MAYHEM COMBAT Review for Android

Mayhem Combat is akin to a mashup of the titans of the brawler genre. It takes its aesthetic cues and tone from Epic Games’ Fortnite, utilizes a simplified version of the gaming mechanics found in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros series, and uses a levelling and weapons system that a multiplicity of video games incorporates. But none of this necessarily constitutes a deal breaker. While publisher Vivid Games’ newest creation does feel derivative at times and will, resultantly. never be hailed as a classic, it does constitute an environment in which gamers can have a good time.

It wouldn’t be fair to state that Mayhem Combat adheres to the formula that most brawling games on mobile platforms tend to prescribe to without deviating at all. Instead, the game slightly tweaks it. While most level-based fighting games force players to deal with mobs of villains, Mayhem Combat gives players the option to test their skills against a single computer-controlled or human foe in each of its stages.

This fact is readily apparent as soon as players complete Mayhem Combat’s brief tutorial. The brawler’s tutorial introduces gamers to the controls, which are easily learnable. The controls are, in fact, not unique at all: Mayhem Combat offers two buttons to move left and right on the left side of the screen, and buttons to jump and attack enemies on the right side of the screen. The game also encourages players to get the first hit in every match, giving an in-game pecuniary incentive for doing so.

In the tutorial, the player gains control of their first hero, Jack Lumber. Lumber wants to fight in a tournament alongside his friend, Funky James. The two enter a bar only to be ambushed, and end up fighting their way out. However, this fighting scene lasts for only around a minute. After that, players are given access to the game’s main screen and can either choose to engage in one on one fights against increasingly difficult computer-controlled characters or check out the multiplayer modes.

The one on one combat can lead to some pretty fun moments and allows for players to string together lots of combos. Different heroes can use different special moves, which charge up during battles and add variability to the fighting sequences. The game’s difficulty scales pretty nicely in that the beginning levels ease players into the more difficult ones.

Being that Mayhem Combat draws inspiration from free-for-alls like Fortnite, it’s a given that the game provides players with a couple of multiplayer options to choose from. Mayhem Combat boasts three multiplayer modes: free-for-alls, one on ones, and tag battles. The most unique version would have to be tag battles, during which players choose three of their heroes and are able to switch between them in battle. Players are also able to keep track of their statistics and ranks on leaderboards.

Collecting heroes is also an essential element of Mayhem Combat. As mentioned before, players begin with Jack Lumber. However, they can collect chests from the shop that give them more heroes to utilize in both single player and multiplayer modes. Heroes have different skillsets and also are ranked on a star system. Players can level up their heroes, but getting a hero with many stars from a chest always is preferable. Players also open chests to receive weapons that their heroes can use. Over time, players can also build up enough in-game currency to buy chests. But due to how much chests cost when purchasing them with in-game currency, the game appears to subtly be trying to get people to invest their real money. The fact that Mayhem Combat also automatically brings players to screens about “great values” they can get if they pay with real money also contributes to the notion that the developers threw in the chests to be a cash-grab.

In conclusion, Mayhem Combat melds many of the disparate facets of popular brawlers and combines them to form a single game. While the end product isn’t revolutionary, the game is good at what it does. While nothing truly stands out in a positive sense, no single aspect of the game can be said to be a negative either.

Rating: 7/10

Check Out the Mayhem Combat Gameplay Trailer:

You can download Mayhem Combat via Google Play and the App Store for free with in-app purchases.

Jori Grossman

+ posts

I'm a recent graduate of Columbia University. Gaming has been a passion of mine my entire life; I enjoy everything from RPGs and FPSs to stealth and narrative-driven games. I love the deeply immersive quality that good video games inherently possess, and am looking forward to highlighting games worthy of acclaim. When I'm not studying or reading, you can catch me playing games like Uncharted, Dishonored, The Witcher 3, and Far Cry.

• Per Aspera Review for Steam
• WARSAW Review for PlayStation 4
• SHING! Review for Steam
• SNAKE Review for Android