Divine Knockout was released on December 6th 2022, so it’s been out for a few days and I have to say, it’s been fun! Released for free for a limited time in the Steam store, I took advantage of the £20+ saving and got to work.
What’s it about? Is it fun? Is it worth paying for if I missed the initial free period? Let’s have a chat about Divine Knockout, eh?
Divine Knockout
Ok, so you’re saying the words “Divine Knockout” over and over for your SEO, but what actually is it?
Divine Knockout is selling itself on the unique perspective it’s delivering. A third-person platform brawler. So, to put it in context, you’re on a platform, battling it out to knock the enemies off it. The more damage you do to them, the easier it is to knock them off.
Does the premise sound familiar? Divine Knockout is a new take on the Super Smash Bros. genre (I think it is its own genre, right?!). If we think Multiversus was a twist on the Smash Bros. formula, Divine Knockout makes a bigger twist.
No longer on a 2D plane, Divine Knockout mixes things up quite significantly by making it a 3D, third-person game instead. The platforms are no longer just a flat line to walk back and forth along. Nope, now it’s a full 3D platform that you can still totally fall off.
Brought to us by Hi-Rez studios, the creators of SMITE, Paladins, Rogue Company and Realm Royale. All games I’ve dabbled with. All free-to-play. So their cost model here is a little different. But it’s Hi-Rez trying something new in a genre which is very on-brand for them.
Divine Knockout is a game that’s taking a twist on a genre, highly stylising the visuals (it looks lovely, vibrant, cartoony and full of life) and pitting Gods from different mythologies against each other.
Is it fun?
Yep!
I’ll be honest, my matches so far have been 3 v 3 brawls, which I thought would be a pain. But the change of plane means that team battles feel more natural in a 3D environment. Less chaotic than a 2D brawl, but there’s plenty of action.
Each God has a set number of abilities that are combined with a light and heavy attack. Jumping and dodging are key to survival, too. So you have your shoulder button moves, your trigger moves and your standard attacks. Nobody is different in the regard, Divine Knockout creates differences by giving the Gods different abilities, not by making it about button combinations.
Once you get the core mechanics of movement and melee, down. You start to experiment with Gods and abilities. Finding something that fits your preferred style. Raw power like Hercules perhaps? Or more agility like Ameratsu?
Divine Knockout gives you choices, and whilst you have different abilities, I think it’s fair to say that nobody is so different that you couldn’t just pick a different God and succeed with relative ease.
I’ve not experienced any network issues, connectivity seems fine and gameplay has been smooth. Combat is fluid and matchmaking hasn’t been an issue either. So yeah, so far, so good.
Is it worth paying for?
It’s hard to quantify this because it’s a game that has been free for a limited time. Sure, this free version is limited to 4 gods, and the paid version has more. But the core game is the same, so I guess it depends if you’ve been able to snag it in time for free, or if you want more player choice.
Coming from a developer that specialises in free-to-play games, I’d be lying if I said that Divine Knockout didn’t feel like it was free-to-play. Currencies to purchase, unlocks and cosmetics, battle pass. You name it, all the trappings of the model are there.
I would suggest maybe a fiver or a tenner wouldn’t seem unreasonable to have all the gods unlocked. But £20+ seems high for a game that clearly wants you to spend money on it after purchase.
The world has changed and it’s really surprising to see Hi-Rez try this out. Still, it could all change. It’s early doors.
I’m enjoying Divine Knockout, it’s a nice take on the platform brawler and it feels great. So yeah a few quid wouldn’t seem out of place.
Suggest you get it for free if you still can, but I certainly wouldn’t advise folk to not buy it. It’s fun and looks great.
Is it a knockout?
Divine Knockout is delivering what it sets out to deliver and that’s impressive. Taking on a beloved genre and obscuring it enough to feel fresh and new is great and handled really well.
Because it plays so well and looks so good, too. It’s an easy recommendation to anyone that’s brawl-curious.
I can see this being fun for anyone that wants to play. Sure they’re not beloved characters from massive franchises. But they are beloved characters from myths and tales far exceeding the life of Nintendo and Warner Bros! Not everything has to be a damn metaverse…..
Give it a bash and I guarantee you’ll have a bit of fun with it.
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