Backpack Battles Demo: Gameplay and Review
A gameplay overview and review for the demo for Backpack Battles. Free to play online at https://playwithfurcifer.itch.io/backpack-battles. The full game is also available to wish list on Steam for when it releases.
Gameplay Summary and Video:
Backpack Battles is a an interesting take on an auto battler that takes the popular concept and uses inventory management to add a new element to the genre. Auto battlers are a type of game where you shop and outfit your team or character to fight other player's teams with shop rounds between battles to upgrade and improve your chances in combat. Backpack Battles has the player use a single character that has a modular and upgradable inventory which they purchase and rearrange items into to have the best chance of beating their foes. This article will review the demo for Backpack Battles which is free to play on itch.io. The full game is listed on Steam to release in the future and is available to add to your wish list.
Below is a short compilation of gameplay clips for Backpack Battles. The game is free to play at https://playwithfurcifer.itch.io/backpack-battles.
Review:
Art Style and Sound Design: Backpack Battles uses 2D art and fitting sound design to support the gameplay experience that it offers. As this is only a demo the character art etc. is limited but works with the style of the game well and the main part of the art and design to focus on is the user interface (UI). In a game that is primarily based on inventory management and auto battling it is very important to have a clean and legible UI. Backpack Battles' shop, inventory, and battle designs are illustrated clearly to the player and in a legible way without sacrificing art quality. The sound effects and music for the game also fit the gameplay and enhance the UI experience quite well. Some things can be a bit difficult to understand when it comes to item combining etc. but this could be fixed with just a few changes to the UI. The art style and sound design of the demo create positive and hopeful expectations for the full release.
"Online" Play: Backpack Battles pits players against other players but in a way that is not the most common. Similar to the auto battler Super Auto Pets, this game puts the player up against non-live versions of other players and their builds based on being at the same round as the player. This means the player faces the character and inventory of another player but is not constrained by time or having to have both players connected to the ongoing match. It is a bit confusing when you first think about it but this system allows players to face other players whilst avoiding time and network constrictions. For auto battlers, this style of network play works great and it is done quite well in Backpack Battles.
Difficulty and Skill Curve: Auto battler games are one of those genres that rely on having a large range of difficulty and skill curve to keep players invested as well as allow for new players to join the game and start playing. Backpack Battles has a lot going on and while everything is laid out pretty well it seems it can be a bit daunting for new players. Juggling inventory management, item shopping, trait combinations etc. can be a lot but after a bit of play time players start to figure it out and optimize their builds. Backpack Battles is made very well when it comes to returning players and keeping them engaged but the only back draw is that it is a bit confusing and difficult for new players to grasp the game. This is only the demo and hopefully the introduction is a bit more in-depth in the full release.
Overall Summary and Final Score: The demo for Backpack Battles came out recently and melds different game styles to create a gameplay experience that has us looking forward to the full release on Steam in the future. Demos are usually fairly scarce when it comes to content but Backpack Battles is pretty well filled out and gives a good picture of how the game will be for full release. Auto battlers have become pretty popular in the last few years and this game brings fresh elements which will help it stand out from the competition. As demos go, Backpack Battles is pretty great and we are looking forward to what is in store for the gams future. You can try out the demo of Backpack Battles in browser today. For those excited for this game or have any comments or questions, leave them below. Thanks for reading!
8.5/10
You can wishlist the full game on Steam for when it releases.
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