Guts and goals series#

These take on not only various forms of the above modes, but also simple choices, like whether to attack an enemy from behind or speak to a stranger.

Guts and goals series#

One of the latter is MVP Hunter, a roguelike addition that tasks players with working their way through a series of challenges to get to a final boss. There’s a lot of content in GNG to unlock, from dozens of characters to skins, maps, weapons, and modes.

So it’s a case of bashing opponents, enemies, or even stationary targets to get that number up first within the time limit. Often, the two goal requirement is lifted in favour of high score chasing, first to 99 wins. These add in a lot of variety, bringing as they do things like zombies or king of the hill rules, to name just two. As well as the soccer matches there are mini games – where we need to traverse a course to score a goal – and mutator matches. Again, I very rarely saw many of these in action, but it helps spice up what is already a cavalcade of action to begin with. New ones are unlocked with each run of the Career as well as purchasable in the item shop (no MTX here though) or unlocked via playing optional minigames. This can range from having our KO time extending, to removing them altogether, increasing player speed, or a whole host of other effects.

Should it threaten to go the distance, a random mutator is introduced for the last 60 seconds. It’s fully possible to complete a match within ten seconds should we have a lucky hit or kick-off, and I found that most of my games were over well within the first minute one way or another. Matches are three minutes a piece, though in reality they very rarely last that long thanks to the speed and a not-insignificant amount of luck. This mix of combat and sport proves to be a good laugh as inevitably teams bundle towards the ball, bats swinging, and carnage ensues. By default each player has six to their name, and once all are gone they’re out for three seconds before getting up and carrying on. Likewise, a standard hit will take off one of the opposing teams players energy blocks while a charged hit will take two. Each hit also sends the ball in a volley of sorts so it’s possible to lob other players. A hit of the ball sees it go a short distance, while a charged shot will go further at the expense of the second or two it takes to charge. First to 2 goals wins, and it’s about as fast and frantic as you’d expect. The base concept here is a game of football, with players hitting the ball – and other players – with bats rather than kicking as they run around the pitch. This lets us get used to the basics nicely while still providing some immediate fun. A very short and sharp Grand Prix mode is all we really get. Starting out there’s not much to choose from. Mixing football – or soccer – with melee combat, zombies, Pong, hockey, and more, it’s a fun game to unwind with of an evening. I guess it’s the far less serious approach and over the top action, and both of those statements are accurate when talking about GNG. Despite really not liking sports in almost any form, there’s a strange allure to arcade-style takes such as Guts ’N Goals.