The Showdown Effect

 PC
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 83 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 83
  3. Negative: 15 out of 83

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  1. JimCorbett
    Aug 30, 2013
    5
    There's nothing good or bad about The Showdown Effect. It's a completely average 2.5D shooter. It has bland graphics, bland gameplay, and a big connection problem. There are also micro-transactions within the game as well as unlockables. You earn points for each game you play and you use those points to unlock more generic weapons, skins, and characters. The problem is that characters andThere's nothing good or bad about The Showdown Effect. It's a completely average 2.5D shooter. It has bland graphics, bland gameplay, and a big connection problem. There are also micro-transactions within the game as well as unlockables. You earn points for each game you play and you use those points to unlock more generic weapons, skins, and characters. The problem is that characters and weapons are completely unbalanced so you'll find yourself using the same character and loadout every time. There's also a problem with the "Deluxe Edition" and not being able to "upgrade" to it. To obtain the goodies in the deluxe edition you'll have to buy the whole game over again. Yeah. For $20. Though, seeing how not-worth-your-time this game is, the only people who will want to pick up the Deluxe Edition are achievement hunters since you'll need both of the characters in that edition to unlock two corresponding achievements. Bad move, Arrowhead. Also, it appears the game has been abandoned by the developers; no support, no updates, no forum activity. The longer you wait, the more dead the game will most likely be.… Expand
  2. Powerzzz
    Feb 9, 2014
    1
    It's a multiplayer game with a completely dead multiplayer community. Great concept but really needed a single player campaign, without one you might as-well just flush your cash down the toilet because you wont be playing it.
  3. chess123mate
    Oct 10, 2013
    3
    I found I couldn't get into this game. For one, there's a large learning curve. There was barely a tutorial (just a few screens explaining most of the controls, though they missed the concept of going down through the platforms) and the "practice" mode is only against stationary targets. Most of the learning happened in the game against other players I couldn't find any ranked matches toI found I couldn't get into this game. For one, there's a large learning curve. There was barely a tutorial (just a few screens explaining most of the controls, though they missed the concept of going down through the platforms) and the "practice" mode is only against stationary targets. Most of the learning happened in the game against other players I couldn't find any ranked matches to play, so I went to custom games, where I was repeatedly killed for a few hours. I started to gradually understand how the fighting system worked, but I could never duplicate the other player's actions, both due to lag and due to the fact that the stronger weapons and characters are all locked. It seemed to me that certain load-outs/weapons were overpowered. Finally, I found that, even in practice mode, the graphics seemed laggy and the audio stuttered frequently. I sense that, if you were to stick with the game for 10s of hours learning all the moves you need to do to kill your opponents and unlocking the weapons you need, you'd find a pretty enjoyable game. That said, all I found during my experience was frustration.… Expand
  4. funboyfun23
    Oct 14, 2013
    6
    I enjoyed this game for the most part but I found myself getting bored and how this game kept becoming repetitive. I found the normal gun for the character is actually great and there is no real point on spending giant amounts of time getting XP to unlock guns with a lot of down sides to them.

    I would have had more fun with this game but in the end I just didn't enjoy it as much as I    I enjoyed this game for the most part but I found myself getting bored and how this game kept becoming repetitive. I found the normal gun for the character is actually great and there is no real point on spending giant amounts of time getting XP to unlock guns with a lot of down sides to them.

