Bang-On Balls: Chronicles review
In Bang On Balls: Chronicles, the player takes on the role of one of the world’s spherical residents, known as ‘Bobs’. Using a movie studio as a hub world, the player will enter movie sets that come to life as fully explorable 3D realms. Within each of these worlds, the player will have a series of tasks to accomplish, during which they will gather a wealth of items, combat colourfully dressed Bobs, and destroy anything in their path.
The level design here is excellent. Each of the explorable planets is massive, full of nuances, and brimming with life and personality. Each of these locations, which ranged from a Viking assault to a Cold War-inspired USA vs Russia race to the moon, a pirate world with hundreds of islands to explore, and a world portraying Japan at various moments in history, was an utter thrill.
Although your custom-made character in Bang-On Balls is, like everyone else, a ball, they control similarly to a typical platforming protagonist. You may leap, double jump, and charge through the air to reach where you need to go, and the controls are tight and solid. Aside from your standard movement skills, you may also hold down the right button to function more like a ball, allowing you to leverage your momentum to roll down a slope at high speeds. Getting about the environment feels amazing because to this collection of easy manoeuvres, allowing you to focus on the most essential aspect of the game: exploration.
Bang-On Balls has a lot of fighting for a 3D platformer, but it’s all rather simple. Charging into an adversary or ground pounding on their head will deliver damage to a spherical foe, and if done enough times, they will be defeated. You may also add weapons and shields to give you a few more options in fighting, but the combat is so basic that you don’t have to worry about it, especially because your health regenerates if it drops too low. Fighting balls is not as exciting as exploring the universe, but it is worthwhile to gather their cosmetics when you pummelled them.
Every aspect of this game is a visual feast, with beautiful and entertaining details hidden in every nook and corner. These are some of the most complex and fascinating video game settings you will ever explore. The music, the graphics, and the utter lack of bugs all contribute to the game’s excellent quality and cleanliness.
Bob receives new gear and weaponry as a reward for his exploration and fighting. Numerous customisation possibilities are available, spanning from ridiculous headgear and coats to amazing helmets and shields. A voodoo staff that summons undead monsters to fight alongside you, a lightsaber sword that unleashes a powerful attack, and an electrically charged Thor-like hammer are just a few examples of the special abilities that come with the items that bosses drop in the overworld, even though most of the clothing is purely aesthetic. Bang-On Balls is a very happy game, however it lacks a little difficulty and is a touch monotonous. Because there are few things that may go wrong with the platforming itself, you never really need to worry about it.
This game sets a new standard for originality, brilliant design, and overall positive sentiments.
