Rocket Arena Review

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Rocket Arena is an action-packed arena shooter developed by Final Strike Games and published by Electronic Arts. Rocket Arena got released on July 14th, 2020 and received mixed responses from the community due to the in-game microtransactions for a paid game. The good side about it is the fun and satisfying elements it brings to the table. If you’re looking for a fast-paced third-person shooter, Rocket Arena may or may not be worth your time.

I really had low expectations for this game because of the trailer. It really looked like a Fortnite rip-off. For me, the price of the game also made it even worse since it looks like a free-to-play title. But to my surprise, it was a really solid game. It feels like a mix between Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. sometimes due to one of the featured game modes being; you are trying to score a goal. The Super Smash Bros. element depends on the fact that there is a bar that will keep getting filled up until you eventually get knocked out of the arena. I have to give Rocket Arena a lot of praise for the selection of colours and design when it comes to the maps. The colours are vibrant and really lightens the mood, but for some it is a turn-off. I just think it is a fun and casual game. It is after all a very kid friendly game. But the next element I will talk about really questions whether the game is striving towards to be a game for children.

As I kept playing, I’ve noticed that the game actually has something more to it. The beauty of it is when you play the various characters and try them out in order to find your preferred playstyle. I will go through and provide information about the characters and hopefully, you might be interested. I would like to mention my favourite character, Kayi. She can deploy snow globes that slow down incoming rockets, which is outstanding for defensive plays. What truly makes her shine is her grappling hook, which will let her grapple to any nearby surfaces and damage enemies if a direct hit has been achieved. I also really enjoy playing as Boone, who is an explorer on a hunt for an extinct species which is known as a Megadon. Boone has a primary known as “Blunderblast”, in which you can use to fire short-range rockets in the form of cluster shots. He also has an ability called “Zik’s Vortex” which will let you knock your opponents away with great force as well as making Boone get blasted backwards. I prefer to play characters that are flexible and can manoeuvre around the battlefield with ease. The characters I brought up may or may not be the best for those types of things, but I enjoyed playing them the most!

Aside from the characters, let us talk about the maps that Rocket Arena has to offer. There are currently ten available maps which are, Temples Of Jaaqua, Shimmering Depths, Stompy’s Refuge, Star Of Crater, Hypersonic Heights, Megadon Junction, Icefall Keep, The Golden Zephyr, Apogee Acres and Frostwind Grove. Personally, my favourite map is The Golden Zephyr since I really like the fact that you’re up high in the sky on a vessel. The great thing about these maps is that they are so different from one another. Some maps do have the same colour schemes, but I still really like the way they executed the map designs.

You might have heard about most of the game modes that exist within Rocket Arena. You can play the classic Team Deathmatch or destroy the competition in a mode in which you collect coins. Those are some modes that you can expect to play when you pick up Rocket Arena. There is something about the game that is lacking and that thing is a story. The lore might have been explained in one way or another, but I couldn’t pick it up. It mostly feels like that the story is heavily character driven in this case, considering you can’t get any lore in other ways. It would be really interesting to know their reason for why they’re fighting.

When it comes to the controls of the games, I really experience them being simplistic and yet fun to use! I feel like there is a learning curve for each character and different strategic combinations you can discuss with your team. Other than that, it feels really smooth and satisfying to navigate around the game. It is one of the titles that can be considered easy to learn and hard to master, which is a great concept for a game that really encourages the player to keep playing.

To wrap things up, I find more reasons to enjoy Rocket Arena than I thought. But I am positive that I would have enjoyed it even more if it wasn’t for the microtransactions and the fact that I wish I could communicate more with my teammates. Overall, a very fun game to play with friends!

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary PC code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.

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Rocket Arena Review
  • Gameplay - 9/10
    9/10
  • Graphics - 8/10
    8/10
  • Sound - 7/10
    7/10
  • Replay Value - 7/10
    7/10
Overall
8/10

Summary

To wrap things up, I find more reasons to enjoy Rocket Arena than I thought. But I am positive that I would have enjoyed it even more if it wasn’t for the microtransactions and the fact that I wish I could communicate more with my teammates. Overall, a very fun game to play with friends!


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