Monday, 29 July, 2024 UTC
Summary
Clawball is a 3v3 feline soccer game inspired by Gorilla Tag, and we went hands-on with the alpha build. Here are our impressions.
Following ARVORE's work on Pixel Ripped and YUKI, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Brazil-based studio announce Clawball. It's an inventive take on multiplayer soccer that uses arm-swinging locomotion, and what's here feels like a mash-up between Gorilla Tag and Rocket League. As someone who spent years playing the latter, I was keen to jump in.
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Clawball doesn't deviate from soccer in the sense that two teams compete to score the most goals before time runs out, hitting a blowfish that's used as the football with your paws. Team rotation is key as you can't leave the goal completely unmanned, ensuring everyone gets a fair attempt when suitable. The time limit feels reasonable and matches don't feel too short or overly long, and Clawball heads into overtime if you're tied.
Clawball's arm-swinging locomotion sets it apart from other VR "soccer" games; Ultimechs opted for teleportation between different pads and while Sky Strikers takes a similar approach, Clawball doesn't use floating platforms. Moving around the arena works but the controls took some getting used to. Judging how much force is required when swinging my arms to jump was tricky, though this issue will likely disappear with more practice.
You won't find any special moves or "ultimate" abilities like some games offer. There's not much else you can do on the field, so the moveset feels rather basic. I prefer games with stick-based locomotion, so using my arms for both movement and hitting the ball soon after was slightly awkward at times. Still, scoring goals as a team effort was ultimately satisfying.
I had fun with this playtest and while I couldn't explore Clawball's social playground, there's a good foundation ARVORE can build upon. I also enjoyed the humorous celebrations that followed each match. The winning team sprays milk bottles like Formula 1 drivers spray champagne on the podium, while the (sore?) losers throw tomatoes at them.
As for Clawball's long-term roadmap, ARVORE is currently focused on polishing gameplay before adding extra content. I'm told power-ups and wall climbing are being considered, while ranked online multiplayer won't be included in early access. Cat customization options were unsurprisingly limited for an early build, and more cosmetics will be added periodically.
Clawball targets a free-to-play early access launch on Quest this October, while the full release is planned for 2025. You can also join the upcoming closed beta test via ARVORE's Discord server.