The most recent addition to the apparently never-ending roster of free-to-play battle royale games is Rumbleverse.

Advertisement

The newest iteration of the stale genre, Rumbleverse, deviates from the norm by substituting wrestling melee combos, combat attacks, and high-flying elbow falls for the standard SMGs, mortars, and explosives.

The fact that this is truly a combat sport is the secret formula, which might help to explain why I’m so terrible at it. I want to improve, though, because I’m having so much fun. After a number of beta tests, Rumbleverse was released on August 11 for PC and consoles.

Despite being created by Iron Galaxy, a firm known for producing excellent action games like Dive Kick and Killer Instinct, Rumbleverse is released by Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that Iron Galaxy’s cartoonish combat royale favors punches and kicks over sniper guns and RPGs.

It all seemed a little strange on paper, like a strange experiment that would not be successful. But even though I still haven’t won a single match, I’ve grown to genuinely enjoy Rumbleverse after playing it intermittently for the past few weeks since its release.

Anyone who has participated in another battle royale game should be familiar with the fundamental setup. A big group of players, in this case, 40, are dropped upon an island that is full of structures, caves, open spaces, and treasure. Then, as they battle other players for survival, they scavenge for resources in an effort to be the last person standing.

The main distinction in Rumbleverse is that there is no need to look around for weapons, armor, or ammunition. Instead, you look for new skills to learn while also looking for melee items like chairs and potions that increase your stats and allow you to run longer and faster.

Advertisement

Even while it has a steeper learning curve than most shooters, the game’s gameplay shines when you finally fall or leap onto another player.