Brawlout

 Switch
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 46 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 46
  3. Negative: 12 out of 46
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  1. Dreonas
    Dec 19, 2017
    6
    "No... this isn't Smash...

    Pros: - It's a good 4 players fighting game until smash arrives (it's better than ARMS' 4 player mode). - The design of the stages and characters is Ok. - Decent music. - I liked some of the original characters and their movesets... but I must admit it: The Drifter fits perfect and it's OP! - I think it was a healthy decision to not include items in this    "No... this isn't Smash...

    Pros:
    - It's a good 4 players fighting game until smash arrives (it's better than ARMS' 4 player mode).
    - The design of the stages and characters is Ok.
    - Decent music.
    - I liked some of the original characters and their movesets... but I must admit it: The Drifter fits perfect and it's OP!
    - I think it was a healthy decision to not include items in this game, so you can focus more on the fighting instead of the "item searching".
    - I tried online... it was fine.

    Cons:
    - The characters are completely silent and without personality (except Juan... maybe because they used some sounds from his game?). Well... at least the attacks have SFX.
    - Some mechanics must be fixed and added, for example: there is no edge recovering, and you can't block. Ok, you can evade and dodge, but blocking is essential to any fighting game.
    - There are 8 original characters... and 10 clones!? Why not save all that space for more new characters? (Sm4sh déjà vu)
    - The reward system is lazy: "reach this level and you'll unlock this". There's no challenge on that.
    - Too bad that the blocked characters and stages must be acquired through a "loot box" system.

    Even though this game feels a little bit incomplete, you get used to the mechanics and gameplay quickly. It would have been better if this game had a roster full of indie game characters.    … Expand
  2. Hsieh
    Dec 23, 2017
    5
    Unfortunately, Brawlout isn't even a good Smash clone. Despite having Juan and the Drifter, this game is even less inspired than PlayStation All-Stars, which is saying something. A dearth of interesting moves, lackluster music and super poor balance -- not to mention the odd omission of sound effects other than the usual "hitting" sounds, which makes the game feel lifeless -- round out aUnfortunately, Brawlout isn't even a good Smash clone. Despite having Juan and the Drifter, this game is even less inspired than PlayStation All-Stars, which is saying something. A dearth of interesting moves, lackluster music and super poor balance -- not to mention the odd omission of sound effects other than the usual "hitting" sounds, which makes the game feel lifeless -- round out a game that had a cheat sheet, and yet failed the test.… Expand
  3. Winko
    Dec 25, 2017
    5
    Good:
    - Slightly scratches that Smash Bros. itch on the Switch
    - Indie game guest characters are a welcome additions to the roster - You don’t have to deal with items during matches, which is a plus - Replay, title, and, achievement systems Mixed: - The store and loot box systems all point towards strenuous micro transactions, but players can’t actually use real world currency to    Good:
    - Slightly scratches that Smash Bros. itch on the Switch
    - Indie game guest characters are a welcome additions to the roster
    - You don’t have to deal with items during matches, which is a plus
    - Replay, title, and, achievement systems

    Mixed:
    - The store and loot box systems all point towards strenuous micro transactions, but players can’t actually use real world currency to buy in-game items
    - Some characters have a lot of moves, increasing their potential for some nice combos; other charcters feel very limited in comparison
    - Soundtrack is decent

    Bad:
    - $20 for a free-to-play experience; a lot of the stages and best character skins are locked behind loot box purchases; players are rewarded a small amount of gems for completing daily challenges and grinding to level up characters
    - Uninspired gameplay; the few unique features feel poorly implemented
    - Poor interface
    - Pathetic single player campaigns
    - Some moves are very exploitable due to a fairly shoddy battle system
    - The rage arts are horrible
    - Online multiplayer is laggy and unreliable
    XXX    … Expand
  4. ConsoleArgonaut
    Jul 9, 2018
    5
    So, I bought Brawlout on the Nintendo Switch because I was tired of waiting for Smash Bros.
    When starting up the game, the first thing I noticed was, that this looked like some free game with currency to collect, which you can buy for real money, to spend on items and other things.
    Either way, I started the game and at first it felt like smash. But after some time playing it, I noticed    So, I bought Brawlout on the Nintendo Switch because I was tired of waiting for Smash Bros.
    When starting up the game, the first thing I noticed was, that this looked like some free game with currency to collect, which you can buy for real money, to spend on items and other things.
    Either way, I started the game and at first it felt like smash.
    But after some time playing it, I noticed it being way slower and less fun to control.
    The characters just didn't feel right, the music was boring, and the stages were all pretty much the same.
    The single player mode was lacking, there's only a mode where you fight against some fighters till you've won a certain amount of matches.
    Had some fun with the multiplayer locally, but after 30 minutes everyone asked, if we could play something else.

