Author: Keegan "Interrobang!?" Spindler

When we spoke to Sloclap’s Creative Director Pierre Tarno last week, he talked about building Absolver into a game that reflected the beauty of martial arts. We spoke about a fighting system designed to be flexible and creative, a world in which you could teach or fight those you ran into, and the difficulties that came with balancing an online experience.

Absolver delivers each of these things by turning you into a prospect, pitted in a constant battle against other prospects in the world of Adal. The goal? To become an Absolver, one of the strongest fighters in Adal. In doing so, you have to overcome other prospects, marked enemies and eventually, a final hurdle.

Roaming through Adal

At the beginning of Absolver, you create your character. You get the opportunity to choose some cosmetic options and — more importantly — a fighting style, deciding essentially how your character looks and fights. You are then chosen as a prospect, and flung into the wild open world of Adal. It’s not a particularly huge map, but it’s densely populated, full of equipment, altars and encounters. You’re almost constantly fighting, against either the lost prospects that serve as basic PvE units, or against other prospects roaming the world. Absolver is more than happy to throw you in the deep end, offering little more than a brief tutorial before setting you loose to fight or die.

You don’t have to fight the other prospects you run into, however; you can interact with them in any way you choose, or you can ignore them. On several occasions during SRK’s first playthrough, we got the opportunity to team up with others on the fly to defeat difficult opponents, or to get through a particularly tough boss unit. Communicating is done entirely through basic emotes or, should you choose, your fists. There’s no chat to be found in Adal, and it makes running into other prospects simultaneously fun and slightly worrying. You can, after all, never be sure what they might be planning.

One thing you can be sure of is that they are hoping to kill marked enemies, a selection of named units that you need to take down in order to prove worthy of ascending the tower of Adal. That’s the goal of each prospect, as doing so is the last step in becoming an Absolver — and more importantly, in unlocking the end game.

That’s not so easy a task, as Absolver’s lost prospects are no easy prey. You’re not likely to overwhelm them with a flurry of attacks, which turns every encounter into something of a mini duel. It’s tough, and you should expect to respawn more than a few times on your journey through Adal. Because it’s so difficult a battle however, victories are intensely satisfying, and you’ll soon be fighting almost everyone you come across, just because it’s so rewarding to win.

During your travels, you’ll also pick up armor and equipment of various shapes and sizes. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to wear it as, although it might offer extra protection, armor also weighs you down. Certain styles and moves do more damage the lighter you are, so you’re constantly forced to judge and evaluate exactly what equipment is worth the extra weight. With so much to choose from, it can often be a difficult decision.

Creating your perfect style

And it’s even harder to choose which moves you’d actually like to use. Absolver‘s combat is built on decks — sets of moves that you can use in one of four stances. Each stance has its own deck, and you can’t share moves between them, so each functions entirely separately. Given some time roaming in Adal, your prospect begins to learn new moves — the same moves that have been used against you in fact — which you can then put into one of your four decks.

To learn a move you have to block it or, as we realized later in the game, perfectly timing a dodge through it. The more you do so, the faster you learn that particular move but there is one caveat — you only lock in that knowledge if you defeat the prospect you’re fighting. Lose or run away, and you’ll lose it. This makes fights against even the weakest enemies tough, as you’re not just trying to beat them, but also to learn.

There are hundreds of moves to learn, and each of them has their own pros and cons. Some, for example, come with armor that allows you to take a hit in dealing your own, while others could be particularly effective in shattering an opponents guard. Finding and designing a style that fits you personally is one of the most fun and creative aspects of Absolver, and eventually became the activity we poured most time into.

Particularly interesting is the ability of some moves to switch stances, essentially starting in one stance and finishing in another. Certain moves can only be used in a specific stance, which means that flowing between stances is key to opening up your most damaging options as well as to keeping long combos going. In fact, mastering your combat decks and the options it provides is key to success in Absolver, as well as being the mechanic that will keep us coming back for more.

But what does combat actually feel like?

The best deck building system in the world would be useless however, if the combat wasn’t up to scratch. Thankfully, Absolver brings a thoughtful, deliberate take on fighting games to the table. It lacks the frantic pace of a Guilty Gear or Arcana Hearts; the slow, spacing-heavy style is far more reminiscent of the deliberate pace of Street Fighter II, though the free movement is more suggestive of Pokkén Tournament, and the stamina system wouldn’t be out of place in a game like Dark Souls, dictating all of your actions as it does.

