggles. Sadly, that is one among my considerations with the sport, as a result of whereas I solely had an opportunity to play a handful of early ranges, it seems like the sport’s fight and pacing underdelivers, no less than when in comparison with its over-the-top presentation and visible design.
When taking part in co-op with 4 folks, there have been a number of instances once I simply needed to stand round whereas ready for extra enemies to reach. Leaping throughout platforms additionally didn’t really feel as tight or responsive in comparison with lots of different 3D platformers. And even within the warmth of battle, I didn’t get the sense that switching between assaults was way more efficient than merely mashing buttons. I additionally bumped into a couple of bugs the place I received caught in a wall or an enemy disappeared, which prevented our squad from transferring on to the subsequent part. That mentioned, this was removed from a last construct, so hopefully Glowmade can polish issues up earlier than launch.
Sadly, I didn’t get an opportunity to check out any dungeon constructing, which was a bummer since that’s meant to be an enormous draw of the sport. Out of the field, there can be plenty of pre-made levels and a narrative marketing campaign. However, just like titles like Tremendous Mario Maker, Glowmade is relying on customers to create much more ranges, with a few of the lead builders saying “We want to reward players for being interesting.” Glowmade says first-party dungeons are constructed utilizing the identical instruments gamers will get entry to. This form of jogs my memory of the Trackmania group, the place even in case you’re not one of the best racer, you possibly can nonetheless make main contributions by creating enjoyable programs, or on this case, dungeons. Cross-platform gameplay and dungeon constructing can even be supported, so that you’ll have loads of choices for co-op.
I nonetheless haven’t totally determined how I really feel about King of Meat. It’s received an fascinating premise and through my preview session, there have been actually moments the place it felt prefer it was delivering on the spectacle whereas additionally scratching the grab-and-smash itch you are likely to seek for in hack-and-slash platformers. However on the identical time, I wasn’t completely hooked both, probably on account of not having the ability to expertise dungeon-building myself or not having a much bigger arsenal of weapons and assaults to mess around with. That mentioned, since Glowmade’s founders beforehand labored at studios together with Lionhead and Media Molecule and franchises like Fable and Little Huge Planet, it seems like they need to have the pedigree wanted to correctly convey King of Meat into the highlight.
King of Meat can be accessible on PC, PS5, Xbox X/S and the Nintendo Change, although Amazon and Glowmade have but to set an official launch date.