    Verdict: Only try this game if you really can't wait for Smash on the Switch, otherwise please keep away from this game.

    Rating:
    Gameplay: 2/5 - Working, but not very fun
    Level Design: 2/5 - Boring and uninspired
    Soundtrack: 2/5 - Lackluster
    Story/Singleplayer: 1/5 - Nearly non existing
    Graphics: 4/5 - Looks good on the switch
    Length: 2/5 - Nothing much outside of replay value
    Replay Value: 3/5 - Typical fighter replay value
    Enjoyment: 2/5 - Didn't enjoy it much

    Overall rating: 18/40 => 4.5/10 => 5/10    … Expand
  5. D45N
    Jan 9, 2018
    7
    This is a solid game. All the unlockable characters only slightly differ from the characters that are unlocked from the beginning. But the Dev's said they want to add new original and guest characters from other indy games.

    I really enjoyed offline play, but was not able to play online, yet. I can search for a quick match, but everytime I accept I get a message that says that my rival    This is a solid game. All the unlockable characters only slightly differ from the characters that are unlocked from the beginning. But the Dev's said they want to add new original and guest characters from other indy games.

    I really enjoyed offline play, but was not able to play online, yet. I can search for a quick match, but everytime I accept I get a message that says that my rival declined. Tried it around 30 times, never got an opponent. Hopefully this will get patched with the next patch.

    Pros:
    + Easy to learn, hard to master
    + good tutorial for beginners that shows basic mechanis of the game as well as advanced mechanics
    + nice little roster of different fighters
    + rage meter is a nice addition to the game mechanics
    + fast and action-centered gameplay
    + 1080p/60fps docked/720p 60fps undocked
    + only 20€

    Cons:
    - Some of the fighters lack character (frog-guy, falcon-guy etc.)
    - roster is a little thin, needs more new and different characters
    - Playing against CPU can be frustrating, either way too easy or way too hard. Mostly way too easy.
    - the soundtrack is mediocre. Didn't expect SSB standards, but some of the tunes are REALLY annoying after a while
    - The unlockable characters aren't really worth grinding
    - Bugs: Can't play online, some kind of stuttering that lets the game freeze while it continues in the background. Hopefully this will be fixed soon

    As much as would like to give the game 8 points, I really can't. It is far from bad. But it's also not that good. I have so much fun stomping CPU and I think this game is really fun if you play it with friends. It's a great game if you just look at the gameplay, but it lacks in every other departement. People should stop comparing it to Smash. While it's a plaform fighter, this is a 20€ Indy game and not a 60€ Nintendo game.    … Expand
  6. DarbyDickinson
    Nov 18, 2018
    7
    its a decent smash bro like game . good to play with friend, not a ton of content . my only gripe with the game is loading time my god is it long and the CPU are a little too hard in my opinion or my i just stink at the game . the roster isn't much but there interesting at least
  7. Digibutter64
    May 18, 2019
    7
    I thought that I should alter my review of Brawlout, since the version 1.5 update has finally been released and has improved elements of the game. It's still inferior to the Super Smash Bros. series (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will almost certainly be better value for money), but Brawlout's a good (albeit similar) fighting game on its own.

    The character roster is mostly original    I thought that I should alter my review of Brawlout, since the version 1.5 update has finally been released and has improved elements of the game. It's still inferior to the Super Smash Bros. series (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will almost certainly be better value for money), but Brawlout's a good (albeit similar) fighting game on its own.

    The character roster is mostly original characters, with all the unlockable characters being somewhat different "variants" of the original characters available from the start. Guest characters consist of The Drifter from Hyper Light Drifter, Juan from the Guacamelee! games, Yooka and Laylee from Yooka-Laylee fighting as a '2-in-1' character (kind of like Ice Climbers, Rosalina & Luma, and Duck Hunt Duo in the Super Smash Bros. series), and the protagonist of Dead Cells. The roster is still pretty limited in variation overall though.

