The fighting or fighting genre has been quite popular over the years in the world of videogames, since new proposals constantly appear that invite players to explore various themes and mechanics to somehow renew the usual formula. In this sense, the new Hi Rez Studios proposal called Divine Knockout appears on the market, a game that mixes several mechanics to deliver a solid, fun and attractive product, but that does not exceed the place to become a sales success.
Frantic fights with powers in multiplayer arenas is what would best define Divine Knockout, a proposal that has all the elements to amuse players for hours. Within its mechanics, it also adds the aspect of using special powers to fight enemies, Taking a lot from sister games like Paladins or Smite, but combining them in a good way with a third-person fighting proposal, in the Smash Bros. style. Do you want to find out what this new game is about? I invite you to read my analysis of Divine Knockout on Xbox Series X.
The new proposal from Hi Rez Studios invites us to a completely multiplayer online game, where we will not have any story or narrative to introduce us to the world of the title. Quite the contrary, We have a brief tutorial that tells us the basics of the game, as well as the controls, powers and some other details. After this introduction, we will already be in the central lobby, ready to start and take some games to fight against other players.
In this sense, I must say that the game behaves really well, since the search for matches is quite fast, without long lags or disconnections. Usually, it behaves very stable in the search process and in the game itself, having an incredibly smooth connection. If we add to this the frenzy of the different types of game and the 120 fps that it reaches to be able to play (I will detail it later of course), they make the game a very satisfying experience.
If I had to criticize this Divine Knockout in the multiplayer section, it is that it possibly takes a little longer than usual to search for games of a certain game mode, but they do not go beyond 3 minutes when we already enter one and start playing. The truth is that Hi Rez is characterized by making good online multiplayers, which is why they come with the experience of Paladins or Smite, for example, so in this sense, the game is doing great.
Regarding the gameplay section, I must say that it is one of the most divided aspects of the entire game, since we have a wide variety of options to play online or cooperatively with friends, but that unfortunately the game’s DNA lacks depth, so it leaves us halfway in terms of its life time.
If I had to say a quick word about Divine Knockout, I would define it as; entertaining. Honestly, it is a game with a really interesting power of attraction, since It mixes different elements that works well and gives an interesting contribution to the classic fighting formula. In this sense, we will have a fighting game like Smash Bros but in the third person, where we can do damage to the enemies to increase a percentage and be able to kick them out of the arena. Likewise, we will have some unique powers of each character (Gods) along with an Ultimate power (like Paladins for example), which we will have to charge to be able to pawn it in the game.
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Honestly, the game works super well in terms of the mechanics described, since all the gameplay is fast, hectic, dynamic and tactical due to the powers, having to analyze how and when to use them to be more effective. Similarly, each hero has its special characteristics, having to alternate and find the one that best suits our style of play. At the beginning we will only have 4 available, but as we level up, the other characters will be unlocked, which are much more entertaining than the first ones that come to us.
In the same way, we have different scenarios or arenas with their game modes, having to do different things to win a game. For example, there are hundred percent PVP modes, where the team that reaches 8 deaths wins the game. We also have modes that consist of having a crown for as long as possible to get points, protecting a specific area, capturing and getting coins to store them in a chest and others. All this can be played both online and cooperatively, in teams of 3 vs 3, 2 vs 2 or 1 vs 1. All modes are played alternately, having to win the best of 5 to be victorious.
However, Divine Knockout lacks depth on how to better improve or develop heroes during matches, maintaining a fight-only structure, moving away from the more strategic games and leaving it to a simple casual game. I have nothing against this type of games, they are very fun and dynamic, but they could have had a little more depth to be able to captivate a larger share of players, offering to customize the heroes (like Paladins with the deck of cards for example) so that they have greater or lesser relevance within each game. We’ll see how the title turns out over time, but this lack of depth can undoubtedly lead to the sustainability of the game over time.
Regarding the technical side, I must say that Divine Knockout has left me really impressed, since it works perfectly well, very solid when it comes to being able to develop the games with a really careful and beautiful art. Performance is one of the great advantages of this game, which looks fluid resulting in an exquisite experience to experience.
We see that the game graphically and artistically is very Hi Rez-style, that is, cartoonish wherever you see it. It has animations, settings, lighting and arenas very much in the style of Smite or Paladins, being the hallmark of the studio. This, blends masterfully with his art and color palette which is visually tremendously attractive and well cared for. A great success on the part of the developers.
In performance, Divine Knockout also stands out by far, both on Xbox Series X and Series S, looking really spectacular. In Microsoft’s big sister, the game runs at a comfortable 4K and 60 fps, being able to choose a maximum performance mode at 120 fps, standing out and helping much more due to the fact that it is a competitive online game. On Xbox Series S the situation does not vary much, since we have some comfortable 2K at 60 fps, having the same “enhanced” mode at 120 fps, resulting in a delight to play at this frame rate.
On the other hand, the sound also enjoys its particularities and characteristics, with good special effects for the powers, animations, actions and voices of the heroes. However, I find that it is not at the same level as the image, where they could have taken better advantage of the sounds of the arenas, incidental sounds or others to give more life to the scenarios, outside of all the frenzy of the fights. Despite this, it’s still up to the game.
Hi Rez is a studio that has been characterized all this time by offering multiplayer proposals that are different from the usual ones, with the characteristic touch that sets them apart from other studios. Now with Divine Knockout, They made a solid, striking, and tremendously entertaining game, where lovers of fighting games such as Smash will be more than grateful with the proposal, above all, for how well it works in terms of performance.
However, It is a game designed for chance, since its lacks in depth place it in a game for a public that seeks fun more than anything else, laying down a couple of hours a day with friends to laugh and have a good time. That is the meaning of Divine Knockout, a meaning that fully fulfills it and in a very good way.