Live service multiplayer games are a dime a dozen, with countless options available across all platforms. Because of this, new live service games have to do something truly unique if they hope to stand out from the pack and generate some attention, and the recently releasedRocket Arenamanages to do just that.
Rocket Arenais like a third-person take onQuakemixed withOverwatch-style hero abilitiesand lore, and topped off with aSuper Smash Bros.-inspired combat system - with rocket launchers. By combining these vastly different games together,Rocket Arenamanages to create something wholly new and different, which is alone enough reason for those starving for fresh online multiplayer experiences to give it a go.
TheOverwatchinfluence is apparent right from the start, withRocket Arenaboasting a colorful cast of diverse characters, all with their own strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. For example, there is a character named Amphora who can transform into a fast-moving blob of water, and then shoot herself into the air with a powerful waterspout. Each character has their own theme and abilities associated with that theme, and likeOverwatch, they’re easy to pick up and play, but it takes dedication to really master them on the battlefield.
All of theRocket Arenacharacters have their own lore and backstories as well, which makes them much more interesting than they would be otherwise. The character Boone, for instance, is hunting for the seemingly extinct Megadon creature, completely unaware that his beast companion Zik is one of them. TheRocket Arenalive service model promises big in-game events that will expand the lore and move the story forward, so it will be interesting to see how exactly characters like Boone and his relationship with Zik will change in the weeks and months ahead.
Rocket Arenaloreand character stories will likely change in future, but it’s likely that the characters will be tweaked from a gameplay standpoint as well. As it stands, there are some characters who are overpowered in certain game modes. For instance, Amphora’s water blob ability makes it real easy for her to rush around the map during the coin collection phase of Treasure Hunt, leaving teams with no Amphora at a distinct disadvantage. WithRocket Arenabeing a live-service game, one has to imagine that character abilities will be buffed and nerfed over time to even the playing field a bit.
EveryRocket Arenacharacter has their own special abilities to help them stand apart, but they all have some kind of rocket launcher that serves as their primary weapon. As the name of the game implies,Rocket Arenais all about blasting opponents with different types of rocket launchers, resulting in slower-paced, but still exciting gameplay than what fans may be used to in other shooter games.
This combined with theSuper Smash Bros.-style damage systemis whereRocket Arenashines, as these elements combine to provide an experience that’s really not available anywhere else. Instead of players having hit points, everyone has their own damage meter that gets filled up with consecutive hits. The higher their meter, the easier it is to knock players out of the arena. This creates a hugely different type of dynamic in combat that favors precision shots and utilizing the environment to dodge rockets.
Rocket Arena’s slower pace may take a bit of time to get used to, but eventually players will find themselves getting into the rhythm and combining their character’s unique abilities to pull off impressive knockouts. Managing to hit opponents multiple times in a row with rocket blasts is immensely satisfying, with a sound like a bowling strike cracking through the air when they’ve taken max damage and are sent comically pinballing off the walls.
Rocket Arena’s core gameplay and combat is fun, and players have four different PvP modes available to them at launch where they can experience it. Knockout is the standard Team Deathmatch-style mode and there’s also the intense “capture the point” mode Mega Rocket, butRocket Arenaalso has unique modes likeTreasure Huntand Rocketball. Treasure Hunt tasks players with collecting coins and holding on to a treasure chest on top of having to deal with opponents, whereas Rocketball is like soccer with rocket launchers. Each game mode provides a completely different kind of experience and requires its own strategy if players want to succeed, so there is plenty of variety despite there only being a handful of modes at launch.
WithRocket Arenabeing a live service game, the developers are stressing that the content in the game will be expanded greatly whenRocket Arenaseason 1kicks off on July 28. Season 1 will bring with it a new character, at least three new multiplayer maps, limited-time game modes, and as one may have guessed, a Battle Pass, or “Blast Pass,” asRocket Arenacalls it.
And herein lies one of the issues with the game:Rocket Arenais a paid game that has a free-to-play monetization model. At launch, almost none of the cosmetics or unlockable content for the characters is worthwhile or all that interesting, with the far better stuff coming as part of the Blast Pass on July 28. This wouldn’t seem as egregious if the game was free-to-play, but it’s a paid experience. Granted,Rocket Arenais available at a budget price of $30, but the decision to be paid instead of free-to-play seems like a big missed opportunity on the part of the developers for more reasons than just its monetization model.
There is some concern thatRocket Arenawill struggle to generate a significant player base by being a paid game instead of free-to-play. While its high-quality gameplay and positive word of mouth could bring more players to the game, it’s still a somewhat difficult concept to sell, especially when the market is over-saturated with countless other live service games. It’s hard to see people giving upFortniteorCall of Duty: Warzone, both of which can be played for free, to take a chance onRocket Arena.
For now, player population is not an issue, especially sinceRocket Arenasupports cross-play out of the gate, but it seems like the launch content should be a bit more substantial if the developers want to convince more people to pay for the game. Hopefully, the season 1 content is compelling enough forRocket Arenato cultivate a dedicated community of players that will allow the developers to keep expanding on the game for years to come, because the game is very fun.
It feels a little content deficient at launch, butRocket Arenais a solidmultiplayer shooterthat is almost something great, and hopefully, the developers get the chance to help the game reach its full potential. In the meantime, those looking for a fun new multiplayer game can’t go wrong withRocket Arena.
Rocket Arenais out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Game Rant was provided with an Xbox One code for this review.
