I think I really like ARMS.
During the Global Testpunch, I stuck in with a solid hour of play time (even going beyond the 9PM EST cut-off a bit, surprisingly) that gave me a cross-section of what to expect from the actual release next month.
The game’s style is heavily POP-influenced, forcing me to wonder if this is actually a Splatoon prequel or Overwatch fan fiction. I managed to get hands (arms?) on with each of the seven unique fighters that were available, trying their various arm attachments and special moves. I’m surprised that Nintendo didn’t create amiibo for the fighters, because I’d buy all of them. Our house’s favorites were probably Ribbon Girl and Master Mummy, although Mechanica got a lot of play time as well. Great animations added to their personalities, too, so it wasn’t just about the visual designs.
There were plenty of modes to try out, too — far more than what Splatoon does with their server stress tests. Across all of them, though, it was apparent that matchmaking was in its early stages. Some people we faced off against just kind of stood around, punching in the wrong direction, or trying to figure out how to move. They were easy to demolish. Other players seem to already have a veteran level of play experience, KOing us before we could ever get situated. The only thing missing was the ability to tea bag in this case. Either way, it never felt frustrating.
The controls were functional, too. We used the Joy-Cons for most of the experience, with only a few motion-based attacks going awry or not registering correctly. The only real concern was that the special moves required use of the ZR or ZL (rear trigger buttons), which took a bit of finger fidgeting because of how the game wants us to hold the Joy-Cons in the first place. I could see that becoming an issue when less-accustomed players go up against folks with experience. Either way, a 7 year old could still flail her arms and win a fight.
And that is perhaps what ARMS unexpectedly does well: it functions as a solid fighting game, accessible to both veterans and casuals alike. It reminds me of the early days of Street Fighter II, when Blanka was the only character I could mainline because of how easy it was to pull of his moves. ARMS has its fingers in me right now, so I’m definitely interested in seeing how far it can go.
Hot Takes are quick looks at games, whether reviews or previews or just hands-on, that we feel our readers would enjoy knowing about. This Hot Take is based on the global stress test downloaded by the Editor for the Nintendo Switch.
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