SMASHING THE BATTLE
- March 28, 2016
- Action Square(Studio HG)
- 10h median play time
An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.
Get on Steam"Smashing the Battle" is a high-octane action game featuring hack-and-slash gameplay. Play as two heroines, Sarah and Mary, as they fight their way through hordes of enemies using flashy combos and special abilities. With a variety of weapons and customization options, players can tailor their playstyle to their liking in this exciting adventure.
Reviews
- The combat is satisfying and easy to pick up, making it enjoyable for casual play.
- The character designs and graphics are appealing, especially for fans of anime aesthetics.
- The game offers a decent amount of content with multiple levels and unlockable outfits, providing some replay value.
- The gameplay becomes repetitive quickly, with similar level designs and enemy types throughout.
- The story is bland and forgettable, lacking depth and engagement.
- There are limited combat mechanics and abilities, leading to a simplistic and sometimes frustrating experience.
- story107 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered forgettable and simplistic, with many reviewers noting its repetitive nature and lack of depth. While there are two protagonists with distinct storylines, the overall narrative fails to engage players, often feeling bland and unremarkable. Despite some positive remarks about character design and unlockable content, the consensus is that the story is not a significant draw for the game, with many players suggesting it should not be the primary reason to play.
“There are 2 protagonists, and each one of them has her own unique levels and story.”
“The story is solid and structured, with character development and good supporting characters, something uncommon for the genre.”
“I found myself far more intrigued about the story than I ever thought I would, despite the lack of any true cutscenes.”
“The story is pointless; don't play for the story.”
“My only complaint is that every story mission and challenge feels exactly the same.”
“The story is very simple: a hacker broke into the facility's computer systems and told all the robots to attack the human workers.”
- gameplay63 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplistic and repetitive mechanics, often described as a button-mashing experience with minimal depth. While some players appreciate the fluid combat and character design, many find the lack of variety in enemies and environments leads to a tedious experience over time. Overall, the gameplay is seen as decent but lacks the engagement and complexity expected from modern hack and slash titles.
“Satisfying gameplay and combat, despite the simplistic premise.”
“Although simple, the combat mechanics are really enjoyable, with a highlight on dodging with iframes and massive kills.”
“There isn't a ton of variety in the level design, but the combat is responsive and the enemy composition is mixed up enough to keep it fresh for 6-10 hours of gameplay.”
“The gameplay is really simplistic: mash out on the dumb AI by holding the attack button, dodge attacks, continue to mash out, sprinkle in some ability usage.”
“It's very easy for players to tear themselves out of the gameplay loop because it's so repetitive and thoughtless, so it's not good at keeping one's attention.”
“Gameplay gets repetitive quickly, but still a good fun to play.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring appealing 2D artwork and stylized 3D models that enhance the overall aesthetic. While many players appreciate the vibrant art style and character designs, some feel that the graphics could be improved further, particularly in terms of environmental variety and animation quality. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's experience.
“Nice 2D artworks and 3D modeling.”
“The game has great graphics, nice music, and plenty of unlockables.”
“Graphics could be a little better.”
“The graphics are stylized with thick lines, simple color schemes, and an industrial theme.”
“For the first hour you'll probably love the art style.”
- music21 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the engaging soundtrack and art style, while others criticize it for being monotonous and forgettable. Although there are moments of enjoyable music, many feel that the tracks are repetitive and lack variety, leading to a desire for more diverse compositions. Overall, while the music is not a standout feature, it is often described as decent and unobtrusive, complementing the gameplay without being particularly memorable.
“Awesome music, nice art style, silly humor, engaging if simple plot.”
“The game has great graphics, nice music, and plenty of unlockables.”
“An ecchi game with good graphics and music, relaxing and fun gameplay, nice menu and character designs.”
“The soundtrack is the same heavy metal track played over and over.”
“The music, in my opinion, isn't all that great; maybe get out your favorite CD or iPod tunes while you play.”
“You have a very basic control layout to fight hordes of robots, of which there is little variation in what is literally the same environment to the backing OST of what I think is royalty-free music.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is a mixed experience; while some players find mindless farming for upgrades enjoyable, many criticize it for being tedious and repetitive, exacerbated by poor controls and design choices. The balance between grinding and rewards is noted, with some players appreciating the effort-to-reward ratio, while others feel it detracts from overall enjoyment due to the lack of variety in gameplay and environments. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a significant but polarizing element of the game.
“Grinding out certain achievements becomes less fun when you remember all the little things you take for granted in other games like invincibility frames.”
“Awful control and idiotic design decisions (like after-dodge vulnerability) make some stages almost impossible without hard grinding for money/scraps for upgrades.”
“The game is pretty grindy, and nepnep-like.”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Character development in "Smashing the Battle" is noted for its solid and structured story, featuring well-developed characters and strong supporting roles, which is a rarity in its genre. The character design is visually appealing, incorporating elements of fanservice, though some players find the gameplay to be repetitive. Overall, the game successfully combines engaging character arcs with attractive art.
“The story is solid and structured, with character development and good supporting characters, something uncommon for the genre.”
“Smashing the battle has good character design and a bit of fanservice.”
“Art and character design are good.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“The supporting characters are underdeveloped and often feel like mere plot devices rather than fully realized individuals.”
“Despite a solid story structure, the character arcs are predictable and fail to evolve in a meaningful way.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability through its two interconnected stories and various challenges, missions, and unlockable content, appealing to dedicated players. However, some users feel that the gameplay remains static and can become tedious, diminishing the overall sense of reward in replaying. Ultimately, enjoyment of the game significantly influences its replay value.
“High replay value with two connected stories to finish.”
“Lots of replay value if you like the game.”
“Replayability feels more like a chore; the gameplay stays the same from the first time you opened the game until you beat it. It doesn't feel rewarding whatsoever.”
“It has replay value with the challenges, missions (Steam achievements), and unlockable content.”
“There is lots of replay value if you like the game.”
- stability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates impressive stability for a one-man development effort, running smoothly at a consistent 60fps without any noticeable bugs or crashes. Players commend the developer for delivering a polished experience that surpasses many larger indie projects.
“The game runs great on my build, locked at 60fps all the time, with no bugs found so far and no drops in fps or crashes.”
“I wanted to leave this here as a 'congratulations' to the developer; the game plays and runs wonderfully.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its self-deprecating tone and exaggerated difficulty, with players finding amusement in the overwhelming number of enemies and traps. Additionally, the combination of sexy female characters and comedic beat 'em up elements adds a unique charm to the overall experience.
“You suck at this. True, I do suck, but the game has a funny way of expressing 'difficulty.' It loads the screen with way too many enemies and puts a ton of traps on the floor.”
“It's sad; the game would be a nice indie title from a very rare niche that connects sexy female characters with a funny beat 'em up... smash.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with users finding the story boring and lacking depth, which detracts from the overall experience. However, some players still find enjoyment in the gameplay mechanics, such as skill spamming and combat.
“The game has a short and boring storyline, which detracts from the emotional experience.”
“The story is uninteresting and fails to engage players on an emotional level.”
“While the gameplay can be fun, the lack of an emotional narrative makes it feel hollow.”
