Knockout City

Nintendo World ReportJoshua Robin

9.5/10

I’m floored by how much I enjoy Knockout City. Despite the first trailer for the game being a bad way to sell the concept of the game, I always thought it looked good. I never would have guessed that Knockout City would be excellent. I haven’t had this much fun with my Switch or any other game console this year. Velan Studios has made an outstanding experience in Knockout City.

Push SquareStephen Tailby

9/10

Republished on Wednesday, 28th October, 2021: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of November 2021's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows.

GamingTrendTravis Northup

90/100

There are few games that have ever made me scream in anger or shout with unbridled joy as often as Knockout City and I absolutely can’t stop playing. It’s a near-perfect team multiplayer game packed with strategy, heart, and an incredibly impressive level of polish. Even if it’s a bit buggy and lacking in content at the moment, I can’t recommend it enough.

PC GamerMorgan Park

90/100

Velan Studios' fresh take on dodgeball is one of the best games this year.

Toms GuideRory Mellon

Knockout City is a zany take on dodgeball that combines surprisingly deep gameplay with a bright, colorful aesthetic. It’s a winning combination.

XboxEraGyőző "FairyEmpire" Baki

8/10

We chose to take our sweet time to review Knockout City because a multiplayer title can hardly be judged on its opening day, it needs to stand the test of time. Perhaps it would be late to assign a rating when the game’s past its prime, but we’re certainly curious to see where this journey takes us. Knockout City’s gameplay loop is strong, exciting and it offers a high skill ceiling. If the developers manage to increase the variety and fix the few shortcomings it has, we’re potentially looking at one of the multiplayer hits of the next few years. It’s a bit dangerously low on content for it to...

Checkpoint GamingTom Quirk

8/10

Knockout City shows how a relatively simple premise of throwing dodgeballs at one another can make for a very engaging multiplayer experience. Through its bombastic presentation and “easy-to-lean, hard-to-master” gameplay, Knockout City has really grabbed me so far. Hopefully the developers will continue to add more content down the line to maintain the momentum they have built at launch.

Hardcore Gamer Kyle LeClair

Knockout City is easily one of the most pleasant surprises so far this year, managing to turn a game of dodgeball into an addictive and high-octane multiplayer brawl with a unique Zeerust twist in its aesthetics and silky smooth gameplay that anyone can get into. Hopefully it still ends up being a success after the current trial period, because it would be amazing to see just how massive and fun of a city Velan Studios can eventually make.

Game RantNoah Vaca

8/10

Knockout City is a genre-defying take on the team-based multiplayer game, where players are not just teammates, but also tools and assets for one another. And although Knockout City struggles to find an identity, the game's ability to excel in accessibility while holding a high skill-ceiling makes it easy to pick up and even easier to keep playing.

WCCFtechKai Tatsumoto

7.5/10

While not designing the first home AR iteration of Mario Kart, Velan Studios was quietly at work trying to find a way to turn Dodgeball into a micro-transaction driven competitive shooter. Knockout City is the team's second game release and couldn't be more different from their previous work with Nintendo. Sporting a brutal future look at 1960's American where playing dodgeball on dangerous skyrises or in front of oncoming trains is the best way to rep your street crew, Knockout City brings a new spin on the 3v3 competitive shooter scene. Does Knockout City hit its mark, or has this ball alrea...

VGChartzLee Mehr

6.5/10

Certain issues are tough to dodge, but Knockout City's nuanced foundation still shows promise.In my school, one of the easiest ways for a new guy to climb the social hierarchy was [...]

Analog Stick GamingJeff Young

Unscored

Knockout City is a fast-paced 3v3 game of dodge ball on rooftops, in sewers, and out in traffic where the action rarely lets up. It’s hard to say the shelf life this game will have going for it, but given the community building around it, it’s likely to at least stay in the conversation for months t