BattleStick

BattleStick looks like one of those small combat games that live or die on how crisp the controls feel, and that makes it a natural pick for players who want quick clashes rather than a lot of setup. By our assessment, the name suggests something plain and direct, which usually means the appeal has to come from the action itself: timing, spacing, and the feel of hitting or blocking. The downside is also easy to see from the kind of game it is, because a stripped-down fighter or arena game has little room to hide if the moveset is shallow. In practice that often means short rounds, repeated attempts, and a lot of attention on basic inputs instead of story or progression. Compared with bigger action titles, it sits on the lean side of the genre, which is fine if the core combat is strong and less fine if it is not. BattleStick is the sort of game that depends on its moment-to-moment handling more than on any grand idea.