[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/rocket-arena-a-literal-blast\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/rocket-arena-a-literal-blast\/","headline":"Rocket Arena: A Literal Blast","name":"Rocket Arena: A Literal Blast","description":"Release date: 14 July 2020 Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One Developer: Final Strike Games Publisher: EA The good: Easy, approachable Brilliant gameplay Varied characters and abilities The bad: Cost Microtransactions   Highly explosive and incredibly competitive. An explosion of characters and colours, Rocket Arena is a 3v3 online multiplayer experience that\u2019s just like Quake, but […]","datePublished":"2020-08-04","dateModified":"2020-11-30","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/amos-chen\/#Person","name":"Amos Chen","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/amos-chen\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c6c904695837c1318b62b8cbb0bbda0fb3020bfd5282927c18ace4244602381?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c6c904695837c1318b62b8cbb0bbda0fb3020bfd5282927c18ace4244602381?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1597829993385_rocket_arena.png","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1597829993385_rocket_arena.png","height":646,"width":1146},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/rocket-arena-a-literal-blast\/","about":["Esports","International"],"wordCount":611,"articleBody":"Release date: 14 July 2020Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox OneDeveloper: Final Strike GamesPublisher: EAThe good:Easy, approachableBrilliant gameplayVaried characters and abilitiesThe bad:CostMicrotransactions Highly explosive and incredibly competitive. An explosion of characters and colours, Rocket Arena is a 3v3 online multiplayer experience that\u2019s just like Quake, but for the younger Fortnite crowd. The question, however, is if this premium indie team-based multiplayer game will be able to soar to new heights. and reach the stratosphere in a world of cut-throat free-to-play competition. Or does it explode into bits?While all 10 characters fire rockets, they all have different looks, stories, and special abilities. Jayto shoots fast, hard-hitting missiles. Kayi charges up explosive crossbow bolts for extra speed. And Blastbeard fires cannonballs. And while they each have their own distinct looks, ways of getting around and repelling enemies, they don\u2019t particularly draw you in immediately.Everybody fights. Nobody dies.There\u2019s lots of shooting. Explosions are aplenty. But ironically, nobody dies. That\u2019s right. You basically just knock others around \u2014 ideally out of bounds \u2014 or you get knocked around. A meter at the bottom of your screen will indicate how far you\u2019ll fly upon getting hit by enemy rockets, whether directly or indirectly by splash damage. And the only way to \u2018recover\u2019 is to avoid taking hits. And that\u2019s possibly the best and worst aspect of Rocket Arena. While it\u2019s a whole lot of fun sending your opponents all the way out to the stratosphere, it\u2019s not exactly fun to be on the receiving end of this as you\u2019ll be far from any cover.And while shooting is one of the most primal joys of video gaming, Rocket Arena seems to have fallen short of expectations. Because with the amount of explosions, the game oddly doesn\u2019t feel explosive enough. Yes, your reticle kicks. And your screen shakes. But that\u2019s about it. A direct hit will take your meter out by a third, but you\u2019ll find yourself returning fire right after whipping around. Compare this to the unadulterated exhilaration of scoring a crit in Team Fortress 2. Each blast is just like popping confetti. Except you get meaty giblets flying everywhere. But that\u2019s perhaps the point of it all \u2014 to create a smooth, friendly, and watchable game, without huge, screen-shaking explosions, as well as the blood and gore.And though Rocket Arena falls short in terms of action, the personality of the characters really shine through, which make up for its shortcomings. What\u2019s more, you get to indulge in rocket jumping, and it\u2019s way more accessible and forgiving. The best part? Your own blasts won\u2019t hurt you. Which just means you get to knock yourself out on mastering the art of rocket gymnastics!A high price to pay?Available at $39.90, you can also purchase seasonal battle passes and individual items \u2014 character skins, blast-off tails \u2014 as micro transactions from a cash shop. While it\u2019s purely aesthetics, you can get these items with its in-game currency. Which is basically a norm for shooter games.Space for explorationWith full cross-play support cross consoles, Final Strike Games have also shared plans to keep Rocket Arena updated with seasons of new content. It\u2019s only just the beginning for Rocket Arena, and this means that the only way for them to go is up! Talks of new characters, maps, and even game modes are underway. Wondering if it\u2019s worth your time, money and effort? As it stands now, Rocket Arena\u00a0 is a fresh and approachable take on shooters that\u2019s worth every bang for your buck.4\/5 stars"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"International","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Rocket Arena: A Literal Blast","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/rocket-arena-a-literal-blast\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]