We analyze the first Dark Screen Games title, Bounty Battle. A sideways 2D fighting game coming to PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
After the announcement of its indefinite delay in June 2020, Bounty Battle hits our screens in September of this year. Dark Screen Games’ first feature film is an ambitious crossover between the genre’s most characteristic indie characters, in which they will have to fight on two-dimensional side stages until only one is left standing. Without a doubt, it is an interesting bet that catches the attention of anyone who has previously played titles like Dead Cells, Nuclear Throne or Steamworld Dig, but does it live up to the expectations? We reveal it to you in this Reviews.
The biggest indie crossover
For starters, Bounty Battle is both a risky and eye-catching proposition. Fighting games have always had great and clear references. It is difficult to overcome or match the feeling that the player has when controlling a Kirby who is beating Bayonetta in Super Smash Bros Utimate. The title we are dealing with on this occasion mixes the conception of Nintendo’s fighting game par excellence with Soulcalibur, as indicated on their website. It is a great idea to bring the format to the indie games that have been so popular in recent years, but at the same time it is difficult to avoid unfair and unwanted comparisons. The idea of seeing Owlboy face off with Rusty seems magnificent to us, but if the jumps are stumbled and the shots imprecise, the intention of the game is noticeably diluted.
At the beginning of the title we find a simple but functional main menu. Although in terms of settings we can modify the volume, some of the indicators that are shown on the screen and little else, we have a varied range of ways in which we can embark as a single player. The first of them is a simple but effective tutorial in which we will be introduced to the basic mechanics of any fighting game interspersed with the occasional joke by the characters. This is a perfunctory introduction, but one that any gamer who doesn’t have much experience with similar titles will appreciate.
On the other hand, we can challenge ourselves in the tournament mode, in which we will have to overcome a series of combats with each of the available characters. As a reward, we will permanently unlock cosmetic variations for these fighters. As for the challenge mode, we will find several consecutive screens in which, how could it be otherwise, we will have to fight until only one remains standing: the AI or us. Of course, there is a training mode that can be used to practice combos and movements against a totally static enemy. However, it should be noted that it does not yet have an online multiplayer mode, an addition that would undoubtedly add value and variety to the title.
But, as usual, the really interesting thing about the title is not in the solo battles but in the local combat against another player. We can be a maximum of four opponents, choosing from a total of thirty fighters, five of them original from Bounty Battle and twenty-five heroes from indie games like Guacamelee !, Blasphemous and Nuclear Throne among others. A positive point is that the animations and attacks of the heroes that we know from other titles are faithful to their origin, their details are taken care of and it shows that they have been done with love. Some of the scenarios in which our meeting will take place also come from previously mentioned titles, and are divided between open and closed depending on whether or not we can fall off the edge of the sand.
When we take control …
The main problem with the title is, unfortunately, during the fighting. The controls do not convey the sense of fluidity and agility that are necessary for a fighting title. In the Nintendo Switch version, the frames per second drop dramatically, generating jerks and moments in which the image is frozen. This hinders the gaming experience, especially when there are several players and therefore a lot of information on the screen. In other game modes such as challenge, we can notice a clear difference when we only find two fighters on the battlefield.
Concepts like Bounty Points and Energy are also added to try to give the combat more depth. We will spend energy using strong attacks, while we will accumulate Bounty points for each defeated enemy. These points, as they increase throughout the game, will unlock minions and special attacks, which will balance the balance in our favor. Unfortunately, these do not seem to have a greater impact when it comes to playing, since we can limit ourselves to the classic chain of attacks to generate a combo that allows us to win. In fact, we have run into some confrontation against a very passive CPU in which we have limited ourselves to cornering the enemy and hitting him without leaving him the possibility of defending himself.
As for the soundtrack, we highlight that it is eight-bit music that perfectly accompanies the spirit of the game and the emotion of the confrontations. The aesthetic section also blends perfectly with the spirit of the title, especially if you take into account that it is mixing very varied characters with different designs and color palettes. In fact, this aspect stands out in the combat arenas, a total of sixteen scenarios, all of them balanced in terms of aesthetics.
CONCLUSION
Bounty Battle is built on an eye-catching premise and is a good bet for indie games. As stated on the Dark Screen Games website, it is a title inspired by great games of the genre, such as Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Comparing it to a production of this caliber would not be fair, since we are talking about totally different budget, manpower and experience in the field of video games. It is a very good proposal that, unfortunately, falters in the most fundamental section: the gameplay. We are left with the hope that with the passage of time and the patches it can be polished.
Any lover of indie games can notice the love that Bounty Battle oozes for each of the titles it includes in the crossover and appreciate, for example, the detail of the hammer attack of the Dead Cells prisoner. But you can also be very disappointed when you notice that the somersault he does to avoid is clumsy and orthopedic, unlike in the original game.
Anyone who wants to venture into this Dark Screen Games proposal will be able to do so from September 10 on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
THE BEST
- The range of characters and the love with which they have been implemented and animated.
- A successful and balanced aesthetic mix.
- A good soundtrack that accompanies the excitement of the battle.
WORST
- Rough and imprecise controls.
- FPS fluctuations that hinder the gaming experience.
- Menu navigation is awkward
Right
It is not the latest or the most original, it does not have the best execution either, but it can be fun if you like the genre. Good, but room for improvement.
