Bang-On Balls: Chronicles

• DEVELOPER: Exit Plan Games
• PUBLISHER: Untold Tales, CouchPlay Interactive
• PLATFORMS: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
• GENRE: Adventure/Platformer
• RELEASE DATE: October 5, 2023
• STARTING PRICE: 24.99€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Do not be surprised when you enter the game for the first time and right at the beginning you are bombarded with cut scenes that do not show you much, because the game does not spend time on small things, but on what awaits us during gameplay. It's up to you, as the player, to explore the world you're in on your own. Accordingly, the game is designed in such a way that you are on the set of a movie, you go through different areas, that is, movie scenes and you solve the given goals in order to eventually create your own story and shape it into a single movie. Bangs-On Balls: Chronicles is a combination of adventure and 3D platforming, where in addition to jumping through different parts of the map, you will have to defeat different bosses and enemies. Although the focus is not on the fight itself, it will be a lot of fun to throw your ball, which you customize at the beginning as you see fit, all over the world.

Creating chaos is the main point of this game

Our little ball, named Bob, can roll, double jump, fly into, and crash into enemies, walls, doors, chests, etc. You'll visit Vikings, participate in a space race, defeat conquistadors, and visit multiple time periods in a Japan-themed world. Creating chaos and destruction is the main focus of Bang-On Balls, with a large amount of scenery and maps to explore in order to collect as much blue currency as possible, open new paths or free captured NPCs. Yes, the game gives us several missions or quests on each map that we have to solve in order to progress further, whether we have to destroy pirate ships, launch a rocket, defeat bosses or simply explore the area. In addition, the goal is to collect film tapes, different weapons for combat, cosmetic items such as clothes or hats, and to meet each type of enemy and additionally mini-bosses.

Around each area are various cosmetic items that can be equipped to not only make Bob look different, but some can give him powers. This means you can then impersonate Thor with a hammer that creates lightning, a space rifle that stops enemies or a jetpack that gives you the ability to fly for a short time. Not all items found and unlocked will grant some powers, but those that do will definitely come in handy. Things can also be unlocked by solving different puzzles, for example, you have to jump on several buttons to open a secret room, offer a certain amount of money to various other balls scattered around the map that can give different useful things or simply defeat specially marked enemies.

There are a lot of bosses and each one is different

After completing each area's objectives, we face giant bosses that take on an area-specific appearance, such as samurai in a Japanese-inspired area, and come loaded with heavy attacks and plenty of health. You also have health that you have to take care of, because if you happen to die, you lose half of the collected currency and start from where you left off, that is, you don't have to repeat everything from the beginning. Lost currency can be picked up by returning to our tombstone before dying again. In my opinion, the boss fights are very well done, each brings a unique challenge, for example, the kraken in the pirate world, which, in addition to attacking with its tentacles, also has interesting attacks and spawns different enemies. The mini-bosses, on the other hand, are easier to defeat, there are a lot of them, and they are all additionally surrounded with different types of enemies, from those that can defend themselves to those that can fire different projectiles at you. Everything has a purpose, and there will never be enough fun.  

Superb graphics and clean gameplay

Visual elements, detailed worlds, maximum use of the Unreal engine, music and voices show that the quality and value of this game is at the highest level, and I must admit that I did not come across any bugs or errors that would affect the gaming experience itself. I'd venture to say that Bangs-On Balls features one of the most detailed, densest and richest video game worlds you'll ever come across, bursting with vibrant colors that further enhance the experience of exploration and discovery. Bang-On Balls can also be played in multiplayer, where players can be inserted into the games by random selections or you can invite your friends. Multiplayer is fun, but not necessary to enjoy the game. Also, there is no way to communicate with other players so all you have to do is watch and read each other's minds.

However, the title does have a few flaws. The camera likes to get stuck behind objects or simply can't follow what's going on. There was also a sudden drop in fps when too much chaos happened in one place. Currency isn't that useful, you don't have to use it at all to beat the game. You can mostly rush through the game, there are speedrun elements, however, I would have liked the exploration to be a bit slower though.

Bang-On Balls is a truly beautiful game with excellent level design. Expect around 10-15 hours worth in this if you're willing to explore everything, otherwise you can finish the game within 5 hours, and it will keep us very busy with its exploration elements. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that as a spherical Croatia, I can move through different movie scenes and jump on different bosses. I have no idea how a seemingly random team of developers can put so much quality and effort into their game. This title will not disappoint you, it offers a lot of content, and the developers promise to add new maps over time.

Review copy provided by the publisher