    Some new features have been added since launch. Team matches can now be played, and you can play a "party" mode with various settings such as constantly dropping bombs or starting with a "sudden death" scenario. Also, premium currency is now completely gone (yay!), with your only currency being coins that can be earned relatively easily. This makes unlocking things easier and more fun. Oh, and there's also a new stage from Yooka-Laylee, featuring music from that game. Similarly, there's also a Dead Cells stage. I'm hoping for Hyper Light Drifter and Guacamelee! stages in the future too.

    The game still lacks items though, and having characters "level up" can still be tedious. On the whole though, Brawlout has shifted from "mediocre" to "good", prompting me to change my score from 6 to 7.    … Expand
  8. EpicKevin4
    Apr 17, 2018
    7
    This (along with Pokken Tournament DX) are both good alternative fighting games for Nintendo fans waiting for Smash to eventually come to the Switch.
  9. EnriqueAcevedo
    Mar 17, 2018
    7
    I still have big expectations in this game (with the further updates), the game is not even close to Smash Bros but it can be very enjoyable. The problems start with the progression system, because it`s so complicated to unlock a new character (Those new character are Skins, no real characters) even with the 1.1.0 patch... the game has crashes (It only happened to me while the WIFI is on).I still have big expectations in this game (with the further updates), the game is not even close to Smash Bros but it can be very enjoyable. The problems start with the progression system, because it`s so complicated to unlock a new character (Those new character are Skins, no real characters) even with the 1.1.0 patch... the game has crashes (It only happened to me while the WIFI is on).
    The game do need new characters, more than simple skins. Items are needed as well, they can contribuit a lot to the gameplay.    … Expand
  10. patrickmurphy09
    Sep 6, 2020
    6
    Let me start by saying: I love what this game tries to do. It is a fun platform fighter, and I believe a love letter from the developers to the Smash Bros fan base. As a die-hard Smash fan, it is hard for me to not compare this to Smash in my mind. However, I do believe that I am fair in my assessments.
    I believe that the developers were trying to take the competitive aspects of Smash,    Let me start by saying: I love what this game tries to do. It is a fun platform fighter, and I believe a love letter from the developers to the Smash Bros fan base. As a die-hard Smash fan, it is hard for me to not compare this to Smash in my mind. However, I do believe that I am fair in my assessments.
    I believe that the developers were trying to take the competitive aspects of Smash, create their own unique characters mixed with some beloved indie game characters, and create a different sort of platform fighting experience. And I belive they were successful in that regard. Gameplay is fun, fast, and more aggressive in nature than my beloved Smash Bros. And even though its arguably not as in-depth as Smash is, perhaps in part to a smaller player base advancing the meta, this game still has advanced levels of gameplay that players can wish to aspire to if they are so inclined. This game does lack a bit of the refined power felt when playing other Smash entries. KOing someone in Smash -- whether in Melee, Brawl, Ultimate, etc -- still has a tactile feeling of a kill. I don't seem to feel that while playing this game. Still, this is a game for a few quick fun rounds of couch matches if you want to switch things up a bit from Smash in a casual way. Just not nearly as satisfying, IMO. Kudos to the developers, though, for still making a fun game that is obviously infused with great passion. I'd be curious to see what a sequel would look like, to be honest.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
29
#29 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 20
  3. Negative: 2 out of 20
  1. Edge Magazine
    Feb 1, 2018
    30
    There are flashes of what might have been, but otherwise Brawlout doesn't feel so much a plucky underdog as a no-hoper, entering a fight it knows it can't win in the hope of a big payday just for showing up. A first-round stoppage to the champion, then, with the challenger being booed out of the ring. [March 2018, p.122]
  2. SpazioGames
    Jan 21, 2018
    70
    Brawlout is a fine smashlike for Nintendo Switch, though has got some pretty evident flaws.
    Read full review
  3. Game Informer
    Jan 18, 2018
    65
    Brawlout probably isn’t for most Smash fans, including me. It simply can’t compete in terms of roster size, interesting characters, and overall personality. All of those things are critically important. Gating what little it has to offer behind a slow-drip progression feed is a mistake, too. Players who don’t have the time or patience to unlock everything can console themselves with the knowledge that they aren’t missing out on much.
    Read full review
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