Developer: Mr. Nutz Studio
Publisher: Microïds
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Tested on: PS5
Asterix & Obelix: Slap them All! – Review
Asterix & Obelix seem to be quite popular again. The two brave Gauls have been fighting the Romans for decades now, and over the course of the years, the original comic book characters have also appeared in games and movies. The live-action movies have a special place in our hearts, thanks to the amazing casting behind the project, but also the animated movie, The Mansion of the Gods, was quite good. Sadly, the recent game releases XXL2 and XXL3 proved to be somewhat disappointing. Now, however, the new release, Slap them All!, seems to be going back to basics, with 2D character models that look amazing, and simple arcade-like gameplay. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but we slapped our way through it in several hours.
Story
One of the most commendable features of the game is that it tries to include a lot of story content from different comic books. While the stories themselves may be very shallow for each and every chapter, they try to have all iconic characters thrown into the mix. We’ll have arcs that revolve solely around the Romans, while we also see the pirates pop up, and there are even Viking warriors that want to test their mettle. Overall, you’ll get fun short story segments during each chapter, and it gives you a proper incentive to keep on slapping everyone that crosses your path.
Graphics
Graphically Slap them All! is an amazing game. This title truly respects the source material, and it feels as if the comic books are actually coming to life as you progress through the stages. The animations are very fluid, and it’s noticeable that the creators spent a lot of attention on the smallest details. We loved seeing the different backdrops, as well as the different enemies you come across. Sadly, the enemy models are fairly limited and a bit more diversity would have made this game even more amazing in the graphical department. The story scenes were presented in a comic book-like format, which certainly suits the rest of the game.
Sound
The sound design of the game is fairly good. The music is upbeat and makes the experience quite enjoyable. There is a bit of voice acting present during some of the story segments, but sadly the actual dialogues between characters are not voiced. We feel like the latter would have added a lot of charm to the game’s atmosphere. The sound effects are on-point, and they end up becoming very satisfying when you punch yet another Roman soldier into oblivion.
Gameplay
Asterix & Obelix: Slap them All! is a very basic old-school arcade side-scroller, very reminiscent of other game franchises such as Streets of Rage and Final Fight. In this game, you’ll basically be going through short 2D levels, punching Romans, Pirates, Vikings, and other enemies, until you reach the end of the stage. Sometimes, you’ll also have to defeat a stronger boss enemy at the end of the level. This is pretty much the meat of the game, and even though some levels do tend to change things by having you sprint to the finish, or run while avoiding obstacles, these are far and few in-between. The fun part is that you can play the game with a friend locally.
The controls are very simple, as you just have the option to deal out punches, do an attack that is slightly stronger but consumes mana, jump, and also have the ability to run against enemies, knocking them in the air. The latter is quite overpowered, as running back and forth across the screen may stun-lock some enemies if your timing is right. The overall premise of the game is simple, and this can either be good or bad, depending on what you were hoping for in this title. We have to say that there is absolutely no depth in the gameplay, safe for the aforementioned variations. We would have liked a few more moves, a few more complex mechanics, and just something to work towards, rather than just mashing our attack buttons. That being said, the overall experience is fairly solid, even though the game does have a few issues with hitboxes from time to time.
Conclusion
Asterix & Obelix: Slap them All! is a very simple and enjoyable arcade-like Asterix & Obelix experience. We absolutely adored the graphics of the game, even though the game could have used a bit more variety in the enemy models. The short stories were a fun incentive to keep playing, and being able to play locally with a friend made the game a lot more fun. We do regret that there wasn’t a bit more depth to be found in the actual gameplay, especially when looking at the main mechanics of the game, but this also makes the game very accessible for younger players. We can still recommend this one, especially as it comes at half the price tag of a normal AAA title.
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