Have a Blast | Switch Review
Blast Away! Firenut Games puts you and your friends in the cockpit to blast each other out of space in Have a Blast! Versus party games have always been a big hit in my library, and Have a Blast’s explosive first look grabbed my attention quickly. So I gathered my friends and family, strapped in, and pressed launch. What followed were hours of laughing, shouting, and some of the best trash talk to have ever come out of that group.
Something Old, Something New
Right out of the gate, Have a Blast detonated my nostalgia trigger with it’s Asteroids-esque environment. My friends and I were learning the ropes, and how to blast each other (and sometimes ourselves) off the screen in a modernized version of Asteroids. You are looking at your ships in a top-down view, avoiding obstacles while shooting at others, and steering through and around everything on the screen. Learning how to not kill yourself often proved just as difficult as taking down your friends. More on that later.
Once the last person’s ship is left standing triumphant, you start over again in a race to five wins. I lost count of how many times a match would come down to some insane antics that often involved heavy screaming and shouting. The sweet sensation of victory was short lived by the victor, however. It threw us right back against each other in an arena that we had previously picked to be in the mix of arenas we would battle in.
Deadly Arenas
While shooting your friends is always a good time, the arenas in Have a Blast were what really put this game over for me. There are many, and each is its own design, and in turn each has its own hazards and obstacles. One moment we were flying over a sea of water while avoiding a giant mechanical fish that constantly breaches into the sky with voracious intent. Next we were navigating a space minefield, using the yet unactivated mines to our advantage, and misfortune. Afterwards, we entered an arena where circular buzzsaws fly around the room, cutting my friends and I to ribbons while showing no prejudice.
Most of the arenas in Have a Blast employ the edgeless play screen, where you will come onto the screen opposite of where you leave if you fly off of it. This, coupled with the obstacles we had to deal with, made for a very busy play experience. There is an awful lot going on at every moment, and it took a long time to get used to where everyone was and how I was maneuvering my ship.
Each ship behaves differently due to their unique abilities. There are five different types, and while movement is always handled the same, in a setup similar to that of a twin stick shooter, it behooves you to maneuver each ship differently due to its special attack.
Final Verdict
Have a Blast is a game that I literally could not wait to play more of with my companions. It felt comfortable and familiar, yet its premise was new and foreign. There was not a moment of play that was not full of excitement and friendly contempt. Next time you and your friends feel the need to flex your competitive muscles, grab Have a Blast, and…well…have a blast!
This review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy of Have a Blast provided by Evolve PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on PC via Steam.
Have a Blast
$17.99
Pros
- Extremely Fun, Intense Gameplay
- Single And Teams Versus
- Many Different Levels With Their Own Flare
Cons
- A Lot Going On On The Screen - Hard To Keep Track Of Everything Going On
