Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cartoon shooter focused on fighting is free of blood/gore.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Super Animal Royale
What's It About?
SUPER ANIMAL ROYALE puts its own spin on the battle royale concept by swapping out people for cute little cartoon animals and setting the action on a two-dimensional map viewed from a raised perspective. Each match is a 64-player last-animal-standing brawl. Players pick where they want to leap out of a plane flying across a sprawling map, then plummet to the ground where they begin searching for weapons, armor, and various other bits of gear, like ninja boots and health juice. Then it's just a matter of dispatching anyone you see before they can get you, while also ensuring you stay within the confines of an ever shrinking circle safe from encroaching super skunk gas. The last player -- or team of players, if you're playing in team mode -- wins. As in other battle royale games, there's a broad range of supplementary objectives to think about as well, such as earning experience points to level up, completing little tasks such as playing a certain number of matches, and customizing your avatar to make it stand out amongst all the other colorful critters. Players can also purchase cosmetic items and seasonal reward challenges with real world money, but these won't give them an advantage in the game.
Is It Any Good?
This is a good bet for kids itching to try battle royale games who may not yet be ready for grittier fare such as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or Call of Duty: Warzone. Super Animal Royale strips the genre of blood and gore, replacing these more mature elements with cute cartoon animals and generous dollops of humor. And by setting it in two-dimensions rather than three, the game becomes accessible to a much broader array of players, including those who may find first- and third-person combat too frenetic and intimidating. Despite these changes, the core battle royale tenets remain intact. Players still need to start off scavenging for weapons and gear, are still pushed into a progressively smaller safe zone, and the main goal is still to be the last player standing -- which, it's worth noting, requires no small amount of skill and practice. This may be a more kid-friendly game than other entries in the battle royale genus, but it's not child's play. You still need to be good to win.
And it has plenty of nice touches that help flesh out the experience, like a shooting range in the lobby where you can pick up and test out a variety of weapons before diving into the game, fun modes of transportation such as hamster balls and emus, and a line-of-sight mechanic that cleverly allows for strategy and hiding despite the top-down view. There are even bits of story you can uncover by talking to any non-player characters you happen to run into. It's a simpler variety of battle royale experience, to be sure, but it feels fully baked and is brimming with fun little surprises to be discovered as you progress. Super Animal Royale is a welcome addition to the category, providing a friendly competitive experience suitable for a broad range of ages, from elementary school kids to adults.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about screen time. Battle royale games like Super Animal Royale can make time fly as players compulsively move from one match to the next, so have you tried limiting yourself to a set number of matches per play session to ensure you don't get carried away?
Despite its focus on fighting, Super Animal Royale is meant to be humorous, with goofy weapons like a swordfish sword and slippery banana bombs, so why do you think people often find whimsical violence funny?
Game Details
- Platforms : Mac , Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Windows , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S
- Pricing structure : Free
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Pixile Studios
- Release date : August 26, 2021
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2022
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