    I would have had more fun with this game but in the end I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wish'd I would have.    … Expand
  5. Brosman
    Nov 11, 2013
    5
    I originally gave this game a nine. But the longer the game was out the worse it got. Now i can only have fun in a private server with my friends as matchmaking is completely broken now. Players can pay to have OP weapons, and only certain characters can heal themselves during combat making literally every other weapon and character completely pointless unless you want to be at an extremeI originally gave this game a nine. But the longer the game was out the worse it got. Now i can only have fun in a private server with my friends as matchmaking is completely broken now. Players can pay to have OP weapons, and only certain characters can heal themselves during combat making literally every other weapon and character completely pointless unless you want to be at an extreme and unfair advantage. Me and 2 of my friends with randoms 5v1 a player with the rocket launcher and heal and no one could kill him. I would one shot you run a way and heal himself to full health in under 2 seconds. If you buy this game, only play in a private lobby with your friends where you can make some ground rules or be prepared to get pissed off.… Expand
  6. murtle52
    Jun 28, 2013
    10
    Fantastic little game!
    Be warned, there is no controller support and the controls take ALOT of getting used to, but once you start to get even a rudimentary understanding of the controls and the pacing of the matches it then becomes one of the fastest and most brutal multiplayer experiences you can get. The ode to 80's and 90's nostalgia is just the beautiful wrapping the game came in,    Fantastic little game!
    Be warned, there is no controller support and the controls take ALOT of getting used to, but once you start to get even a rudimentary understanding of the controls and the pacing of the matches it then becomes one of the fastest and most brutal multiplayer experiences you can get. The ode to 80's and 90's nostalgia is just the beautiful wrapping the game came in, and it works. I always thought a good competitive Super Smasher Brothers type game was just what the PC needed and this game delivered.
    I even waited until it had been out for awhile to make sure that there was a good foundation of a community,(yes it's only playable online PVP) so that I wouldn't get stuck with a game I can't play, and from what I've seen they are a great bunch of people to play with. Only downside is that most of them are deadly good at the game by now....lol
    The only thing I didn't like was the fact that it offered an in game store that enabled you to shortcut the grind.
    All round great game if you're looking for that new competitive type experience, definitely worth the price and a must have if it goes anywhere close to 50% off.    … Expand
  7. PerfectionLost
    Mar 9, 2013
    6
    Shoot, slice, run, slide, tumble and wall jump your opponents in 2d mayhem. This is not the average style of game that I play--I'm normally not into twitch style games. Maybe this has been done better elsewhere, but since I'm a bit out of genre on this, it seems really well done to me. The fast reload seems awesome, particularly when you do it right in the middle of a fight. It'sShoot, slice, run, slide, tumble and wall jump your opponents in 2d mayhem. This is not the average style of game that I play--I'm normally not into twitch style games. Maybe this has been done better elsewhere, but since I'm a bit out of genre on this, it seems really well done to me. The fast reload seems awesome, particularly when you do it right in the middle of a fight. It's pretty awesome (in that disappointing kind of way) when you fail to do a fast reload too. The music is pretty lousy, but you do listen to your own music in most games anyways right? Every now and then the graphics or sound effects seem to glitch out, but given the short attention span required for a match restarting isn't a big deal. It also seems to fix itself if you just hang out for a bit. The learning curve seems a bit high to me--there are not really great tutorials in the game, as you are basically educated over a series of load screens between matches. There are 6 characters in the standard purchase and 8 if you bought the deluxe pack on steam. One of the extra characters on the deluxe pack is one of my favorites. One of the default characters seems to be the best (the Arnold ripoff character) however so you are not really at a disadvantage w/o the extra characters. I think there are 4 maps, all of which are well done. That said, I am left wanting for more quality maps to extend the value of the game. The game looks like it will be supported by a pay store, though I find it hard to believe that this will be a long lasting game. There are 10-20 games currently, and I don't really see that swelling to some huge number. If you're into this genre (or hey, maybe you're like me and you're looking for something with just a bit more action than usual) I'd pick this one up while there are still players on it.… Expand
  8. GDawgTUK
    Aug 18, 2013
    3
    Pros:
    - Looks great
    - Awesome Concept - Interesting Mechanics Cons: - Lame unlockables - Completely and utterly broken gameplay - Lag makes players GODLIKE - Complete lack of balance - Bad Hitboxes This game had some great potential but sadly it is completely broken. What could have been a fun combination of Smash Brothers Shank, essentially became a race to bank off the    Pros:
    - Looks great
    - Awesome Concept
    - Interesting Mechanics

    Cons:
    - Lame unlockables
    - Completely and utterly broken gameplay
    - Lag makes players GODLIKE
    - Complete lack of balance
    - Bad Hitboxes

    This game had some great potential but sadly it is completely broken. What could have been a fun combination of Smash Brothers Shank, essentially became a race to bank off the efforts of other players. Basically, two players meet, attempt a dance-of-death which means they attempt to hit each other through the bad hit-boxes, uneven balance and weapons only for the "victor" to be murdered shortly after managing to beat the system for a shallow, short lived "win." It becomes painfully apparent that there is nothing more than that early on, and it makes the game feel like a shallow attempt to lure you into purchasing items in game with real money to attempt to get an edge.

