One would be forgiven for thinking of Dynasty Feud as simply ‘another’ Smash Bros clone, and at first glance it does look just like that – but a worse version.
However, after a few goes and once it starts to sink its teeth in, you realise that (firstly yes, it is a Smash clone, but) there is a lot more going on here to set it apart.
For a start, there is a total roster of 40 different champions, each with their own abilities. However, you don’t pick any of these characters. Instead, you pick a team, faction or ‘dynasty’ (hence the name) to play as. Each dynasty contains five family members, and you can have up to four players fighting it out on screen at once. The good news here is that you only play one at a time (phew!).
Another change from the Smash formula is that there is no scaling damage here, it’s one-hit kills. Each time you die, the next character from your dynasty will drop in and play continues until there are none left. Knowing the pros and cons of each character in a dynasty is very important – you only get to use them once till they die and once they’re gone, that’s it. This adds a really interesting and strategic element to the game – a character which may seem overpowered can quickly seem to have a glaring weakness compared to the next one up in the opposing dynasty. Add in another two human players for four-way action and the strategic possibilities mount up.
There are a few aspects which honestly could do with some work. Mastering these types of games is important, so it’s disappointing at the training mode is simply some dummies which just stand there whilst you jump about trying to kill them. Not ideal given the scope of the roster and the potential for complex play (despite a simple and easy to learn control scheme).
Also lacking are modes of play. You can fight real humans locally or online… and that’s about it. There are a few different variants – rather than selecting a dynasty, you can ‘build your own’ of anyone of the available roster.
Something which may not be a huge deal for some is the absence of AI opponents. In many fighting games the true challenge comes once you really get into it with other humans. Sadly, you’re restricted to couch co-op or online play only. Having tried for the last few weeks I’ve not managed one online game so the appeal of this title will be sorely limited for anyone expecting intense global competition – unless folks have got lucky over Christmas.
There’s definitely something here – the core game is fun but is predicated on either selling more copies to build an online fan base or relying on people having a local scene. With not many modes and no AI support, I fear that Dynasty Feud isn’t going to able to build its own dynasty in the fighting game scene.
Reviewed on PS4
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