PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Beta Preview (PlayStation Vita)

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Beta Preview Pros:

• Decent graphics.
• The character animations stay true and look really well done.
• The level design is superb, giving us environments with their own dangers. Such as the Hades level from   God of War where Hades himself attacks the players at random intervals. Meaning doesn’t just keep an eye on your opponents but also keep an eye on the level!
• Special moves fit the character and while ridiculously overpowered, they can be dealt with right now how. Activating a special move treats the players to a close-up of the player as they morph into their special ability. Sweet Tooth turning into a huge hulking great truck with missiles and guns is quite the spectacle.
• With the players on offer, I haven’t found a uber-powerful character that can easily dominate, instead, it’s a very even battlefield in that respect. Of course, if you get double or even triple teamed then all bets are off.
• Pickups litter the battleground that can help even the lesser player get back into the fight. These pickups range from missile launchers to huge weapons like axes and swords.
• The speed of the game is impressive, with players jumping and shooting all over the place, things can get hectic and chaotic fast! With the level ever-changing and pickups springing up all over the place, it can get very intense.
• The graphics are really good and at times I had to look at the Vita itself just to remind me this is on a handheld!
• Despite the speed and everything going on, I have had zero lag.
• Controls are simple with x being your jump button, and other face buttons doing either light, medium, or heavy attacks. L and R are blocked and pressed together with a full meter unleashing your special ability. It’s this simple control scheme that helps keep players playing.
• The possibility of teaming up with friends is easy and straightforward. Just send them an invite and add them to your squad. Voice chat is supported and friends can even just join in off your name.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Beta Preview Cons:

• I will list waiting times as an issue. Now obviously this is a beta so it will change as more players get the game, but at the moment it’s a slow experience. To the point where it takes longer to find a game than it does to play one1
• The camera is always moving to keep everyone in the shot, But every so often it gets so chaotic seeing your player can leave you squinting at the screen working out which color you are
• Special moves as said are very overpowered. Usually activating a special will net you instant kills, fun for you but not for others. Dealing with them can be done but isn’t as easy as you would like

In summary. from what I’ve played so far it’s shaping up to be a great game. The cross-play function with PS3 players will keep the online side of things catered for. With just a few hiccups found so far, you defiantly get the feeling that a lot of hard work went into this game. I for one have gone from a maybe to a day-one purchase. If you get the chance to grab a beta key and jump in, it’s a great game to play on your vita.