The fact that yet another free-to-play battle royale shooter has entered the fray might not be much to write home about, but indie studio Proletariat’s addition to the genre, Spellbreak, has been managing to turn heads this month. Since it launched on September 3, Spellbreak has managed to grow a fairly large presence on Twitch in a short amount of time, despite a lack of any real marketing ahead of launch.
It’s easy to see why, though. At a glance, it immediately stands out from the rest of the competition. Unlike PUBG, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Hyper Scape, which skew more towards realistic or sci-fi aesthetics, it leans hard on its fantasy setting where battlemages fly through the air and fight for supremacy. Spellbreak’s gameplay also foregoes a lot of battle royale convention, ditching the typical range of weapons for a selection of elemental spells that can be mixed and matched to create all sorts of magical attacks.
But is being different all Spellbreak has to offer? Does its take on the battle royale shooter formula manage to stand on its own enough to be worthwhile for genre fans old and new, or even make it able to compete against all of the other major games launching in September? Let’s see what the critics have to say:
Xbox Tavern (Jamie Collyer)
I came into Spellbreak hesitant for yet another entry into the Battle Royale genre and yet I’m sitting here writing this a convert; it looks and sounds great, and the core gameplay is unique enough among its peers that it is easy to recommend if you fancy something that doesn’t rely on traditional gunplay. Of course, the usual FTP monetisation is present, but it’s a small (optional) price to play for what is an incredibly fun game.
Score: 9/10
Screen Rant (Ty Sheedlo)
The battle royale genre is a crowded one, and it can be hard to stand out, but Spellbreak is deserving of that chance, at least. With the potential on display between its epic fights and already-present cross-play day one, it’s hard not to feel optimistic about Spellbreak as long as it manages to hook players in the early-going. As a free title, there’s almost no reason not to give Spellbreak a spin, and battle royale veterans might be pleasantly surprised by what they find.
Score: 8/10
Windows Central (Rebecca Spear)
I really enjoyed playing Spellbreak. Being able to choose from six different classes that each employ different play styles make the game more appealing to a wider audience of players. I love the inclusion of gauntlet combos and magic runes, which can really diversify gameplay and give you an advantage if used correctly. The huge map offers plenty of places to explore and there’s always an abundance of loot, so your squad can powerup and take on the rest of the players.
Score: 8/10
Washington Post (Teddy Amenabar)
If I could, I’d break whatever cloning machine sits in the backroom of every game developer’s office to end the flood of battle royales. But I enjoy “Spellbreak.” It’s the rare exception in the genre for me. It’s fun, thoughtful and challenging. I’m eager to see whether the title has the right stuff to evolve into a top-tier battle royale. There sure is a foundation for a breakthrough title here.
Score: Unscored
PlayStation Universe (John-Paul Jones)
As a fresh and largely innovative take on the battle royale genre then that looks to reward long-term play with worthwhile progression and an ambitious content roadmap, Spellbreak’s future looks bright indeed. Also think about this – how many other games let you combine a tornado with the fire element to create a FLAMING MURDER HURRICANE? Yeah, exactly.
Score: 8/10
GeekTyrant (Daniel Black)
Spellbreak has incredible potential, and I think it’s a great addition to the battle royale family. Hopefully, in the coming months, we can see more game modes, new aesthetic items to purchase, and even some new runes or elements to play with inside the game. There’s a lot of room for this game to grow, but it already has a really great start and is worth checking out if you’re interested in fantasy games or battle royales.
Score: 8/10
Nintendo Life (Mitch Vogel)
Spellbreak is up against some pretty tough competition in the ongoing battle for your time and attention, but it’s an enjoyable romp that ultimately holds its own… That being said, there’s an undeniably strong sense of ‘vanilla’ to Spellbreak that threatens to kill it in its cradle, and that’s not even considering the performance problems. Either way, it only costs you some space on your SD card to see what this one’s all about, so there’s really not much excuse to pass on it. We’d encourage you to give it a download and try it out; this isn’t the game to convert you if you don’t like battle royales, but it’s a respectable example of the genre in action.
Score: 7/10
It’s typical to see some noticeable variance between opinions when it comes to game reviews, but with Spellbreak, the general consensus is surprisingly consistent so far. Even the critics who noted the game’s issues and doubted that it will cure anyone of battle royale fatigue are recommending that people give it a try. Granted, it being free-to-play makes that a simple enough proposition, but it’s still a testament to the work Proletariat has done so far with the game, and the potential it has to grow even further from here.
Already, the developer is working on that part, having announced this week that a slew of new modes and content for Spellbreak is in development. Some of this new content, such as a Duos mode and new costumes, is set to come to the game over the next few weeks. Of course, it remains to be seen if that will be enough to achieve any sort of longevity. The battle royale genre is a fiercely competitive space nowadays, and games are constantly having to grow and provide new content to maintain player interest. That’s a pace that will be harder for an indie studio like Proletariat to maintain, but for now at least, it seems to be off to a good start with Spellbreak.
Spellbreak is free-to-play for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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