The stances are the foundations of Absolver’s combat. There are four to choose from, each based on the position of your hips relative to your opponent. You can move between these freely in combat or, once you’ve started digging into your combat decks, change stances by using a specific move.

Each stance gives access to, in essence, a light attack and a heavy attack. The light attacks are faster and give access to strings while being light on stamina usage, while the heavy attacks take longer to start up, but have generally have better range and are devastating on both hit and block. Using a heavy attack when your opponent is low on stamina can often lead to a crushed guard, and the opportunity for big damage.

Despite the deliberate pace, combat in Absolver is immensely satisfying. It is without a doubt a test of skill, and the ability to play footsies and understanding your opponent become hugely important the further you progress. More skilled players will rise above the rest, and the ability to roam freely will force them to rely on strategy as well as raw ability.

In time, you’ll also gain access to weapons and special skills, which require tension to use. Tension is the super metre of Absolver, gained when performing a skillful action like a frame-perfect dodge, and used to draw your weapon or unleash a power. Weapons act something like Juri’s Feng Shui Engine, giving you access to a high-damage, high-on-plus-frames option for a brief time, while the special powers can do everything from creating a shockwave to healing yourself. As you’ll quickly realize is the case throughout Absolver, you’ll have to choose which works best for you, as you likely won’t have enough tension to use both.

Proving your prowess

Once you’re comfortable with the system and have built yourself the perfect deck, you’ll want to test yourself against more than lost prospects — despite how tough they are to beat. Taking on random prospects while wandering Adal is a risky proposition however, as you never know quite how much heat they are packing. Taking on a player that is a higher level than you is risky, as their high stats and larger decks could leave you dazed and defeated before you get the chance to mount an offence.

Thankfully, Absolver offers a more traditional matchmaking option, which comes in the form of altars. As you travel through Adal, you’ll be making use of these to heal, meditate and save, but once you’re confident enough to dive into battle against human opponents, they’ll also serve as your portal to PvP.

When you search for opponents through an altar, you’re put through a more traditional matchmaking process. You’re matched against other players on the strength of your level, your gear and your skill level. You’ve got a duel specific Player vs. Player level, which is dictates who you are matched up against, but also factors into some aspects outside PvP — like starting a school, which you can only do at a certain PvP level.

Becoming the Sensei

Absolver’s end game allows those fighters who have proved themselves the best of the best to form schools, where they can pass on their knowledge and fighting style to other players in the world of Adal. Not only does this provide a great way to learn even more styles and ways to play, but also fuels an incentive to do well in the multiplayer battles. Becoming the head of a school is intensely satisfying, especially when your students show off their new skills.

Becoming a student is fun too, as it allows you to see how other people have designed their combat decks, and get a taste of styles different to your own. You don’t have to have the moves your master teaches to use them, so it’s a great to open up your horizons quickly, and in the late game it can serve as something of a try before you buy so you don’t feel as though you have wasted effort in learning certain moves.

Over time, you learn moves and styles from your master, which opens up further customisation options of your own and makes it even simpler to create a character that works perfectly for you. Once you do, there’s nothing stopping you from creating your own school, and proving that your style is the very best there is.

And in the FGC, is there anything better?

Pros

• Deliberate, thoughtful gameplay
• Endless creativity in combat decks and styles
• Satisfying progressing in both single and multiplayer
• Can play in teams with your friends

Cons

• Not the best netcode, even if it’s not the worst
• Always-online-style single player
• Somewhat anticlimactic storyline

Ever since I picked up an Xbox One, I’ve wanted to give Killer Instinct a proper go. With a new stick for my PlayStation 4, however, I was straight out of luck, and my feeble attempts to make magic happen on a pad were ill-fated and short lived. Ever since, I’ve looked at KI with a sort of vague longing, all while enjoying my other games on PS4, with my PS4 stick.

A few weeks ago however, I got my hands on Venom’s new Multi-Platform Arcade Fight Stick. Admittedly with a few hoops to jump through, it let me play whatever I wanted on whatever platform I wanted, all with just a few moments of down time. I could shut down Injustice 2 after suffering a particularly savage beating, and just a minute or two later be getting my Jago going on a completely different console. In fact, since I’ve had the Venom in hand it has done just that in a tournament setting, alongside being taken out for a spin at fests and home visits.

