GamesBattle RoyaleI’ve got high hopes for this League of Legends and Overwatch-fueled Steam Next Fest hit, but I’m worried history will repeat itselfWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesBattle RoyaleI’ve got high hopes for this League of Legends and Overwatch-fueled Steam Next Fest hit, but I’m worried history will repeat itselfWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Theorycraft Games)
It’s fast-paced, rewarding, and comes with enough character variety and skill-expression to warrant the success it found during Next Fest. ‘Easy to learn, hard to master’ is an overused description, but it’s one that has its place at a time like this where so many different games are clamoring for your attention in such a short timeframe. Supervive’s next test will be its upcoming beta, but even now I have my concerns.
Let Battlerite commence
(Image credit: Stunlock)
In 2016, Battlerite came knocking on the door of the MOBA juggernauts. It stripped out almost all of the traditional MOBA grievances, from slow farming stages in the early game to griefing teammates who give up when the going gets tough. It eventually drew an all-time peak audience of 44,000. That’s barely a mark against Riot orValve, but it seems to have been a financial success – Battlerite developer Stunlock is still trucking, and is now better known for vampiric survival gameV Rising.
So how does this relate to Supervive? Well, the Next Fest breakout is a hero-shooter/MOBA/battle royale hybrid that takes place on a floating archipelago, where you gather floor loot dropped from neutral minions. Those minions mark pretty much the only difference between the two games, and that’s hardly a substantial change. I know it’s early days – the recent demo will lead to an open beta, and presumably plenty more testing before release – but looking back at Battlerite Royale, I don’t think Supervive is doing anything notably better than what Stunlock managed.
(Image credit: Theorycraft Games)
Clearly I can’t get into a proper game to check anymore, but old gameplay videos reassure me of the confidence in character and world design present in Battlerite Royale; something I don’t think Supervive has quite locked down yet. There was a whimsy to the former, almost slapstick in nature, that was the result of what it had had a chance to build through its previous game. Right now, Supervive is a little light on that kind of personality, and while there’s plenty of time to find an answer to how those vibes should eventually manifest, it’s something I’d really like to see the team invest in.
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There’s an obvious precedent for the Next Fest hype around Supervive to be well-placed, and to continue through the next stages of the game’s development. The success or failure of any given title is far from a sure sign of the success or failure of whatever comes next. Fortnite was almost a Save the World-shaped failure, playing a cartoonish second-fiddle to PUBG for months before becoming the global phenomenon it evolved into. DOTA ruled the MOBA roost before League of Legends, and now it’s Riot, not Valve, that’s pushing multimedia expansions of its universe. Ultimately, it’s just as hard to predict the next hit as it was to guess at the last. Games likePalworldmight be made relatively cheaply but find an audience in the tens of millions, whileSony-backed shooter efforts like Concord can flopdespite the huge budgets reportedly poured into them. Dozens of factors can coalesce to determine a game’s eventual success, and Supervive deserves the wins that it’s clearly set up for – I just hope this sense of déjà vu proves to be entirely misplaced.
Check out our list ofupcoming indie games.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”