WHAT IS IT?
“Basket Battle” is a single-player, one-on-one basketball game in which players rush to score three baskets before the opponent does.
INTERFACE/UI
Navigating through “Basketball Buddies” is as simple as it gets - mainly because there’s nothing to really navigate through. The main menu is also the “start game” screen; just tap anywhere outside of the menu options to start the match.
There are some other options available - like accessing “skins” or the “shop” - but these aren’t required. In fact, most of the changes are cosmetic and don’t alter gameplay.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is very straightforward. Actually, it’s too straightforward. I mentioned in the synopsis that the goal is to make three baskets before the opponent does. But that’s not just a basic summary of the game: It’s the entire summary.
There are no additional game modes. There are no multiplayer options. Games can’t be elongated (or shortened) beyond the standard 3 basket limit. It’s literally the same thing every single time.
Playing offensively simply means trying to score a basket. Defensively, you can aim at the other player using the same method as “passing/shooting”. If your ball connects with them in mid-flight, they will drop the ball and be “dazed” for a couple of seconds.
And that’s as far as tactics and techniques go. About the only “rule” that I noticed is that you can’t score multiple baskets without touching the ball. For example, if you shoot the ball straight down so that it goes in, pops back up through the hoop, and then lands back through it again, you will only be given credit for the first basket. If, however, you grab the ball on its way down, and have your character throw it back through again, it will count.
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| Really, any one image can summarize the entire game. |
On the one hand, that makes it so simple that anyone can pick up and play it. It also means even players on the brink of a loss almost always have a fighting chance to even it up. But on the flipside, it’s so simple that anyone over the age of 6 will be paralyzed with boredom after just a few short matches.
There’s very little in the way of a learning curve, and the repetition only deemphasizes it even more. Beyond that, the AI is laughably atrocious. This is especially true on levels where the basket is hidden directly under a block. Often, the computer players will stand on top of the beam and throw the ball around indefinitely, from an angle that would be impossible for even the most math-obsessed trick shooters.
Somehow, I played through 230 matches. (What can I say? I get bored.) By my count, I lost only 7. (I say “by my count” because the game is too lazy to even keep track of basic stats.) I made it through the first 30 matches before suffering my first defeat. The point of mentioning all this is not to brag, but rather to point out that most new users will likely have a similar experience.
Players do get “points” based on how “difficult” the shot is. For example, scoring from in close to the basket will grant single-digit points, while shots that ricochet off several surfaces before going in otherwise untouched can yield a couple hundred (or more). The thing is, none of the points seem to matter. Points are separate from the in-game currency, which seems to accrue at the same rate no matter how complex your baskets are. And there are no achievements or stat-keeping to even encourage beating your personal bests.
CONTROLS
The controls are probably the highlight of the whole affair: They’re responsive and easy to grasp. This is the type of game that virtually anyone can pick up and play.
Tapping anywhere on the display slows down the action and places a movable arrow on the screen. This represents the trajectory of the ball path. Sliding a finger along the screen alters the angle that the ball will be thrown, while moving “back and forth” will alter the ball’s power. Once the screen is released, the ball will be flung in that direction.
In order to “catch” the ball, the player must tap the screen again once the ball is in the air. The player will latch onto the ball wherever it is at the time of the pressing, as it continues its forward trajectory (with the player attached). Scoring is achieved when a player tosses the ball through the hoop, using that same exact method.
Overall, the controls are pretty responsive. Aiming is easy enough, and “teleporting” (via the screen taps) is effortless and almost instant.
GRAPHICS
Like everything else, the graphics are simple. The backdrops vary slightly, with some levels featuring “obstacles” blocking the basket, but the overall “feel” and look of each one is exactly the same.
The characters are silly and cartoony. Even though everything seems pretty low-effort, there’s nothing offensive or “ugly” about them. In a different game, they might even come off as “cute”. Unfortunately, given the incredibly basic, single-note approach seen here, they are never given a chance to exhibit any time of “personality”. That means every character acts the same way as all the others, including your own.