With great convenience comes a few minor caveats however, so let’s get them out of the way. The Venom is an inexpensive proposition — it’s on sale in the UK for just £60, or about $80. That means it doesn’t come with the bells, whistles, and Sanwa parts that we’ve all become accustomed to. The stock parts are okay, but they do pale in comparison to Sanwa’s or Seimitsu’s offerings, so you’ll want to replace them in the long term. Particularly at fault are the buttons, which are spongy and loose. The stick itself is decent, but does rattle a little when you’re in the thick of things, which can sound alarming.

Thankfully, the case itself is easily compatible with aftermarket parts, and replacing the stick and buttons is as simple as slotting them into place and plugging the wires in. With the metal bottom providing quick and easy access to the internals, new parts is a twenty minute job at worst.

Once it’s decked out with your stick and buttons of choice, you’ll have to deal with one other inconvenience — the fact that the Venom has to be plugged into a controller to work properly. There’s a second USB cable for ease of use, and the process itself is relatively simple, but it does necessitate bringing a spare controller along, and dealing with extra wires. In practice, I found this to be a non-issue, and quickly became accustomed to having the controller plugged in. At tournament, the controller remained in my bag while the Venom sat on my lap, and I didn’t come across any issues throughout my — admittedly unsuccessful — run through bracket.

One point that comes down to preference is size — the Venom is a petite piece of kit. This makes it eminently transportable, but does leave it feeling slightly lacking in play. I’m 6’5″ with hands to match, but I got accustomed to the Venom quickly, and it now feels just as comfortable in play as my MadCatz units. It might not work so well for others, but that ultimately comes down to personal preference.

When it comes to the action, the Venom holds up admirably. Straight out the box and despite the stock parts, the Venom was performing on equal footing to my Qanba Dragon, with Ryu’s jabs trading hits. The Dragon came out ahead in the total tally — beating the Venom cleanly in about one jab in 10 — but overall it was incredibly close.

Despite daily use, I’ve also yet to have a problem with connectivity. I’ve taken the Venom with me on train journeys, to major events and to a buddy’s house, and I have yet to have a problem with it. Regardless of console, I’ve had consistently clean inputs and quick connections, including moving directly from one Xbox One console to another.

It’s not perfect, but as an affordable stick that works on your console of choice — whether that’s PS4, Xbox One, or both — the Venom is a revelation. Spongy buttons and a mediocre stick are easy fixes, and though the lack of nice artwork is a tad disappointing, the stark black case of the Venom has its own charms. The initially awkward setup quickly becomes second nature and, let’s be honest, is small price to pay for good versatility. Whether you’re looking for your first ever arcade stick, or just the base for a multi-platform piece of kit for day-to-day use, I can’t recommend it enough — as long as you know what you’re getting into.

Pros

• Convenient size and weight
• Multi-platform with minimum fuss
• Easy to open up and change parts
• Works on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Cons

• Stock parts are not Sanwa/Seimitsu quality
• Initially awkward set-up
• Not necessarily easy to obtain outside of Europe

For almost half a decade, the Super Smash Bros. Melee community has joked about Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman’s hands. Whenever M2K made a slightly dodgy play or pulled out of an event for “personal reasons,” there’d always be a comment or two about him going to the doctor because — for a long time — he would complain about how much his hands hurt. This came on the back of Aziz “Hax” Al-Yami quitting the game with hand problems and — for brief time — the Melee community was incredibly aware of their hands.

Melee has never been the most welcoming game in the FGC. Although it is initially fun, once you start diving into the technical and competitive aspects of the game, it’s easy to drown. With a massive skill ceiling and a dedicated community that has been grinding out tech for more than a decade, dipping your toe into competitive Melee is an eye-opening experience. At this point the results of most major tournaments are a foregone conclusion, as one of Melee’s five gods — Joseph “Mango” Marquez, Adam “Armada” Lindgren, Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma, Kevin “PPMD” Nanney, and Mew2King — invariably takes victory, with Armada the most successful of the lot.

It’s the toll that Melee takes on your hands that will get you in the end, though. Top level Melee requires hundreds of inputs a minute — getting close to Starcraft’s APM — all performed on a Nintendo GameCube controller, which was certainly not designed to accommodate the furious speed and technical demands of Melee. This has forced players to adapt strange grips, like the Claw, where your index finger curls to reach the face buttons, and ultimately has led to hand and wrist problems for more than a few competitors.

It was damage to his hands that forced Hax into retirement, and kept him there. It’s hand problems that at one point threatened the future of M2K in the Melee scene, and which have pained Mang0 since the start of his competitive career.

