IDARB

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Game Information
Release Date: 1/30/2015
Developers: Other Ocean
Publishers: Other Ocean
Platforms: Xbox one and PC
Genre: Platformer, Sports & Recreation
Players: 1-8
Rating: 9.5/10

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Synopsis

Prepare to battle everything from Moustache Cops to Breakfast, in this game inspired by fast action, 8-bit sports and arcade classics! Built with the input of thousands of crazed internet gamers, #IDARB is a chaotic 8-player eSport jumping future arena ball game. Create characters, teams, team logos, tournaments, even your theme music, in this highly customizable experience complete with disruptive hashbombs which dynamically change the game itself via Twitch and Twitter! IDARB supports up to a whopping 8 simultaneous local players, and up to 4 vs. 4, head-to-head online matches. Additional features include a mind-blowing single-player story mode, wild half time competitions, and unlockable recipes. Begun as a crowd-sourced project, the games title is an acronym for It Draws a Red Box (IDARB). Thanks to thousands of suggestions via social media, the game evolved from one red box into the wacky amalgam it is today, complete with hundreds of strange hashbombs, secret commands which, when sent to the game via Twitch or Twitter, will disrupt and dynamically change the game in realtime! If there's something you want that isn't in #IDARB, its probably because you didn't suggest it, but with so many customization options, you can probably still make it yourself!

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Objective

#IDARB is a competitive esports game where two teams try to control a ball to score into the other teams goal. Players can hit, kick, and explode in order to get the ball away from the other team. People from around the world can also interfere with your game by sending certain hashtag commands to twitch streams and by twitter. Thus, making it a very chaotic and fun game to play at times.

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Gameplay

IDARB is easily one of the best indie games I have ever played. Currently in the game there is only one map to play both on multiplayer and on singleplayer, but the amount of silly things the developers added into the game makes it so much fun. The developers of this game wanted to create a fun relaxing, and at times intense game that you can enjoy with friends and that is exactly what they accomplished. By adding many memes to the game as well as plenty of customization options it is a game I 100% recommend you check out. Not only can you play single player and still have loads of fun, you can also play 8 player co-op and have an intense chaotic match. What I especially love about the way the developers deigned this game is how they implemented a feature to allow people from around the world to interact with your game. For example, in the options menu you are able to link either your twitch channel or the developers twitch channel onto your profile. Once that is all done and you load up a multiplayer game and anyone who types in the chat will pop up on your screen. But that's not the cool part, when twitch users type something in chat such as "#ice" it will cover the whole map in ice making it extremely hard for players in that match to move. Although twitch and twitter users can effect any match they would like, it only lasts for 10 seconds max. But, that doesn't stop people from spamming the same hashbomb and trolling people at times. Of course, you do not have to have these settings on so you don't have to worry about getting trolled. Also, these hashbombs not only effect you, but everyone else in the game as well. Making it a fun experience for everyone in the match. There are also many minigames to play when half-time comes around during the middle of a match which makes it more competitive and enjoyable. Now, customization in this game is amazing. You are able to create your own 8-bit characters as well as songs, teams, flags and much more. All of these customizable things can be used to show off with or to play around with just for the laughs. The theme songs used in this game are also very enjoyable. Now, since this game was released yesterday there are some multiplayer bugs I experienced. For example, not connecting to multiplayer lobbies for a long period of time or glitches like continuously exploding my character making it difficult for other players to obtain the ball. I would also like to see more content added for multiplayer/singleplayer, but I am pleased with the current state of the game that it is in right now.

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Graphics

This 2D indie game looks great on the xbox one. Each and every character is unique in its own way and there are many effects added to the characters to keep them lively. Bright colors and flashes are used when hitting, exploding, dashing, etc to enhance the game and make it visually appealing to the player(s). The menu looks very hectic and chaotic with bright colors flashing and characters running around the screen. The background colors of the maps change every so often which changes the tone and feel of the map. Shadow and particle effects look smooth and do not lag any aspect of the game what so ever. Hashbombs used by people around the world add effects such as rainbows and different background settings that really change the mood of the game and make it fun to play. The colors are vibrant and really pop when playing.

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Controls

In the beginning of the game there is a little guide explaining all of the button layouts which makes it easy for people to just jump right in. This game takes some skill though as aiming is a bit hard as you have to control both the movement of the character and the direction of the shots that you take all at the same time. This possibly could frustrate some people as there are many obstacles that can distract you as you play. Everything is based on skill and your reflexes, and every goal that you make always feels rewarding as it's a bit hard to always predict your next shot. I do wish that they added more button layout customization's as it would be awesome to find the perfect layout that best suits you.

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Extras

Here is a list of every single hashbomb currently found in the game.

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Ratings (Personal)
Objective: 9/10
Game play: 10/10
Graphics: 10/10
Controls: 9/10
Overall: 9.5/10