Overall, I guess the graphics would be considered “average”, although one gets the feeling the developers are capable of so much more.
GAME MODES
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| "Merge Arena" is a fun place to combine balls for absolutely no reason. |
As if you can't already tell, "variety" clearly isn't high on the developer's agenda. However, "Basket Battle" does offer one brief departure from the core game: It's called "Merge Arena". In it, you combine balls to form other balls with the ultimate goal of...nothing. I have no goddamned idea what the point is. You can level up, but the balls you unlock still aren't available for use in the main game. It's every bit as pointless as everything else in this godforsaken mess.
ADS
The ad load is a little on the “excessive” side. Every round ends with a “skippable” ad, which is one that can be bypassed after five or so seconds. Since most rounds last somewhere around the minute mark (maybe even less), it gets annoying rather quickly. Sadly, though, this amount of ads are expected in games like this, so it’s not a dealbreaker in and of itself.
However, there are two things that push it well over the edge: On top of the “post-level” ads, there are even some random ones inserted in the middle of levels. This is annoying for the obvious reason (yet more ads), but also because it breaks up momentum. There’s no warning save for a quick score summary right before it cuts away. Play also resumes directly from where it left off once the ad is skipped, which can be jarring if you forget where the action left off. This can lead to missed baskets and additional frustrations.
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| Well this doesn't seem like an "offline" game... |
That’s not the worst of it, however: Despite being tagged as an “offline” game by developers, it can’t actually be played offline. Turning on airplane mode, for example, results in a warning that the player is offline, with no way to bypass it. If there were multiplayer modes, or other additions that required the use of the internet, this would be understandable. However, there aren’t. That means the sole reason for this is likely to prevent players from disabling the internet in order to avoid ads.
As always, I feel the need to make it clear that I understand the developers need to make some money. I don’t care about that. Sure, they’re annoying, but that’s the trade-off to getting games for “free”. But the way “Basket Battle” goes about it is shady as hell. Marketing a game as “offline” only to block offline modes for the sole reason of forced monetization? That goes beyond shady, and well into “slimy” territory. It’s offensive, it’s ignorant; about the only thing I can see it accomplishing is angering its player base.
Here’s an idea to the developers: Give the game some substance. Then that would provide incentive for players to voluntarily watch ads, which would increase the revenue. Add a multiplayer mode, too, so there’s a reason to force players to play online. This would make you look less like douchebags.
As it stands, there’s no reason to voluntarily watch them at all outside of some very basic cosmetic upgrades. (“Oh cool, look! A new ball! It’s so colorful! This will make a great replacement for my current, less colorful ball.”) And there’s no real reason to fork over cash, unless you want to remove ads.
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| Upgrades are purely cosmetic. |
Doing that will run you $3.49. It’s nice that this is a one-time payment, rather than a monthly subscription, as some games have turned to. But keep in mind these only remove “skippable” ads that appear during games and between levels; earning reward boosts still require the voluntary viewing of a non-skippable promo. Want to get rid of those? Well, “Basket Battle” has an option for you!
“Skip’its” grant users the ability to skip through rewarded ads, allowing them to claim the reward straight away. These can be claimed for free by - surprise! - watching ads, which seems to be somewhat ironic. In order to avoid that, players can pay real money: Twenty Skip’Its cost $.99, 80 will run you $2.99 and 220 (the “best value”) go for $6.99. What a deal!
IN CONCLUSION
Honestly, there’s the foundation for a fun game here. But that’s the issue: There’s literally nothing more than a foundation. It feels like a demo; a rough outline of a game that is just starting development.
But it’s not. If this were a clear work-in-progress, I’d be a lot more lenient. Obviously, games should be given opportunities to expand and grow. Unfortunately, judging from the fact this was released in April, 2022 and reviews have complained about the same things since then, it doesn’t seem to be anything on the developer’s radar.
Admittedly, it is fun. Even if it’s just for a short while. But it ultimately doesn’t amount to anything more than a lazy cash grab loosely disguised as a lazy game.
RATING: 1/10.