This year, Hax has been able to enter tournaments again, thanks to the use of a hitbox-style controller that he calls the B0XX. When he did, and when the team over at Hitbox offered up an alternative to the GCC in the form of the Smashbox, there was immediate backlash from skeptics in the community. They believed that the Smashbox — and later Hax’s B0XX — made certain techniques too simple, making high-level techniques like wavedashing and shield dropping easier to perform, at the cost of making basic movement more difficult.

Now it’s gone one step further, with the organizers of many of Melee’s largest tournaments — including by Twitch’s Arian “TheCrimsonBlur” Fathieh, who has vocally campaigned against the Smashbox — have created a “unified ruleset” for Melee, a ruleset that bans all non-GameCube controllers. That means that both the Smashbox and the B0XX are banned from events using this ruleset, a frankly staggering decision.

It turns out that these five “community leaders” would rather that Hax, and other players struggling to play Melee because of hand and wrist issues, were physically unable to play the game than let them use a different controller. Why? Because they believe that playing on a GameCube Controller is “intrinsic to what we consider “playing Melee” and the skills involved in doing so,” a nonsensical statement.

Melee as we know it is a completely different beast than what it was designed to be. Wavedashing, L-Cancelling and other high-level techniques have transformed it so completely that series creator Masahiro Sakurai condemned it as the opposite to his vision for the game. What the Smash community considers “playing Melee” is far from what was once expected from it, so why are we now pulling up short?

In fact, just go and have a quick read of the “controller” section of MeleeItOnMe’s justification of this new ruleset. It quickly becomes clear that the reason they’re banning box-style controllers and thus, by default, those unable to use the GameCube controller, is because they’re new, and different, and may open Pandora’s Box when it comes to further control mods.

Now, to be fair to the committee, they have stated that this ban of all things not-GameCube controller is tentative, and that they are fully willing to have their minds changed. It should be noted, however, that Blur has been loudly opposed to the Smashbox and B0XX since their unveiling.

It’s not as though these projects have not communicated. Despite consistent efforts from Gravy and the Hitbox team — and Hax, separately — to assuage the doubts and concerns presented by the community, a group of Melee veterans has decided that they haven’t done enough. It comes as no surprise that the only vote against banning these controllers comes from Nintendude, the only high-level competitor of the bunch.

There are other problems with this ruleset. There are oversights, mistakes, and some things are straight up forgotten. It does, for example, allow the infamous Ice Climbers’ Freeze glitch — as long as you don’t do it on a B0XX, of course.

But the main issue has to be with the way it treats the GameCube controller as some sort of Holy Grail. If it were so perfect, why would a whole cottage industry have grown out of the need to modify and change them? Why would Armada feel the need to pull out of DreamHack Austin because his controller of choice broke? Why would Hax require surgery on his wrist, why would M2K need to go to the doctor? Why would other members of the FGC, looking at our broken down players and decide that maybe that GameCube Controller just isn’t worth it?

Because, despite long familiarity, the GameCube Controller is fundamentally flawed. In fact, most top level players actively hunt for controllers that are malfunctioning, as they make techniques like dashbacking easier. You can read a little more about it on MeleeItOnMe. At the end of the day though, this committee has simply declared that this sort of broken is fine, as long as it is in the shape of a GameCube controller.

Just think, for a moment, about Hax. About how he must have felt waking up to this news. About discovering that the only way he could play Melee — a game that has defined his adult life — was banned, just because it was different.

I’d like you to imagine if this committee had been in this position back in the early days of Melee. Would they be banning wavedashing and l-cancelling? Would the Japanese have banned chain-grabbing after Ken beat Bombsoldier? These techniques are, after all, not in keeping with the way that Melee was played in those early days. The future of Melee would have been very different if they had. The future of Melee is in our hands now, and in the hands of Mew2King, Hax, Mango and so many others. This rule is actively trying to make sure that those hands are too broken to take hold of it.

Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the writer, and do not reflect Shoryuken.com as a whole.

For the first time in what feels an age, a NetherRealm game isn’t sitting cosily in its status quo in the run up to Evo. If the original Injustice saw Gods Among Us, Injustice 2 is quickly proving to be the War of the Gods, and it doesn’t show signs of abating any time soon. With just two major events in the books, we already have two different champions, and though a SonicFox victory comes as little surprise, the marauding run of Whiteboi at Community Effort Orlando turned expectations on their head.

So what does the grandest stage of them all have in store for Injustice 2? With hundreds of competitors from all over the world making the pilgrimage to Vegas, there’s no telling who might attain the summit with an Evo victory. One thing is for sure however; it’s anyone’s tournament to win, and that feels remarkably refreshing.

