Launched on May 21, 2021, EA’s Knockout City is a fresh take on the online multiplayer genre. The game allows players to play solo or team up with up to four of their peers in competitive “dodgebrawls” across the various areas of Knockout City.
Like most of EA’s multiplayer games, the title comes with an in-depth customization feature. It allows players to customize their character’s clothing, body type, and attitude. The game also features a diverse collection of “Special Balls” along with various interactive contraptions scattered along with its map.
The unique feature of the game, however, is the cross-platform gameplay feature that promises seamless multiplayer gameplay across platforms. Players can try out the game free on any of the platforms until the player’s street rank reaches level 25. Those who want to continue playing the game will have to shell out $19.99 to purchase the entire game.
From the surface, Knockout City looks like a fun and exciting game. It’s packed with some of the most sought out features in the online multiplayer genre. Nevertheless, despite the flashy features and solid gameplay, the game seems to be bleeding out players. The game’s launch lost more than 88% of players on Steam. With that said, let’s take a quick overview of what PC critics have to say about the game. We’ll also take a look at the feedback from players who played the game on their PC.
Knockout City Critics Review Consensus
Knockout City scored a “Strong” critic rating with a top critic average of 81 from OpenCritic. In the Metacritic review compilation for the PC. Twenty critics gave the game an average of 80/100 with 15 giving positive feedback while the other five gave the game mixed review/reaction. Overall, critics overwhelmingly praised the game. Most of the positive feedback points to the game’s concept and gameplay. It is already expected for a game coming from a AAA publisher. Critics who gave the game a “mixed” or moderate score called out the lack of depth, variety, and replay value.
Knockout City Player Feedbacks
Critics often belittle Player feedback due to previous allegations of review bombing for the most part. Nevertheless, the player feedback page is where you will find unadulterated comments about the game. Unlike some critics who often overhype, players who paid for it provide some of the most honest reactions. With that said, some of the negative comments posted by players on Steam and Metacritic points to its broken system. In addition, players also state that it’s overhyped and that the $20 price tag is not worth it.
The Game’s Standing In A Nutshell
With the critics’ review and players’ review in mind, it seems that Knockout City is a fun concept, which, just like many live-service games, is doomed to fail. From the looks of it, EA is still using its usual marketing model that prioritizes profit over quality. Putting a $20 price tag on a game that lacks features is not a very good deal. Not to mention, the in-game store will most likely feature limited premium items that will ask players for more money. It would have been a different story if the game were free-to-play.
This rings even more true as other F2P titles have retainers from the gaming community. It’s a tough genre to penetrate, especially if all you have going for you is a ‘good concept’. Hopefully, EA picks up on it and improves the game as its player base sees fit.
To that end, the Knockout City trial is still available on Steam, Epic, and Origin if you want to get hands-on experience with the game. Decide for yourself it’s a game worth buying. See if the free trial is enough to get you hooked.
