Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions Xbox One Review
| Game: | Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Survios, Koch Media |
| Developer: |
Despite its title, Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions is definitely more of a Rocky game than it is a Creed game, although that’s really not surprising considering that the Rocky franchise has a longer history than the much more recent Creed spinoffs. Also, bringing past and present characters together definitely isn’t something to sniff about.
Yes, Creed Champions has the likes of Adonis Creed, Ricky Conlan and Viktor Drago in one corner, while presenting the likes of Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed, Ivan Drago and Clubber Lang in the other. With 20 characters in all, there’s also a number of fictional characters to pad out the pleasing roster of boxers, some of which need to be unlocked before you are able to make use of them.
As a boxing game, Creed Champions is not going to fill the gap left by the absence of the likes of Fight Night. The focus here is definitely on pick-up-and-play, arcade-style fun, which does fit with the rather unrealistic match-ups seen in the films. In fact, chances are you are actually going to be seeing more blocking in this game than you do in said films.
In the ring, you have your faster but weaker punches as well as your slower but more powerful punches, and these can of course be strung together to create combos. Boxers have their own combos and punches, and you can also unleash super punches when you have filled a meter, although as these moves can be blocked, it’s important to wait for an opening to make sure that these devastating punches meet their mark. It’s also possible to counter when hitting a button at the right time, allowing you to follow up with a punch or two of your own.
Creed Champions is a very pacy boxing game, with punches being swung quickly and landing with impact, although the violence here is bloodless. Health bars and throws means that it feels more like a fighting game than it does a boxing game. It’s definitely what I would call fast and fun, and the exaggerated cartoon visual design also adds to the fun and flair of the game.
Matches take places inside traditional arenas, although there’s also a backdrop of the Philadelphia streets as well as a ring out in the Mojave Desert. Mighty Mick’s Gym is also present in the game. Considering that it’s a boxing game, there’s some decent variety in this area.
When it comes to options, Creed Champions has an arcade mode. Like a fighting game, you are able to play through the mode with any character in the game, and they each have their own individual story. The narrative lacks spoken dialogue and the stories are rather basic, although it is enjoyable enough for what it is, and even gives us a new angle on some of the iconic characters. You also do a spot of training on occasion with some of the characters, although other than being a break from the boxing, its existence doesn’t really feel worthwhile and can easily be categorised as throwaway fun. It doesn’t take long to get through each character’s story, and following this the game has few modes to speak of, and is even lacking in a proper tutorial mode as well as an online mode. Local multiplayer options are present and correct, however.
Rocky is also known for its famous music, and Creed Champions includes Gonna Fly Now as well as Eye of the Tiger, along with an assortment of other music and tunes that play in and outside of fights. Crowd noise is a little one-note, however, while a commentator piping in every now and again adds to the excitement.
If you like your boxing games simple and easy to play, then Creed Champions will probably hit the spot for you in the gameplay department, courtesy of its fast, fluid and fun matches. If you are looking for depth and a feature-filled game though, then you should probably wait for the next boxing simulator to come around.
