There’s been no shortage of multiplayer games that incorporate the entertaining slapstick of the hit television show Wipeout. Starting with Gang Beasts, and gaining major steam with Fall Guys and Party Animals, the hilarious, physics-based twist on the party game has spawned a subgenre that has become a big hit with younger audiences.
Glowmade is the latest developer looking to make their mark on the genre with their debut game, King Of Meat. King Of Meat takes the proven concept of the physics-based obstacle avoidance game, and layers on four-player dungeon crawler combat, loot, a seemingly robust level creator, and the live service element one should expect from an online experience like this.
In the two hours I spent with King Of Meat, I was impressed by its presentation, as well as its wide variety of dungeons. While we didn’t get hands-on time with the Dungeon Editor, Inverse was told that developers used the exact same tools players will have access to when the game is released. Unfortunately, the co-op combat, which was the main aspect that sets it apart from competitors, didn’t quite hit the mark. And this was the aspect of the game we engaged with the most. There may be time to improve the game’s primary twist on the genre. But as it stands now, it leaves a bit to be desired.
On first impression, King Of Meat presents very well. The game is centered around a broadcast called “King Of Meat,” a competition show pitting warriors looking for glory, gold, and fame by overcoming difficult obstacle courses and enemies. It’s set in a fantastical Saturday morning cartoon version of Medieval times. And thanks to slick 2D animations during cutscenes, the world presented is eye-catching. While the designs of the playable characters can feel a bit generic at the start, they are perfectly serviceable as stubby avatars meant to be flung across levels by giant rotating obstacles. Thankfully, players can earn currency to customize their warrior’s look.
The Guildford, England-based studio says it pulled inspiration from professional wrestling and the sci-fi classic The Running Man. Those sources shine through. Playable characters feel like showmen, always ready to flex and taunt for the camera. They get elaborate customizable entrances that show personality. The game show conceit is nothing new (Star Wars: Hunters is another recent game to use this narrative device), but it is done well here.
The presentation extends to the game’s hub world where players can customize characters, cash in collectibles for special abilities, and swap out old weapons with new ones found in the game. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for live service gameplay loops. But if you enjoy finding the right merchant to accomplish specific tasks in games like Destiny, you’ll feel right at home here. If not, at the very least the writing for the game’s many vendors is razor-sharp and genuinely pretty funny.
When my party of four players jumped into the actual competition, the game’s most important elements didn’t gel quite as well as I hoped.
The good thing is that controlling your character is very fun. The controls are responsive, and each character has a Luigi-like flutter kick and dive make jumping between platforms both forgiving and satisfying. Navigating obstacles felt about as great as other games in the genre. And even when you fail, players are rewarded with the hilarious consequence of seeing themselves rag-dolled across levels and hit by hazards like bombs and spikes.
When you’re not platforming, you’re solving simple puzzles and breaking boxes to find currency and hidden collectibles. Again, it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it was satisfying to use all of these jumping abilities to reach tucked-away parts of the level.
I found myself having an okay time with King Of Meat until enemies would show up. King Of Meat has fairly straightforward combat: you’re able to use light and heavy attacks, a dodge roll, ranged weapons like a bow and arrow, and a handful of magic abilities. Attacks can vary in speed and reach depending on the weapon you have equipped, so there’s an opportunity to build around a particular play style.
While it all functions just fine, engaging in a fight always felt disconnected. I used a sword, which allowed for rapid attacks and nimble movement, and a heavier axe with its wider attack arc and harder impact. Neither of the two weapons felt satisfying to use. Combos never felt like they were more rewarding than spamming the same attack.
While the sheer chaos of four players frantically bashing groups of enemies while avoiding environmental hazards may be to blame, levels focused on fighting waves of enemies quickly felt monotonous. Using ranged attacks felt a bit better, though it offers far less attack variety than melee. Magic attacks are swappable, so it's not clear what all of these offensive special abilities will feel like. But the few that I used similarly missed the mark. King Of Meat looks like Castle Crashers made in 3D, but rarely felt as fun when in the thick of the action.
The game’s combat is likely to evolve throughout the game. After all, players are upgrading characters with better weapons and abilities. Hopefully, the feel of its action will improve with better weapons and gear. And leaning into a build with more options will add some depth.
There’s a lot that King Of Meat does well so far. For one, giving the game’s community the ability to make levels and upload them for others to try out is pretty exciting. Its presentation is bold and fun, and its world would work well as an actual cartoon for kids or adults. Unfortunately, its main gameplay wrinkle feels like it could use a bit of fine-tuning.
