Brawl Stars is the latest title from Supercell, the developer that gave us Clash Royale and Clash of Clans. The game entered a soft launch stage in June 2017 and the studio used the time to refine various mechanics like the control scheme and the progression system among other things.
Supercell canceled soft launch games in the past when they were unable to reach the self-imposed quality standard. It seems that Brawl Stars has managed to escape an untimely death but is it good?
The game is an interesting take on the team-based multiplayer shooter that is quite fun on a smartphone. It takes inspiration from battle royale, MOBAs and objective-based shooters in order to deliver an interesting experience that is easy to pick-up and hard to master.
PUBG Mobile and Fortnite were popular among smartphone users in 2018 but both games aren’t exactly great on a mobile device. While they retain the essence of the proper game playing them on a smartphone is a little hard since the controls are a bit weak and the camera will often get in your way. The matches will take a while as players will struggle to find each other while their break ends.
Brawl Stars may be simple for some but is a perfect fit for those that want a bit of action on the go. The matches are short and explosive and the top-down camera simplifies the control scheme. Speaking of the controls, players will be able to the left virtual stick in order to control their character and the right stick in order to aim and shoot with their weapon. As you play an ultimate bar will charge. When the bar is full a secondary stick will let you finish your enemies.
Five game modes are available. Gem Grab offers 3vs3 matches were both teams have to find and grab 10 gems and defend them until the timer ends. Showdown is battle royale where 10 players fight against each other as the maps becomes smaller. Those that enjoy a traditional shooter experience can pick Bounty mode, which is similar to the iconic team deathmatch. Heist has powerful MOBA roots as each team has a safe that must be protected while the one owned by the opposing team must be destroyed. Brawl Ball is a fun take on weaponized soccer.
The game is a fun and accessible and the monetization scheme is decent. A solid roster of 22 characters offers plenty of choice as each one packs their own mechanics and skills. The game can be found on the official app stores.
