Royalty Free-For-All

Now I can't speak for the entire game since I've only played quite a bit of the free-for-all online multiplayer gamemode rather than any of the single-player options as of writing. But I do like the game so far. However, there are some things that stick out to me. So in most platform fighters, everyone has about the same amount of aerials and specials. In this game it's much more limited. Which to me both makes and breaks the current (there's more to come) 12 character roster (of which I've only played with 11 of them) since some characters have alternating moves tied to direction and others don't. It makes it very jarring when trying out characters for the first time. I know the developers have stated that the game was designed to be approachable for everyone. Which is why the combat is so simple and the controls are so customizable alongside some accessibility options. Even including completely optional ways to change how the game looks and feels. Yet I feel like this approach to combat is a lot more limiting to the general gameplay than it is simplifying. To me, quite a few of the characters feel a bit overcomplicated, yet others feel oversimplified. And sometimes both at the same time. But hey, that's just me; it took a few matches to really get a hold on most of the characters, so maybe I just need to spend more time with all of them. But my point is they aren't really as pick-up-and-play as you'd think they'd be. Now, as somebody who pledged for two copies during the Kickstarter all that time ago and sorta kept up with the playtests and demos. I can say that even though I have some issues with it, this was pretty much always the direction the game was going to take in terms of combat. The gamemode customization is good and the party gamemode is pretty fun and original. Also, even though it's brought up in a loading screen tip. It's not clear how to access a stage variant from the actual stage selection screen or how many variants a stage has. But enough about the gameplay; onto the presentation. The music is great, and the graphics are too. Each animation is animated pretty well. But something I noticed is that international mode being turned off doesn't play Poisoning Pigeons in the Park in the West Egg stage, but having international mode on does. I think the multiplayer content is just enough to recommend this game from my current progression. And I hope the single-player stuff is as good.