Recently I was playing the pixel-style io fighting game "Ax Brawl", and I saw many players discussing the ratings. Some people thought it was fun and gave it five stars, while others thought the graphics were simple and gave it one star. As a game reviewer, I feel that grading should not be too casual. Today, I will use this game to talk about my grading standards and give it a try 📝
Let's talk about the picture dimension first: Is the pixel style a plus or a minus? Many people call pixels "rough" when they see them, but I think pixel style itself is also an artistic style. The key is details and expressiveness. The pixel art style of "Ax Brawl" is quite exquisite, the characters are cute square people, the weapons and special effects are recognizable, and the combat feels good, not the kind of perfunctory pixels. I give the graphics a 7.5/10, which is not amazing but fits the lightweight positioning of io games.
Dimensions of gameplay: io + chaos + survival, the core is "just pick up a weapon and do it". The game is fast-paced and each round is short, making it suitable for playing in fragmented time. There are many types of weapons, with swords, axes, swords and hammers each having their own characteristics, and there are also random props to add variables. But there is a small drawback: during high-frequency melees in the later stage, the operation will be a bit messy, and the determination of character collision bodies is occasionally blurred. The overall gameplay can be rated 8/10. There is a sense of refreshment, but the depth is a little shallow and it is easy to get bored.
Krypton Gold Dimension: It must be emphasized! The charging model of this game is 0. In actual experience, it is indeed not expensive. There is no card draw, no physical strength, and no VIP. The only in-app purchase is the appearance skin, which does not affect the attributes at all. The experience of zero krypton and micro krypton is almost the same. This is very conscientious. I directly gave Krypton Gold a score of 9.5/10. I deducted 0.5 because the price of the skin is slightly higher, but I don't force it.
Social dimension: The io game itself has weak social attributes and is mainly about matching and battle. "Brawl" has a team mode, but it is not mainstream, and the friend system is relatively basic. Considering that the core of this type of game is competition rather than social interaction, I can only give it a score of 6/10, which is adequate but not outstanding.
Based on my own scoring formula: Screen × 0.15 + Gameplay × 0.4 + Money × 0.3 + Social × 0.15 = 7.575 points, which is about 7.6 points when rounded. This score is considered above-average for a free io game and is worth a try.
So before you give a score, you might as well consider what aspects you value most. If you care more about refreshing duels and being fair and free, then "Ax Battle" can definitely give you a high score; if you think the pixels are shabby or require in-depth development, you may have to lower your expectations. Anyway, after I finished the review, it's okay to give it a “recommended” tag 👍