IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Hands-on Preview: 'PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale'

With the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) videogame conference coming next month, Sony is prepping its new (literally) killer title "PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale" for the PlayStation 3. The company recently gave us a chance to play an early version.
/ Source: TechNewsDaily

With the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) videogame conference coming next month, Sony is prepping its new (literally) killer title "PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale" for the PlayStation 3. The company recently gave us a chance to play an early version.

Expected out by the end of the year for $60, "Battle Royale" brings together key characters from several of Sony's best-known game titles into one big brawl-fest. 

Essentially the answer to Nintendo’s extraordinarily popular "Super Smash Bros." line, "Battle Royale" lets up to four people duke it out on an enclosed playfield, by picking up weapons and utilizing “super” techniques to wipe out opponents. You build up this super energy by striking enemies on the ground or in the air and by using throw techniques. The more your “super” meter grows, the more powerful an attack you can execute.

So far, we know of six characters that will be featured — a street dog named Parappa the Rapper; the devious thief Sly Cooper; Kratos, aka God of War; the psychotic driver Sweet Tooth from "Twisted Metal"; the surprisingly powerful Fat Princess; and the well-armed General Radec from the "Killzone" series. (More will be added in the weeks ahead.) Each one brings their own aggressive fighting style to the arena. For instance, Fat Princess is good with up-close melee attacks, while Radec hits better from afar with sniper shots.

Along with fighting in the foreground, the game’s backgrounds change up constantly, with deadly — and often humorous — cameos from other titles. During one round, characters from "Hot Shots Golf" fire exploding golf balls across the playfield. Hades from "God of War" also makes an appearance, slamming the stage with his own brutal attacks — until he gets swarmed by warriors from the “Patapon” music/rhythm game series.

So far, the game supports four-player local fighting, but online brawling through the PlayStation Network is likely to be confirmed, probably around E3.

This is just one gem in Sony’s upcoming line of PlayStation 3 games (we’ll preview "God of War: Ascension" shortly). But "PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale" is likely to be among the more popular ones — a fighting game that both dedicated and casual players can get into. Look for more details next month. And get ready to fight!