Knockout City

Knockout City punches above its weight as a complex and uniquely fun competitive brawler.

Clever and unique dodgeball battles make this an easy pick, especially during the free trial.

Knockout City, the new multiplayer action game based on Dodgeball, is far from perfect, mostly because the lack of maps and offline modes. Nevertheless, the promise of future new seasons that might address this makes us think this will be a worthwhile sport in the long run.

With air-dashes, balletic pirouettes and the ability to curl yourself into a ball for a teammate to hurl, this is a long throw from the official sport that hopes, one day, to enter the Olympics. Games are just as taut and competitive, however, with lots of scope for showboating. No competitive online game in 2021 can be merely a competitive online game, however, and, like Fortnite et al, Knockout City has an entire superstructure of unlockable items and progress meters, with an eye to turning the game into an enduring entertainment platform. Whether or not it hits that elusive target, beneath the capitalist carapace this is wonderful game-making.

Knockout City is an addictive dodgeball arcade game that manages to stand itself apart by delivering quick, fun-paced gameplay. Unfortunately, right now there´s not much content out there.

If it wasn't for its awful art style and attitude that screams "look how rad we are fellow teens!" then I'd probably like it a whole lot more. But as long as it adds more content, I can see this gaining an audience with players who are really into over-the-top sports games like Rocket League. Just remember the five D's of dodgeball and you'll have a fun time in Knockout City.

Knockout City is a genre-defying take on the team-based multiplayer game, where players are not just teammates, but also tools and assets for one another. And although Knockout City struggles to find an identity, the game's ability to excel in accessibility while holding a high skill-ceiling makes it easy to pick up and even easier to keep playing.

Knockout City is a simple concept that feels great to play, both alone and with friends. It's the kind of live service game you dream of — one that's fun and fair, packed to the gills with unlockables, and thanks to its dedicated team, will only get better over time.

I was thoroughly impressed with Knockout City. Velan Studios has created a dodgeball game that has solid mechanics and is really easy to pick up. The skill ceiling is also incredibly high, making room for some really competitive gameplay. With a plan to heavily support and add on to the game over time, Knockout City is a welcomed addition to the sports game pantheon.

Knockout City, as it stands today, is a very entertaining online multiplayer game, easy to learn but not without its own complexities. Future growth is always fickle and hard to predict when it comes to online games, but Knockout City might be able to carve out its own niche.

Knockout City is fun and accessible, and that might help it find a specific audience since those looking for a more involved multiplayer title might miss a deeper progression system.

While we may regret the screaming artistic direction and the game modes that lack craziness, we cannot deny that the core gameplay of Knockout City is really fun and well thought out. By putting aim aside in favor of feints and co-op, the title from Velan Games offers an exhilarating experience with real personality. Everything loses in clarity once in close combat, of course, but does not spoil the experience for all that. Knockout City is a highly recommendable experience.

Incredibly fun and surprisingly addicting, Knockout City proves it has the right cards to make its own way in the world of competitive multiplayer.

Knockout City is the fun version of a dodgeball game that you can only play online. Despite the easy-to-learn gameplay, beginners may quickly lose interest thanks to difficult balancing.

Knockout City is a fun gameplay experience, but how (and if) it will find a long lasting place in the crowded games as a service market is yet to be seen.

Knockout City is an absolute blast, even if it doesn't have many reasons to return after players have had their fill.

While Velan Studios has created a competent multiplayer experience, Knockout City’s not especially thrilling. There aren’t many games that use dodgeball as a core mechanic, making it somewhat unique, but it feels afraid to take risks, creating an entertaining but ultimately safe experience. If you can gather up some friends, there’s silly enjoyment within and considering it’s got a free trial – to say nothing of Game Pass/EA Play – I’d recommend at least trying it.

Knockout City is a quirky game that players will find most enjoyable when teaming up with their friends. It struggles with pacing from time to time and could do with some quality of life improvements. However, it balances elements that players will feel familiar with whilst also successfully putting an individual spin on things to make for a fun time.