Have you ever heard someone say that there is nothing new in the world? Turns out that guy was wrong.
Divine Knockout introduces a whole new kind of game: the 3rd person platformer. Imagine a familiar side-scrolling platform fighter, but spin the camera on the Z axis. Suddenly, you’ll find yourself jumping, dashing, and smashing your friends in all three dimensions.
DKO’s mythological multiplayer mayhem comes to your PlayStation on December 6th. Even better: the DKO Founders Edition is available at no additional cost to all PlayStation Plus members* – talk about a holiday miracle!
Read on for an exclusive look at how DKO plays, the adorable playable gods, the battlegrounds you’ll fight on, and why DKO is perfect on PlayStation.
What is a 3rd person platformer?
Everyone was fighting on a platform – DKO’s core combat is inspired by the 2D platformer fighters everyone grew up playing (and loving). You damage enemies to make them vulnerable, then knock them out of the arena with a shattering blow. Simple, right?
In the third dimension! – Bad. DKO is something completely new: a 3rd person platform fighter. When you throw Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, it doesn’t just point to the right of the screen; you have to aim at your target. If you want to hunt a runaway Ymir, you’ll need your 3D platforming skills to jump between platforms. It’s kind of both familiar and something you’ve never played before – and it’s very fun.
Years of iteration – The development team at Red Beard Games has been working on DKO for over three years, trying to figure out what a 3rd person platformer really is. is. They tested dozens of radically different versions of DKO on an experimental basis. One was more of a “physical shooter” than a platformer, the devs say – no surprise considering the core team was behind indie cult classic Sky Noon. But over years and experimentation, they’ve found the DKO’s secret sauce.
Execution, not dexterity – Success in DKO comes down to positioning and timing, not memorizing tricky combos or entries. Each character has light and heavy attacks that can be chained into combos, and dodge to dodge blows or reposition. But the characters are truly defined by their three abilities (which recharge after use) and one game-changing ultimate ability – Pay attention when King Arthur summons the power of his legendary sword Excalibur!
Appropriate the Gods
The most powerful gods of myth – Playable characters put the “Divine” in Divine Knockout. You play as a legendary god from mythology in DKO; Do you want to throw rocks as Hercules or master the katana as Susano? These gods come from all the mythos of the world, with the 10 gods available at launch representing the Japanese, Greek, Roman, Norse, and Arthurian pantheons. The developers say more pantheons and gods will be added regularly.
Lovely anime style – The gods of DKO are reinterpreted in a charming chibi art style, inspired by the chibi god skins in the hit action MOBA Smite. The incredible art team at Red Beard Games has taken this inspiration to a whole new level with the full power of Unreal Engine 4, adding anime-style cel shading and reworking the proportions to keep the combat legible. Somehow, even the Greek god of death, Thanatos, looks downright adorable in this mind-blowing game.
Play your way – Although DKO launches with 10 gods, it launches with hundreds of ways to play each god. An in-depth talent system lets you set your own playstyle for each god. As Athena, for example, you can be a long-range spear thrower, teamwork-focused shield wielder, or agile martial expert – all on the same god, just by equipping new talents. . Red Beard Games assures us that the system is free of charge; all players always start with a full loadout of talents, and extra playtime unlocks extra options – not extra power.
The Battlegrounds of the Gods
Fighting Arenas – You won’t fight in boring, lifeless stages in DKO. Each of the seven levels at launch features a unique mechanic that you’ll need to master to win. A level collapses as you fight, slowly shrinking the combat area – and making the action more hectic. Another challenges players to avoid deadly spinning spikes – or smash enemies into them!
Adventures “Arcade” – In DKO’s basic 3v3 Arcade mode, each round is a new adventure, with a new map and a new mode. In this best-of-5 game, you’ll run through arenas and play a variety of game modes like Knockout, King of the Hill, and Oddball. This more laid-back, teamwork-focused mode is fun to play with friends, giving off almost board game vibes.
Competitive duels – If you’re the type of player who wants the most competitive experience possible, DKO’s 1v1 and 2v2 duels are for you. These thrilling matches are all about combat mastery and take place over 7 unique, smaller and simpler stages, specially designed for duels.
The Gods play on PlayStation
Optimized for PlayStation 5 – DKO plays great on PS4, but the developers at Red Beard Games have gone the extra mile to create a native PS5 version that takes advantage of the extra power. Expect 120 FPS, 4K gameplay on PS5.
Included with PlayStation Plus – That’s right – all PlayStation Plus subscribers get DKO’s Founders Edition at no extra cost. This $24.99 MSRP edition includes access to the game, eight playable gods (Amaterasu, Sol, Hercules, Susano, Ymir, Athena, Thor, and King Arthur), and some exclusive cosmetics like the epic tier Biohazard Sol skin.
Cross-platform – If your friends aren’t playing on PlayStation, don’t worry: DKO fully supports cross-play. You can invite friends to parties, play custom games, or meet online on all supported platforms. And if you’re playing on multiple platforms (like, say, your work PC when the boss isn’t watching), you can also take all your unlocks with you with cross-progression.
If you’re as excited about DKO as we are, you don’t have to wait long to play it. DKO will launch on PS5 and PS4 on December 6, with the Founders Edition included with PlayStation Plus.
*Available from 06/12/2022 to 05/1/2023. Monthly games accessible only for the duration of the PS Plus subscription.
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