Recent reviews by misc

While the switch from a one-button game in the arcade to a two-button game on the couch may not ruin this game for most, especially for those who have never played the arcade game, it sure did for this author and his friends one Saturday night.

Killer Queen works because it's not actually as e-sporty as the marketing would let on. Indeed, it's quite accessible for a competitive game. Like its primary influence, Joust / Balloon Fight, you can learn the game in a short match or two. Combat is easy to grasp: one button that either jumps or flaps your wings, get above any opponent in your way, then play your objectives. With Killer Queen Black, there's a tutorial. There are two buttons, now context sensitive for multiple actions. More time is spent thinking about combat, executing combat, and less time on team work and objective play. In other words, un-party-friendly.

I'm not demanding a separate "arcade" gameplay checkbox, really. The developers were pretty clear up-front they wanted to make a game more suitable for solo competitive play and not cannibalizing their arcade sales, and maybe these changes make KQB a "deeper" experience for those who want to dump 100 hours into it online, I don't know about all of that. What I do know is I wouldn't be able to leave it on at my house without someone standing around all night explaining the mechanics to anyone who hadn't played it before, hoping they won't immediately shrug and do something else. Pass.