Baseball Riot Reviews
While Baseball Riot has a simple, quirky, challenging and meaty campaign, there is a real sense of deja vu. The art style and core mechanics are virtually the same as its prequel, and although it is aesthetically vivid and satisfying to beat a difficult stage or line up a perfect shot to obliterate a row of nasty foes, the grind you go through to beat it might deplete that addictive nature that puzzle games such as this strive for. All in all, the game ends up being a solid, but often frustrating and wholly unoriginal experience.
Baseball Riot contains a lot of content for a low price point, but it will only really be enjoyed in short bursts. The gameplay is easy to learn but difficult to master, especially with the differing enemies, various obstacles and, unfortunately, somewhat random ball physics. The latter factor will frustrate some players and luck does play a larger part in a player's chances of success than it should. While the levels do, predictably, get more difficult as the player progresses, the difficulty can spike unfairly in places. Finally, all of the achievements are tied to optional objectives and one of these is slightly buggy -- the completion is not easy.
This is a fun little puzzle game that's easy to pick up and easy to get addicted to.
Baseball Riot is a bright, colourful, physics puzzle game that will appeal to a wide audience with its simplistic gameplay, pick-up-and-play controls, and low price tag. It's very obvious similarities to Tennis in the Face prevent it from hitting a home run, but it comfortably makes it to third base. [If only we all had the same luck, eh? – Ed]
Given that it's on the portable Nintendo Switch console though, I don't think that's a particularly bad thing at all - in fact, it's a good thing! At just a few quid, Baseball Riot may not be the most original game in the world, but it's enjoyable to pick up and play in short bursts when out and about, making for a neat addition to the Switch's library.
_____________________________ "Anyone sinking money into this title for their console might regret that decision and wish they had tossed a few bucks on it in the app store instead.
There is very little that sets Baseball Riot apart from other similar games that focus on quick, simple fun and as such, this won't be a game that will keep players around for very long.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Baseball Riot teases cartoonish destruction, but an over-reliance on luck and the repurposed enemies and obstacles cheapen the physics-related fun.
Baseball Riot could've done more with its gameplay to stretch its wings and not try to be another Angry Birds. Instead, it just doesn't do enough, and only hardcore baseball fans – or those seeking out an interesting but flawed puzzle game – will want to invest. Everyone else can easily look elsewhere to take their batting practice.
With over 100 levels, cartoony graphics, a low price tag, simple controls and humour to boot this is worth a few hours of your time but don't expect too much replayability above restarting the level over and over.
There's no fun to be had in Baseball Riot, just monotony.
Baseball Riot's changes over Tennis in the Face make it more challenging, but the level of fun you'll have with the title remains the same. Levels are well designed even if some can be frustrating to wade through, and the enemies are nicely varied even if there aren't too many changes. The idea of grinding to unlock stages can be a turn-off for some, and there might not be enough variation for Tennis in the Face players to give this a spin, but for those who only have an Xbox One, this is a pretty good puzzle game for the $5 price tag.
More than anything, it's the crushing lack of originally that really does let down Baseball Riot. I don't think it's that hard to do something original, even when sticking to proven ideas. Heck, Tennis to the Face did just that, and the lack of innovation from that game to this one makes Baseball Riot seem like a cheap cash in. And a cheap cash in on a cheap mobile-style game is not a good combination.
Baseball Riot is a perfectly competent game, but it suffers from a lack of originality. The visuals and ridiculous story have a certain charm to them, but at the same time, I never really came away feeling as though I had a lot of fun while playing.
Baseball Riot may be a step back from its roots, but it's still an enjoyable little game that's worth checking out.
Baseball Riot is a simple, sometimes fun Angry Birds-inspired download that’s a neat enough distraction in short sessions but may lose its appeal when exposed to the player for too long. We’ve seen these kinds of games before and if you’re in the market for one on Switch then this certainly delivers just that.
While this isn't a game that sets any new standards, it feels like a marked improvement over its predecessor, Tennis in the Face. With improved stage layouts, new collectable stars simplified yet more challenging gameplay and clearer goals, Baseball Riot is a satisfying follow-up. However, the art style, animations and sound effects have all been basically copied and pasted from the first game. If you played that game, then you will know almost exactly to expect in those regards. Much like with TITF, this game will appeal to people just looking for a small smartphone-type of game to pick up and play occasionally. It doesn't take long to beat the stages with the basic requirements, but if you are the type of player who tries to get the best rating possible on each stage, then there will be plenty for you here. While I felt like this game was an improvement over the original in terms of its gameplay, none of its other features were improved enough to affect the overall score. I'm going to give it the same rating with a very solid 7/10
If you’ve not played Tennis in the Face and this sounds like it could be fun for the most part the choice between the two would boil down to taste and theming preferences, they’re both fun and challenging, and most people wouldn’t likely notice many differences. That’s not to say they aren’t fun, they’re both great time-wasters when you’re just looking for a distraction for a little while. If you’ve generally enjoyed simple physics games on your mobile phone like Angry Bird and others it is certainly worth checking out.