Horror-themed party game Brawl announced for PS4

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Horror-themed party game Brawl announced for PS4

Go head-to-head with three other players in a new twist on an old formula

Hey there, PlayStation fans! This is Michał Mielcarek from Bloober Team. Our latest party game, Brawl, will hit PlayStation 4 soon — and we would like to share some exciting news with you!

What is Brawl? Short answer: It’s a new PS4 horror-themed party game for up to four players. There aren’t a lot of party games on the market right now. We want to fix this — because we believe there’s nothing like spending time with friends and playing games together. We’ve been working very hard to make it as simple and fun as possible. You might call it a throwback to the golden age of arcade games. Hopefully, we’ve managed to capture that classic old-school charm.

The rules of the game are simple. You and up to three other players are dropped into a maze-like level. In order to win, you need to get the most points — which simply means getting the most frags. Each player moves across the screen — trying to outmaneuver the others and blast them to bits with strategically placed bombs. Be careful, though: Your own explosives are just as deadly to you as they are to your opponents — so you’re likely to blow yourself up if you’re not careful.

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If the concept seems familiar, that’s probably because it is — but with a MOBA twist and completely new rules! For instance, there are eight characters in Brawl — and each has its own set of special skills. One of them can instantly switch places with its target, and another uses a Medusa-like gaze to briefly immobilise opponents. Finesse isn’t your strong suit? That’s fine. You can just kick other players onto bombs — or one of the numerous traps placed throughout the arena. Then again, if you think violence isn’t the answer, you can get out of tight spots by turning invisible for a few seconds. Watch our latest CGI trailer and guess at some of the unique skills:

The easiest way to learn which character is best suited to your style is to play through the story mode. Yes, there’s story mode in this party game — and it makes perfect sense. We created eight short single-player campaigns so that you not only get to know each character backstory, but you can familiarise yourself with basic gameplay and unique character skills, as well as learning tactics that will help you face off against live opponents.

Brawl lets you compete with players from all over the world in two online modes — but first of all, you can invite your friends over for some couch multiplayer. While online gaming is growing stronger each year, there’s been a steady decline of local multiplayer support and we wanted to change that. Why? Because we believe that playing with your friends in the same room is the best way to enjoy games. Also, you can’t have a real party through the internet, can you!?

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We don’t want to spoil the surprise, so let’s focus on the online multiplayer modes for now:

  • Versus/Arena: These are fairly self-explanatory – simply get the most frags by placing bombs and using your special skills.
  • Duel: This is our 1v1 mode, in which players fight in much smaller arenas. It’s fast paced, but still very technical — so it feels like a fighting game. It’s perfect for tournaments. We tried it during the e-sports event IEM 2015, and gamers loved it!

As I mentioned, there are a couple of other local-only multiplayer modes. Let me tell you only about Colour Domination, where you change the colour of the arena using paint-filled bombs. The outcome of each match can change radically in a matter of seconds. Also, it’s the one mode where you can literally paint yourself into a corner. Just dwell on that for a moment :)

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Oh, and did I mention Challenges? Because we totally have them as well. One will involve a flock of sheep. Wait — what?! Sorry, I was told not to say anything else and particularly not to mention the part where you grind the poor things into pulp. Oops — I didn’t mean to say it out loud! Oh, well . . . it’s a horror-themed game after all. Bottom line, you will have plenty to do — even on your own.

Stay tuned for more news, and feel free to post your questions below. We’ll do our best to answer them as soon as we see them!

We’re almost ready to GET THIS PARTY STARTED! :)

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