The Old Gods Still Reign

Tempting though it may be to dismiss SonicFox’s Combo Breaker victory in light of his failure to conquer CEO, to do so would be a mistake. Dominique ”SonicFox“ Maclean made his name in Injustice: Gods Among Us, and though he has yet to totally settle down in the second instalment, it is very much a homecoming for him. He dominated early tournaments with a double handful of characters and a variety of styles, but this is Evo – and CEO showed us that anything less than total focus won’t cut it. Expect SonicFox to show up with only one thing on his mind: another Evo gold.

He’ll have his work cut out for him, in the form of his own Echo Fox teammate, Jivan ”Theo” Karapetian. One of Injustice: GAU’s titans, he went into something of a hibernation while MKX held the spotlight. With a return to the multiverse comes Theo’s rousing, and he’s already proving that his slumber did little to dull his razor sharp edge. He’s dominating online events; can he do the same offline? Evo is the time to prove it.

Injustice 2 has summoned other NRS elder gods too; the likes of Carl “Perfect Legend” White and Christian “Forever King” Quiles have been called by the clash of the superhumans, and will be planning to prove that they can leave their mark. Each have a deep pedigree, so sleep on them at your own risk.

There’s a Murder on the Horizon

Critical Reaction’s Nicolas “Whiteboi” Andersen is the CEO Champion. The dust has barely had time to settle and Evo is already right around the corner, but you can be sure that everyone has noted his victory, in which he wielded series newcomer Scarecrow in a run through bracket that scattered even the biggest crows – all of whom had their eyes set on that shiny CEO championship belt.

There’s little doubt that, in the little time left, everyone has put a bit of time into grinding the Scarecrow matchup. That means that, for Whiteboi at least, there’s a whole murder of crows on the horizon, with eyes still firmly set on that belt around his waist. During his CEO run he only once had to turn to Aquaman; expect a different story if Whiteboi wants to see himself on the main stage again come Evo.

Driven by Rage

Before Sayed ”Tekken Master“ Hashem piloted him to a second place finish at Combo Breaker, there were a lot of people sleeping on Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lantern Corps. Well, no longer. The Red Lanterns have had a flood of conscripts, and they will hope to harness their fury towards a Top 8 finish at Evo. Tekken Master remains the leader of the pack, but he has able lieutenants to help him prove that all you need to go to claim a win is hulk out.

Steven “Coach Steve” Delgado, after a brief stint as the Mayor of Gorilla City, has donned the mantle of a Red Lantern and seen immediate results at Next Level Battle Circuit with a string of wins. Eschewing the reset heavy style he took to with Grodd, he’s now the king of the blender, and will be planning to trip opponents up with Atrocitus’ high-low mixups.

On the other hand, Curtis ”Rewind“ McCall will be hoping to prove that he can put people in the blender without the benefit of an internet connection, as he takes his dominating style offline for one of his first major tournaments. He’s found good results online, and there’s no better time than Evo to prove that he can do it in person too.

The Summit is targeted by the World

With so many powerful threats in the USA, it would be easy to assume that the Champ will call America home. Evo is the mecca of fighting game players all around the world however, and some international talent will be attempting to ruin the party. It’s not a new role for Denom “AFoxyGrampa” Jones, who has been doing just that in Mortal Kombat X. It remains to be seen whether he can continue those efforts in a different game, but his Catwoman is out for blood.

He’ll be bringing fellow Englishman Reese “OmegaK” Gill, who has taken up the broach and fancy hat of Mayor of Gorilla City after Coach Steve relinquished them. Unlike Steve, OmegaK has built up a high execution, plus frame heavy pressure game with Grodd that tramples anyone who gets in his way. His plan? To make North America kneel before Grodd.

They’ll be joined by one of Europe’s best, with Martin “Madzin” Niedziela making the journey to Vegas too. There’s also names like Razor’s Xian and Rize’s MenaRD on the list, along with players from South Korea, Japan, Sweden and several other countries, for a real melting pot of opportunity.

And it’s not just Europe and Asia planning to play party poopers; America’s northern neighbours have something to prove too. Canada’s most notable representative is Matthew ”Biohazard” Commandeur, who has built a strong, if not necessarily spectacular portfolio in Mortal Kombat X. Injustice 2 is already proving a different story however, with the duo showing off his Bane to great effect. His character is capable of startling bursts of damage, and it’s no great surprise to see him tear games from the brink of defeat time and again.

