Laser Lasso Ball is a bizarre title to try to identify into a specific genre, and at best can be described as an evolution of the classic Pong formula. We take control of a team of aliens pulled into a deathmatch arena and must smack a glowing orb into all of their opponents until none of them are left standing. Think of dodgeball but both sides are tied to the middle of the floor, and the ball travels through the cord that binds you, meaning that it will always find its way to its target as long as you hit it. One direct hit and that teammate is dead, soon to be replaced by the next in line to take his place against the victor. In theory, all you have to do is hit the ball back, but there is so much more to it than that. It is the perfect example of easy to pick up and hard to master.
You can run where you please around the circular arena and possess three forms of attacks. One is a basic swipe, then you have an attack where you lunge forwards for extra impact, and finally there is one in where you dash back while swiping the ball to quickly put distance between you two. Positioning is extremely important in this title as the defending side has a shield in the middle of the arena to bounce the orb back without putting himself at risk. The closer to the center one is, the bigger his circular shield will be but, in turn, if you manage to break through his defenses he will have very little time to react and will likely see his character splattered all over the arena. It is far safer to stay as far as you can from the middle though that will make your shield that much smaller and make it all to simple to spike a ball right past it.
A viable tactic is to go up to your opponent and attack him. It causes no damage or any negative effect other than very briefly stunning him, which can mean the difference between life and death in such a fast-paced game. Another thing you can do is kill your foe with his own pitch by positioning yourself directly behind him while the ball comes blazing down your lasso. There is so much to consider at any one time, and you will have to be quick on your toes to pull your strategy through as this game does have some unpredictable elements to it in the form of the crowd that surrounds you. They will at times rush into the arena, get smacked by that death orb and explode into a ton of projectiles. At other times a second ball may spawn in, or you may even find a charging laser which you can use to your advantage to name some of the random events. It doesn’t happen often enough to keep the most skilled player from emerging victorious, but it does a ton of good to break up the flow with some chaos and variety.
Speaking of variety, it is a nice touch that each teammate is different visually even if they handle the same. A big thing that I found made this title so addictive is the brutal feedback of a player messing up and receiving the death orb to the face. The screen shakes, that character gets vaporized in a flashy manner, and often times, the spectators watching the match get owned as well by a wild projectile. It’s easy to miss the little things when you are always a split second away from death, but they do add up to give this stylish retro looking game that much more charm to it. What really amplifies this great gameplay is the equally excellent soundtrack which can range from dark & gritty to plain catchy. With the mesmerizing tracks, the roars of the crowds and the increasingly tricky AI as it runs out of players, this is a difficult game to put down.
As hinted by your first option being to play against another human, this is a title best experienced with friends. It is only able to be played via local coop so you will have to get a mate over to your place to try out this rad new indie game you’ve just picked up. If that is not an option, then you can always play against the AI who start off easy enough but as mentioned, will soon take off the gloves and lay the smack down to those that haven’t gotten the hang of the game yet. Once you do however, it is easy to steamroll right over all of their roster. When you reach that point, it is then that you should try the next difficulty mode known as Master. This is where it truly gets fun with every movement becoming a dance between life and death. Master mode does have music unique to it that switches it into something far more toned down and easier to concentrate with. There is good attention paid to all of the tiny things that can and do enhance your experience.
Your only forms of customization comes in the ability to change the arena colors for both sides and that in turn also effects what color the “blood” will be when either bite the dust. It must be pretty clear by now that this is a good title from me gushing all over it, but it does have one significant flaw. For some reason, it is locked at 30fps causing it to feel kind of sluggish and is something that will be immediately noticeable. You do get used to it though it is a weird decision nonetheless, especially since it is exclusive to the PC as of this review. With that being said, Laser Lasso Ball is one heck of a fun game that contains much more depth than you’d imagine at a glance. I’ve seen it called a Sports game, Arcade, and even being labeled as a Fighting title. It’s all of these really and is more than the sum of its parts, turning it into something else entirely. What I can say with certainty is that Laser Lasso Ball is a total hidden gem and one that is well worth a purchase.
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