    Sadly it won't matter, because the items cannot fix the game's mechanics. I would recommending watching this from a distance and possibly getting invested when it's playable.    … Expand
  9. Eglin
    Sep 15, 2013
    3
    This could've been an AMAZING Contra clone, but somehow the developer neglected to create single-player and co-op campaigns. I have zero interest in playing this style of game in a competitive online-only environment, especially with miserable server populations, so I'm pretty disappointed. Of course, the game's complete lack of controller support means that I probably wouldn't beThis could've been an AMAZING Contra clone, but somehow the developer neglected to create single-player and co-op campaigns. I have zero interest in playing this style of game in a competitive online-only environment, especially with miserable server populations, so I'm pretty disappointed. Of course, the game's complete lack of controller support means that I probably wouldn't be playing it regardless of the other issues. A shame, really.… Expand
  10. Vastial
    Mar 12, 2013
    9
    A brilliantly realised fast paced arcade shooter, awesome characters, a TON of weapons and brilliant map design lend itself to the whole package, whilst you tumble, run up walls, engage katana wielding schoolgirls in a honorable fight to the death whilst at the same time dodging incoming fire from a smartguns, laser rifles and shurikens. It's all fantastically fun to have with friends orA brilliantly realised fast paced arcade shooter, awesome characters, a TON of weapons and brilliant map design lend itself to the whole package, whilst you tumble, run up walls, engage katana wielding schoolgirls in a honorable fight to the death whilst at the same time dodging incoming fire from a smartguns, laser rifles and shurikens. It's all fantastically fun to have with friends or randoms..the community is friendly and welcoming to new players. Awesome.… Expand
  11. Camion7878
    Sep 15, 2013
    2
    This is an example of a great game ruined by horrific matchmaking. On my first round, I was pitted against characters that I had no idea existed, using custom weapon skins and other horrible things.
    This trend continued for the next couple of days of me playing it.
    Once I got the knack of how to play, another issue arose. Lag. I would join a game, and have 300 ping. I wouldn't be    This is an example of a great game ruined by horrific matchmaking. On my first round, I was pitted against characters that I had no idea existed, using custom weapon skins and other horrible things.
    This trend continued for the next couple of days of me playing it.
    Once I got the knack of how to play, another issue arose. Lag. I would join a game, and have 300 ping. I wouldn't be downloading anything, I wouldn't be using any other internet other than to play this game, but I'd get 300 ping, rendering the game unplayable.
    When I did get a game where either I or my opponents were teleorting all over the place, it would be after about 5 10 minutes of sitting in the 'Ranked Match' lobby, doing nothing. I then tried custom matches.
    There were about 10 of them, 6 of them requiring passwords to get into. The first one I tried wouldn't let me on as 'the server is not responding'. The next one, I joined, and got insta-killed whenever I spawned.
    This game is fun once in a blue moon.    … Expand
  12. Krysen
    Mar 18, 2013
    9
    I like the Idea of the game, with some improvements it could be a lot better. Dedicated Servers for better Pings, more Maps, more chars, more weapons, cheaper price. Magicka has a lot more Stuff then Showdown Effect, but Showdown Effect costs the same. They should work on it like the Developers of Awesomenauts. Maybe some Performance Fixes would be great, or some Graphic advanced settings.
  13. violentine
    Mar 5, 2013
    5
    Reminds me of Shoot many robots: Arena Kings; by it's bad and unmemorable gameplay. Buy this game if you like jumping and shooting in 2D... actually no, buy something else that has these features, it's probably better. Pros: Colors. Cons: 1.Can't recall anything unique about it. 2.Reminds Arena Kings.
    3.That opening theme song isn't that great, just a generic guitar riff with some    Reminds me of Shoot many robots: Arena Kings; by it's bad and unmemorable gameplay. Buy this game if you like jumping and shooting in 2D... actually no, buy something else that has these features, it's probably better. Pros: Colors. Cons: 1.Can't recall anything unique about it. 2.Reminds Arena Kings.
    3.That opening theme song isn't that great, just a generic guitar riff with some distortion. 4.May expose to cancer.    … Expand
  14. lucipher
    Mar 5, 2013
    8
    Well-executed, Smash Brothers-esque 2d fighter, up to 8 players. Vivid animations and highly detailed enviornments. Musical score that nails the 80's cheesy action Arnold or Norris vibe. Combat is well done, with many improvised weapons to be found, though I believe there could be improvements here. The melee attacks are simple, with a charging tackle, a block, and an attack. Some weaponsWell-executed, Smash Brothers-esque 2d fighter, up to 8 players. Vivid animations and highly detailed enviornments. Musical score that nails the 80's cheesy action Arnold or Norris vibe. Combat is well done, with many improvised weapons to be found, though I believe there could be improvements here. The melee attacks are simple, with a charging tackle, a block, and an attack. Some weapons attack slower and do more damage as you would expect, others are quicker. All can be thrown to do some damage in a pinch. The ranged weapons require that your mouse targeting reticule be over the enemy you intend to hit as well as aiming at them; failing to do this will result in the bullets hitting the 'wall' behind the target. This works surprisingly well. In all, combat is solid, though more variety in melee weapons attacks would be good; I felt little reason to use anything but the default katana.

