The Therapist Gamer

This is a PS3 game but I took these screenshots from the PS Vita version, hence why the character models look a little jagged.

Have you ever played Super Smash Bros., or any of it's sequels? This game is somewhat similar: a four player brawler where all of the characters are from other franchises. Though PSABR (or "Saber," as my friend and I affectionately call it - with a Sean Connery accent) obviously draws inspiration from Smash Bros., the gameplay is actually quite different. In other words, I think they are more in the same category of game rather than direct competitors. 

Let me see if I can explain what I mean. In Smash Bros., each time you are hit your percentage goes up, and the higher your percentage the farther you fly when you are hit. You die if you are knocked off of the stage. The game features regular moves, smash moves, and special moves. In PSABR you don't take damage, but rather each time you hit an opponent you fill a Super Meter. When this meter is filled you can use a Super Move, which is the only way to kill opponents. If you save up your Super Meter then you can upgrade to Level 2 and Level 3 Super Moves, each more powerful than the last. The game also features regular moves and special moves for each character.

This might sound like the games are actually quite similar, but I think there are a few key gameplay differences:

 

1. One problem in Smash Bros. is that it's possible (and often happens) for one player to hide while two other players duke it out; when one player gets a high percentage then the coward moves in for the kill. This is not possible in PSABR because you can't unleash a Super Move unless you are the one dealing the damage.  Cowards can't win.

2. Because you don't take damage when you're hit, you don't technically suffer a penalty by getting hit (especially in 3 or 4 player matches). This rewards more aggressive play styles and discourages avoiding other players.

 

3. You know that tense feeling in Smash Bros. that comes when one player is at like 250%? Just one hit and they'll go flying! Well, that tension is almost always present in PSABR because if someone has their Super Meter filled then they could kill you in one hit at any time! I really enjoyed this dynamic.

Both games feature a variety of characters, stages, and items. I would say that PSABR is a little lackluster compared to Smash Bros. in terms of the roster. Nintendo has a lot of great, classic characters. PlayStation does as well, but confusingly didn't include many of their biggest characters. For example, where is Solid Snake? Other strange omissions include Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, anyone from the Resistance series, etc. 

The stages in both games are very good, but one thing I thought was special was that each stage in PSABR is a mash-up of two different franchises. For example, you might start a stage on the inside of a cargo plane, then the stage extends across cargo flying through the air (Uncharted 3), and then the stage moves up to the city of Columbia where you are attacked by the Songbird (Bioshock Infinite). 

Overall, I think critics were far too harsh on PSABR and probably didn't give it the time it deserves. The gameplay is very well designed, and each character is extremely well-balanced so that things stay fair. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone with a device able to play it, and you can probably get the game for very cheap these days.

As a final note, it was hard for me to get good or otherwise interesting screenshots of this game in action, and most of the screenshots are from each character's story mode, which is basically artwork.