“It ain’t about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” – Rocky Balboa.
“To be a champ, you have to believe in yourself when nobody else will.” – Sugar Ray Robinson
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson
Some truly inspirational quotes from some truly inspirational boxers. But it’s a shame that this game probably won’t be as memorable.
Today, I’ll be taking a look at publisher and developer Survios’ latest game, Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions. And believe me, this is definitely going to sting like a bee.
In Creed Champions, you will assume the role of 20 different fighters, including some from the Rocky/Creed series of movies, such as Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed and Clubber Lang. And the game is set in a number of arenas from the movies.
Come at Me, Bro!
Each fighter has their own fighting style: General, Slugger and Swarmer. General is basically your typical all-round fighter. Then you have Slugger, which is your hard-hitting powerhouse. And then there’s Swarmer, who is capable of unleashing a devastating flurry of blows.
The game also has a number of different game modes. Arcade mode is your story mode, where you will follow your fighter through the ranks of their boxing journey, along with quick-time event-styled training montages thrown in for good measure.
Versus mode is where you can either play against an AI fighter or join in with a friend. And training is where you can practice various hit combinations at your own pace.
You’re Gonna Meet My Friend, Pain!!
While my two sons enjoyed beating seven shades of hell out of each other, for myself it was a TKO. And not in a good way. I played through a number of the fighters’ storylines, but they were all pretty much the same as the next with a different fighter in the lead role.
You could say I floated like a butterfly through each one because that’s certainly how it felt.
Considering the game has fighters from the famous boxing movie franchise, I expected a bit more. I mean, yeah, it looks nice in the same way my four-year-old draws me a picture and it ‘looks nice’.
But it’s far too repetitive compared to other games of the genre. And though it is easy to pick up and play, using the same three buttons and small handful of combos does get tiresome and boring.
The only hard-hitting thing about the game is its price tag. For £25, it’s fun for the kids but certainly not for the big boys. This review is probably as short-lived as my expectations.
Yo, Adrian, I Did It!!
In fact, my internal monologue for the time I spent playing was just Ivan Drago repeating, “If he dies, he dies.” So, if you’re looking something to knock yourself out with, just play Fight Night instead.
I give it 6 out of 10. And that’s me being generous. In the wise words of the renowned singer Cher: “If I could turn back time…”
Developer: Survios
Publisher: Survios
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Release Date: 3rd September 2021
Gaming Respawn’s copy of Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions was provided by the publisher.
