A change of pace. And a second controller.
Rumbleborn trades adventure-game conversations for close-range clashes, special attacks and finishing moves. It is an original 2D arcade fighting game for Apple TV, with a campaign across 35 cities, a roster of 12 main fighters, and local versus for two people in the same room.
Combat stays on a single horizontal plane: move, jump, guard and find an opening. Fighters differ in speed, power and durability, with their own special attacks and finishers. Learning your favourite means working out when to close the distance, when to defend, and when to commit.
It started with Mortal Kombat.
I played Mortal Kombat as a kid. Now that I have the chance to try making a fighting game of my own, I wanted to see what I could create. After working on adventures, Rumbleborn is a chance to try something different: my own fighters, my own arenas, and a much more physical kind of action.
The choice of Apple TV was personal, too. I have one at home, but I wasn't finding many games on it that really grabbed me. A while ago I bought two PlayStation controllers, thinking I would spend more time playing on the TV. Nothing quite clicked — so I decided to try making something for the platform myself.
At least those two controllers finally found a job: testing Rumbleborn.
35 cities. Plenty of reasons to keep moving.
The campaign runs through 350 combat arenas, taking the fight from city to city. Different enemy groups, rivals and city finales stand in your way, with up to two enemies active at once. The crowd is part of the atmosphere, supporting fighters and reacting to knockouts.
Ronan, Kaia and Mateo are available from the start. Progress through the campaign to unlock more of the 12-fighter roster and new arenas to use across the game's modes. From New York and Havana to Tokyo and Bratislava, the backdrop keeps changing as you advance.
One sofa. Two sides.
Versus lets you challenge the computer or another player locally, each with a controller. Matches are best of three rounds, with 90 seconds on the clock per round. Pick your fighter, choose an unlocked arena, and settle it on screen.
Training gives you room to practise away from the campaign. Choose an opponent who stands still or fights back, or train solo while getting comfortable with movement and attacks. It is a place to try a newly unlocked fighter before handing over that second controller.
Bring the fight to your living room.
Rumbleborn is available for Apple TV on the App Store. Pick your fighter, take on the campaign, or bring a second controller for local versus. Visit the store page for the latest game details and requirements.