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Do you know what game I always loved as a kid, dodgeball? I never cared much for sports in general but there was something always fun about an uncomplicated game of hitting another kid in the face (we didn’t have a below-belt rule on the playground). Ubisoft and Game Swing seem to think the same as they’ve come out with OddBallers, a new sports party game inspired by dodgeball.
Oddballers is a straightforward yet well-crafted game of fantasy dodgeball with different rules, arenas, and projectile weapons to keep everything fresh. Its online is unfortunately quite barren, but it makes for it with great local multiplayer that allows for some healthy competition between friends.
Selecting A Game Mode
After making a deliciously beautiful avatar in the character creator (the bath towel was very necessary), you can hop into a game with either four players or six players in either an online or local course of matches. We should note that the game does include crossplay so you can get together with friends who have the game on other consoles to smash them in the face as well.
Not that this really helps as even after launch it’s pretty difficult to match with any other players. Crossplay or no crossplay, four or six players, no one seems to be up for a game. You can of course play with AI characters but it’s really the same as challenging real people. I only managed to pair with another person once in four-player mode once in my entire playthrough.
Getting Into The Game
When in a match, OddBallers is an expansion on the basic ideas of dodgeball: you enter an arena filled with balls and other items and you proceed to throw, dodge, and sprint until all your opponents are knocked out. There are various stadium designs in the game that can be played, either in groups or individually (you can also hurt your own teammates, further increasing the chaos), giving a good range of different maps to keep games fresh.
The different levels also have different rules that are implemented into the game. For example, one game’s rule could be ‘Last One Standing’ where you need to be the only player left. Another could be ‘Clean Sheep’, a team-based game where there is a sheep in the level and one person on each team will be tasked with shearing them but there’s only one pair of shears. Their teammates will have to distract and steal the shears and the first team to get 100% will be the winner.
One course of the game can last for a while overall but the different maps and rules keep things feeling fresh. Even if you’re eliminated, the game still gives you the opportunity to participate as you can still be a disturbance in the round, you’ll get random stuff outside the fight area like poisonous gas or a crate full of bees, and use them to attack those that are still in the ring. It’s a good idea to keep people active and add to the hectic nature of the matches.
Controllers and Performance
The controls are very straightforward. You move with the analog and pick and throw items with either the face or shoulder buttons. It is something that anyone can understand which is important for a party game like this as it means friends and family that aren’t as familiar with gaming can quickly get into it.
In terms of graphics and performance that game is mostly fine however, there are a couple of bug issues. The game tends to stutter a little when switching between menus and more notably there was a game-ending glitch during one of my matches. One of the enemies AI got stuck running in place and when we tried to hit him, he was invulnerable to all attacks. Eventually, we had to let the opposing team win just to move on. These are pretty minor problems overall but they’re worth taking note of.
Getting New Costumes
After you win, you’ll get EXP, an unlockable outfit, and in-game currency to buy new outfits or dance moves in-game. These can be obtained at the item shop which will shuffle new costumes every few hours.
You’ve probably noticed but the characters in this game are pretty expressive with their large chunky bodies and wild faces. It adds a lot to the charm of the game, making the tone feel all the more zany.
The Waiting Area Is Surprisingly Cool
This might be a little random to bring up, but one surprisingly cool place in the game was actually the waiting area. This is where you go while waiting for matches, but there’s a surprising amount of stuff you can do. You can change costumes, spawn or remove AI there as well as change the difficulty of said AI. On the right is the ‘invite friend’ area, where you can invite your friends. If your friend is new, there is also a television area, which will show you the tutorial if you can’t remember what to press, and want to memorize it when waiting for the other players to prepare.
In the middle of the waiting area is a bed of carrots, which you can pull out and throw to other players, just like what you need to do in the game. For interaction, you can also throw the carrot into the recycling machine in the bottom left, it’ll give you items that will also appear in the match, sometimes fish (to smack players), and sometimes a gas tank that will explode.
I know this seems like a weird thing to fixate on but I legit appreciate the amount of effort that went into making this waiting area. It’s interactive and fun, not to mention keeps you occupied while waiting for matches to boot up. Sometimes all you need is to pull out a random carrot and pick a fight with someone to have a little fun.
Verdict
Oddballers is a fun little party that will likely keep you and anyone you playing with entertained for a fun night. The lack of players online is an issue that could prevent people from enjoying the game to the fullest, however, I do feel it’s a game made more for in-person couch multiplayer like the arcade games from back in the day that it is clearly trying to emulate. Perhaps being on the portable Switch with its multiple joycons can help in that regard.
In terms of gameplay, it’s good simple fun, especially with the different rules and arenas that you’re thrown in. Some may say it’s a little too simple with only a couple of modes and unlocking new costumes but for $20 it’s a fun little game of extreme dodgeball that will easily keep you entertained.
OddBallers is available for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
The publisher provided a review code. The game was played on the Nintendo Switch.
The Review
PROS
- Levels are creative
- Character design and vibrant
- The waiting area is pretty cool
CONS
- There's little to no one online
- There are notable bug issues
