Following on from the amazing ARMS Direct presented by Nitendo, I have to say – my excite for the game is hitting a fever pitch.
My original experience with ARMS had me greatly enjoy the concept, and I was genuinely happy to play a motion-controlled game that actually felt snappy and intuitive – but my doubts started to creep in when I really thought about what the title offered. A large part of me was concerned that the game may reveal itself to be shallow, with a small roster of characters and a very straightforward suite of gameplay mechanics.
Then the Direct happened and completely crushed every doubt I had.
Beyond it’s initial gameplay, ARMS offers a range of cool mini-games that make creative use of the games existing stretch + punch mechanics. Seeing them in action, it seems like a no-brainer to include punchable versions of human basketball and exploding volleyball to the mix, both of which look like a great time with friends. The only thing better than calling KOBE on a shot, is when you are calling KOBE to your friend – who is unwillingly acting as the ball in that situation. Not to mention it gives you a whole new opportunity to say ‘GET DUNKED’.
There’s also a few more basic activities, including a competitive target breaking game called ‘Skillshot’, which feels a lot like a a fist based version of the Point Blank shooting game. I am curious if it’s worth punching your opponent alongside the targets, but that’s a mystery I’m happy to discover on my own.
The real draw for me has to be the deluge of characters announced as part of the Direct, with amazing designs and unique gameplay mechanics. I originally was concerned for the small (but brilliantly designed) character roster, but the new characters just keep smashing the bar higher and higher. The game has a really distinct art style, and after observing the new dudes in action I seriously want to see them for myself.
Twintelle, the lady with the radical punchy-hair is by far my favourite, with a cool in game mechanic and a wicked set of animations. In a game where everyone is using crazy arms, she dares to fight with her hair – which actually opens up a hell of a lot of cool poses and animations when she fights, mainly because she can throw her weight around with her arms in a cool kung fu style.
She also has a badonkadonk.
Do she got a booty? She do.
The most exciting news however is the announcement that the game is going to follow the Splatoon release model for content:
In a world of season passes and guaranteed DLC, not having to put some pennies aside to enrich your gaming experience down the track is a welcome relief, but more so: It bodes well for Splatoon 2.
ARMS is set for release worldwide in June 2017.