    The presence of a paid cosmetic item shop is a concern, but all ingame abilites and characters and weaponry unlocks via the ingame currency store, earned by playing matches. This currency is gained quickly, but I still think the presence of the actual currency store is unneeded. Similarly, the number of characters feels rather limited, though this doubtless will be expanded on in the future (hopefully for free) Each character has a special ability which appears locked to the character this is ok, but it would have been nice if this was assignable as the standard items to a loadout.

    Gamemodes are intruiging; you can play as a generic Henchman in some of the modes and lack the powers the oridinary characters have all henchmen then work to kill the 'one man army'. This and some other modes are entertaining and the Showdown mode is probably the best, where its a standard deathmatch until the end when the victor is determined by elimination. One downside is that the game is entirely peer-to-peer, similar to many console games, meaning you have to play on a non-dedicated server. This can result in laggy connections, but during the several hours I have played the game over a few days, this has not been noticable (other than, perhaps, the host having a slight edge) Hopefully the developers consider adding some dedicated servers to the game and release a server executable it will help in keeping a long-term playerbase.

    TLDR Fun 2D battles with both ranged and melee fighting
    Vivid animations and background
    Peer to peer connection can cause some issues    … Expand
  15. Ilwrath
    Apr 3, 2013
    8
    Totally worth buying if you like fast games action games that have deep gameplay possiblities. I have not had multiplayer battles like this anywhere else in this detail. The game pokes fun at some action movie icons and is meant to be cheesy. That said the sound and music is befitting the type of game and are strong. Lots of detail in the environments, tons of strategiy possibilities,Totally worth buying if you like fast games action games that have deep gameplay possiblities. I have not had multiplayer battles like this anywhere else in this detail. The game pokes fun at some action movie icons and is meant to be cheesy. That said the sound and music is befitting the type of game and are strong. Lots of detail in the environments, tons of strategiy possibilities, great battle modes, and the graphics really arent bad.

    Lots of fun, tons of replay value and customizing options. Get it.    … Expand
  16. WingedAnomaly
    Mar 7, 2013
    9
    The only thing keeping me from handing this a solid ten is the odd server behaviour, but even that is probably run of the mill early post-launch bugginess. It's fun, hilarious, fast-paced, pretty to look at, and loaded down with character couldn't ask for much more at ten bucks.
  17. Hepsmith
    Aug 19, 2013
    9
    The Showdown Effect is a brilliant Death-match or TDM game for friends and strangers alike. The game has no single-player and possibly could use one however the game as it stands is heaps of fun and is very challenging.

    Unfortunately the community is quite small so if you are interested i highly recommend you get this game with friends. I love this game and i'm just sad that it    The Showdown Effect is a brilliant Death-match or TDM game for friends and strangers alike. The game has no single-player and possibly could use one however the game as it stands is heaps of fun and is very challenging.

    Unfortunately the community is quite small so if you are interested i highly recommend you get this game with friends.

    I love this game and i'm just sad that it doesn't have a community as big as it deserves.    … Expand
  18. McEd
    Sep 22, 2013
    10
    I must give this a game a 10/10 because this game is fun on a bun with a little effort to get the controls down. This game got a bad wrap earlier but now it has improved so much. It deserves at least a 87 meta score it fits it, trust me its underrated by a bunch right now.
  19. dsscsd
    Nov 27, 2013
    0
    the games is the unlocks are lame and the aim system is awful. some weapons are over powered and it doesn't say how much damage the weapons does. the game

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 5, 2013
    63
    Following Magicka’s bad example, we have the same formula. Fun gameplay, miserable connection problems. [May 2013]
  2. CD-Action
    May 7, 2013
    65
    Until you get bored with characters and arenas, fun can be had. Updates will decide whether The Showdown Effect stays with us for longer. [CD-Action 05/2013, p.69]
  3. Eurogamer Sweden
    Mar 28, 2013
    70
    The Showdown Effect offers fast paced and fun multiplayer action for a low price of admission. Unfortunately the price point is also evident in the amount of content. However it clearly succeeds as a bite-sized game of frantic, skill based killing.
    Read full review
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