There’s plenty to prove

There are so many players mentioned already, and there are more who could take the prize. Andrew “Semiij” Fontanez, Brad “Scar” Vaughn, Ryan “Dragon” Walker and Frank “Slayer” Perales are all more than capable of adding Evo Champion to their many accolades.

And even with the notable names who will be eyeing up Evo gold, there are a whole host of players planning to take them down. The release of Injustice 2 has shaken up the Netherrealm scene significantly, and there has never been a better time to make your mark. SonicFox proved that when he erupted onto the Injustice scene and never left, and there will be plenty looking to his example as inspiration.

For the first time since then, it really is anyone’s title to take – a remarkably exciting chance to see some of the best Injustice players in the world, all of whom genuinely have a shot at taking it all. What could be better than that?

When I got my hands on a beta code for Windjammers, I was very excited. Living in Europe, I am just around the corner from Windjammer’s most passionate scene, and I was desperate to see what all the hype was about. I had the client downloaded well in advance, so when the beta finally opened I logged in immediately.

Since I’d never played the game before, I decided to whip through the tutorial. It’s not extensive — just a few slides explaining each button and how to execute curves and special throws. Before long, it was time to actually give the game a go.

Uh-oh.

Finding a match was an exercise in futility. There’s something very strange going on with the netcode Dot Emu are using here, because eight or so of every ten matches I got either failed to load (forcing one of the two players to quit out) or downright disconnected without an explanation. And with only match types online modes, there was no other option but to wait out the disconnects and try again. And again. And again.

When you finally get a game, it’s good fun. Impressively lagless and surprisingly good-looking, it wasn’t long before I was learning just how important positioning and mind-games are in earning victories. I’m not entirely sure how it came to be that I was playing footsies in a frisbee game, but it turned into a fascinating and engaging experience.

The character you pick matters too, despite the slender size. With raw statistics so clearly on display, you can pick those aspects of a character that are most exciting to you, and the difference between the max speed character and the biggest and slowest of them are very noticeable. It all works its way into a situation where your character choice really does matter, and can be clearly reflected in the way that you play.

And when things work out, it’s incredible satisfying:

When windjammers works, it really works #PS4share pic.twitter.com/4RbCarm09g

— Keegan Spindler (@DumbGrammarJoke) June 14, 2017

Which only makes it more frustrating that the netcode just couldn’t keep up. Every game that I played was excellent, and there was only a couple of games with any sort of lag, but when I’m only getting into two games in ten, there’s something very wrong. It got to the point where I could recognise the names that wouldn’t load in, and didn’t even bother picking my character of choice. I just mashed, quit out and went back to waiting for a new match.

Our Assistant Editor Sam “Trilby” Foxall also managed to get his hands on a code. His thoughts were much the same as mine:

What can I say? It’s Windjammers with an extra lick of paint. All of the mind-bending saves, Super Curves and bumper shenanigans are intact, with some redone sprite work to make Windjammers a bit prettier. The main issue is with the game’s online: it’s fantastic when it works, awful when it doesn’t. When Windjammers relies on players making split-second dives to stop a speeding frisbee, it needs to have good netcode and luckily, this port of Windjammers delivers. I only experienced one laggy match while playing the beta, with every other match running like a dream. The problem is that you can only get to high-speeding disc throwing if you manage to connect to your opponent. In about six out of ten matches, Windjammers would freeze just as the match was about to begin. The only way to solve this problem was to forfeit and search for another player. This is fine in player matches when there is nothing on the line, but it becomes a huge problem in Ranked play. Since forfeiting a match — even if it the screen freezes — results in you losing points, the real game is waiting to see if you or your opponent quits first. Unless this connection issue is fixed before launch, you’re honestly better off sticking to the MAME version of Windjammers to avoid frustration.

And SRK’s resident newshound d3v? I think these tweets from the man himself say it all:

So my experience with the #Windjammers beta has been 50% waiting for matches, and 50% getting DCed before the matches start.

— ➡⬇↘D3v (@D3Vlicious) June 12, 2017

The thing I see the most of in the #Windjammers beta #PS4share pic.twitter.com/7rqwaTUZtt

— ➡⬇↘D3v (@D3Vlicious) June 12, 2017

It seems then that there’s a lot of work to be done. As a closed beta, it’s understandable that there are still a few problems, but the connection issues are above and beyond just shrugging off. I can only hope that Dot Emu can work their issues out, because the game — when you can get in — is a ton of fun. It is legendary for a reason and it deserves better. A lot of the FGC would definitely enjoy it — but only if they can get connected.