My hands are still quite full with Animal Crossing New Horizons (I promise that I'm working on that blog entry and it will be published in the coming weeks), but I was able to make time and check out something new (-ish) via Nintendo Switch Online's Game Trials program. BACKGROUND:
I've actually played a few hours of ARMS prior to this, thanks to their online demo from a couple of years back. I got a taste of the gameplay then, and generally enjoyed what I experienced. In the recent Nintendo Direct Mini, Nintendo announced the return of Game Trials, which allows Switch Online subscribers to play a full game free of charge for a limited time. The first instance of this was for Mario Tennis Aces (which I was able to talk about here thanks to the program), and now it's back for ARMS. I immediately downloaded the game as soon as I heard, and here we are. PLOT: There is no story mode for the game, so you don't exactly get any plot other than that there's a fighting tournament, and you want to win. You do get bits and pieces of character backstory here and there, but you kinda have to look for that stuff if you're really interested. It's kind of a shame, because these are among some of Nintendo's most interesting cast of characters in recent memory. PRESENTATION: In true Nintendo fashion, the game is colorful, features a lot of striking colors, and boasts some truly novel designs. The obvious highlight would be the characters, who each have incredibly distinct designs from one another, and whose personalities manage to shine despite minimal dialogue or context. The stages look fantastic as well, and they have some pretty impressive dynamic elements in the background (like audience members who cheer or gasp depending on who's winning the fight). Like the characters, they all have their own unique vibe, and do a fantastic job of representing their respective characters. If there's one thing that blows my mind about this game presentation-wise, it's the music, and holy shit, it rules. Most of the tracks use the same motif (the instantly-recognizable vocals of the main theme), but it's reused in so many ways that each track still feels unique. It also helps that said motif is so catchy that I found myself idling on the main menu just to listen to it. GAMEPLAY: ARMS is a 3D fighting game where you move around in an arena and go against opponents in what is essentially Wii Sports Boxing on LSD. Fighters attack primarily by throwing out punches with their ridiculously extendable arms, which you can curve in various directions mid-punch. You can play this game normally with a controller, but if you wish, you can wield your Joy-Cons like a Wiimote and go full motion controls. The game controls quite well in this mode, but it's a very easy way to tire yourself out and make your arms ache until the next morning. I recommend playing a few matches like this if you're new to the game. While punching is your main mode of offense, you also have access to blocking, grabs (whose range is as absurd as your punches), charging (which increases the damage of your next punch and can add buffs), dashes, and jumps. You also have what's called a Rush, which is the game's equivalent of a super move. Filling the Rush meter allows you to unleash a nigh unstoppable flurry of punches that do massive damage. Unlike typical fighting games, ARMS is not combo-heavy, and favors a more careful approach. Punches have a lot of recovery, so you can't throw them out willy-nilly lest your opponent punishes you. What's more, the movement in the games lets you dodge most errant attacks with ease, further discouraging mindless punching. If you're not careful, you can even momentarily lose the ability to punch if your opponent hits your arms enough times, leaving you incredible vulnerable to a stretchy ass-kicking. Winning a fight usually comes down to effectively punishing an opponent's habits (e.g. spamming grabs, always jumping, etc.) with well-aimed and well-timed punches, as opposed to simply finding an opening and unloading a 50-hit combo. This playstyle tends to favor more campy, defensive play, however, so while it can be rewarding in terms of outfoxing your opponent, it can be particularly boring or lame to watch or play for some people. Adding to the variety in ARMS's combat are the arms themselves. At the start of each round, you can swap the fists equipped on both your left and right arm, allowing you to adapt your strategy as you go. Each of these fists have different properties (some track your opponent, others block punches, etc.), and further still, each have their own elemental properties (ice slows opponents down, electricity stuns, etc.), which can be activated by charging your punches. It's a lot to keep track of, and it makes every fight unique. Each individual fighter also has their own gimmick to separate them from the others. Min Min, for example, does a kick when she does a mid-air dash, and that kick can deflect attacks. Taking this into account on top of the dozens of arm combinations makes every fight a puzzle to solve, and that's not even considering how your opponent actually behaves. There's a good amount of stages in this game, and they range from mostly neutral layouts to straight up gimmicky (there's one stage in particular with spinning platforms that I hate playing on). Since movement is pretty important in combat, and there's plenty of room to move around in most stages (it's difficult to corner someone in a fight), understanding the terrain is also important. Aside from the usual fights, you also have a variety of other modes, such as Skillshot (this game's version of Break the Targets, but competitive), V-Ball (which is volleyball, but you punch the ball instead), Hoops (basketball, but you dunk your opponent instead), Hedlok Scramble (which is like King of the Hill, but the crown is a powerful item that gives you six arms in combat), 1-on-100 (a horde mode), and Arms Test (a gauntlet of fights where you get random arm loadouts each round). These are all accessible in Versus mode, and can be played with multiple players. They're a fun way to mix things up after a couple of rounds of regular fights. Grand Prix is your arcade mode equivalent, where you have to win a series of ten matches (which are an assortment of regular fights and the gimmick modes like Skillshot) to win a championship. You can adjust the difficulty when you start, and doing so can change the final boss fight at the end, which does add a little intrigue to the plot (but not much). Beating this mode doesn't earn you much other than character art, which is kind of a bummer. The online modes are split into Ranked and Party Mode. Ranked is self-explanatory; fight others in two-round matches, rank up or down depending on your result. Party Mode is as fun as it sounds, putting you in a lobby full of random players, as you all get matched up in equally random modes with one another. I'd say Party Mode is the definitive way to experience most the modes of the game outside of trying them solo in single player Versus. The game also has an online event mode called Party Crash, which seems to me like the ARMS equivalent of SplatFests in Splatoon. It pits two fighters on the roster in a sort of popularity contest, encouraging players to use the featured characters online to earn special rewards. It's not as involved or intense as SplatFests, but it's really cool that these events are still running nearly three years since the game's release. You earn currency by playing through all these modes, and you spend these to get new arms to equip to your fighters. Actually acquiring these new arms involves a minigame in the vein of Skillshot, except with the added twist that you have to punch floating boxes in order to unlock arms. This would be an otherwise fun way to unlock gear if it weren't for a) the random drops (i.e. there's no way to guarantee drops for a specific character) and b) it requires currency. When I first played this game via the demo, it only had the base roster of ten (which isn't bad given they're all pretty unique, but it's still noticeably shallow). Since then, they've added five new characters, and they were all free. I thought that was awesome of them to do that. VERDICT: ARMS is a whimsical take on the 3D fighter in the same way Splatoon was a fresh reinvention of the shooter, with wacky but deceptively deep mechanics, a memorable roster, incredible music, actually fun motion controls, and solid online. I'd say my only gripes are the way unlocks are handled, but other than that, I had a blast playing this game. If you're looking for a fighting game that isn't too serious, this might be the one for you. - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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