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Arms Review Thread

The modes and lack of options is one of the biggest problems i see people having.

Should let you make rooms that only use motion control or traditional controls. Not to mention 1v1v1 really is one of the worst experiences the game has to offer.
 
This seems to playing out like Splatoon where the core release is a little slim and is, deservedly, punished for it. After all, reviewers cannot see the future and judge how the whole game will play out after DLC.

It's a tough way to launch a game, but if it's anything like Splatoon, the community will benefit. Every time a Splatoon update was released it was a breath of fresh air. It got everyone playing again, the additions added exciting new mechanics, and fixed issues that could not be seen at the beginning.

I appreciate this approach, and the idea that developers concentrate on builing a well-polished core in online games that have a planned long-term life. The problem is that there is no way to review a game like this fairly.
 
I just feel like if mario kart lets you decide to turn smart steering on or off why cant you do the same for control type in custom matches?

Plus Gamexplain argued that traditional controls seemed more competitive so doing that would eliminate any advantage or disadvantage.
 
Plus Gamexplain argued that traditional controls seemed more competitive so doing that would eliminate any advantage or disadvantage.
Some other outlets said the opposite, though. Seems like a personal preference at play to me more than one method being objectively better than the other one.
 
I just feel like if mario kart lets you decide to turn smart steering on or off why cant you do the same for control type in custom matches?

I don't really feel like comparing it to smart steering really makes much sense. Not to mention people from both sides seem to think their preference is either superior to the other, or at least equal to one another, albeit with motion controls naturally being harder to adapt to.
 

Time will tell I guess, but I'd be shocked if it didn't end up with good traditional control users dominating motion controller users (assuming equal experience and skill with strategy etc.).

The motion control movement just isn't as precise, so I can't see motion users beating equal or higher skilled pro controller users often.

But I could be proven long and the top level competitive players be a mix of motion and pro pad users, though I'd be very surprised if it was more than the rare exception to the rule (like the rare pad user that wins major Street Fighter tourneys over the majority of stick users).

I don't have a dog in the fight either way as I wasn't a fan of the game with either method personally.
 
Time will tell I guess, but I'd be shocked if it didn't end up with good traditional control users dominating motion controller users (assuming equal experience and skill with strategy etc.).

The motion control movement just isn't as precise, so I can't see motion users beating equal or higher skilled pro controller users often.

But I could be proven long and the top level competitive players be a mix of motion and pro pad users, though I'd be very surprised if it was more than the rare exception to the rule (like the rare pad user that wins major Street Fighter tourneys over the majority of stick users).

I just don't really see the point though. Like if I was using motion controls, and found myself getting dominated, then... I'd just switch to traditional controls lol, and vice-versa.

Just seems silly to force people to play one particular way, even if it's for a custom lobby. I mean, on one hand, more options I guess? But on the other, I like that this game is reminiscent of Smash in that people can play this game however they want, advantages and disadvantages be damned.
 
I just feel like if mario kart lets you decide to turn smart steering on or off why cant you do the same for control type in custom matches?

I know I brought it up a bunch in the Test Punch thread, but I feel like it would be very difficult to make a distinction between control schemes because of how the joycons work:

If I hold them like in the demos, I get motion controls.

If I hold them like they were in a grip, I can use buttons to punch and analog to move.

I think the only thing the grip actually does is to tell the joycons to let you input controls like you were using a controller.

So... unless they actually change how joycons work, you can't really separate schemes since joycons can switch between both on the fly...

Not that I would anyway since both control scheme works fine and only people that actually know how to play will have bothered to lab all the differences :v
 
Splatoon test fire made me want to join in every test fire session, game was mad addictive. I don't think the meta score is representative of the quality of that game but I also think the full game released in August.

At the same time the game could've been a lot better if the devs had some basic online infrastructure in;join groups, pick maps, voice chat etc..

This game I played the test fire twice and I knew the game wouldn't have long lasting appeal for me. It's fun for a bit then not so much. I was primarily interested as an exercise game but I also agree that the price is too high for that. So instead, I'll wait for Splatoon

I don't like shooters but I like Splatoon and overwatch.

I like fighters but not that big of a fan of Arms even though it's highly accessible
 
Splatoon test fire made me want to join in every test fire session, game was mad addictive. I don't think the meta score is representative of the quality of that game but I also think the full game released in August.

At the same time the game could've been a lot better if the devs had some basic online infrastructure in;join groups, pick maps, voice chat etc..

This game I played the test fire twice and I knew the game wouldn't have long lasting appeal for me. It's fun for a bit then not so much. I was primarily interested as an exercise game but I also agree that the price is too high for that. So instead, I'll wait for Splatoon

Your avatar made this post amusing to read lol
 
While I don't want to be ignorant to reviews, I've really stopped letting them decide on what I buy. While a contributing factor, I need my own time with something to form my own opinion. The testpunches did just that and I went from a new switch owner with a "so-so" opinion of the game to immediately preordering it. Luckily, I was able to get it for $45 via Amazon Prime so the "lack of content" doesn't really upset me. I think the amount of characters and stages will do me just fine to play online ranked just like Overwatch does.

I do lament it not having some sort of story mode for each character to help develop them more. With the amount of personality these designs seem to have, it seems silly to just skip out on continuing to build this world. My question to you guys is about the proposed future content/DLC. Do we have any info on it? Is it just added arms/characters/stages or are new modes also in store? Is the potential for a more fleshed out arcade/story mode possible?
 
Some other outlets said the opposite, though. Seems like a personal preference at play to me more than one method being objectively better than the other one.

You can't individually control your ARMS if you throw them both out at roughly the same time, that's the drawback of having only one analogue stick for controling both ARMS and the upside of Motion Controls...

However: One must ask if it would be even wise to throw out more than one ARM at the same time as you limit your mobility options greatly by doing so ;)
 
While I don't want to be ignorant to reviews, I've really stopped letting them decide on what I buy. While a contributing factor, I need my own time with something to form my own opinion. The testpunches did just that and I went from a new switch owner with a "so-so" opinion of the game to immediately preordering it. Luckily, I was able to get it for $45 via Amazon Prime so the "lack of content" doesn't really upset me. I think the amount of characters and stages will do me just fine to play online ranked just like Overwatch does.

I do lament it not having some sort of story mode for each character to help develop them more. With the amount of personality these designs seem to have, it seems silly to just skip out on continuing to build this world. My question to you guys is about the proposed future content/DLC. Do we have any info on it? Is it just added arms/characters/stages or are new modes also in store? Is the potential for a more fleshed out arcade/story mode possible?

Only new stages, characters, and ARMs are to be expected at this point. They haven't said anything about new modes, much less a Story Mode. At best, we'll probably get an Overwatch type of deal where they trickle and flesh out the lore through social media, or when a new character is announced.
 
Hotdamn at some replies. To each its own I guess, but come on...there is more content coming guys.

Personally, I'm pretty sure that the MK8 team will deliver. I had a blast with the Testpunch and I can't wait to get more Arms.
 
I just don't really see the point though. Like if I was using motion controls, and found myself getting dominated, then... I'd just switch to traditional controls lol, and vice-versa.

Just seems silly to force people to play one particular way, even if it's for a custom lobby. I mean, on one hand, more options I guess? But on the other, I like that this game is reminiscent of Smash in that people can play this game however they want, advantages and disadvantages be damned.

Oh, I think the point being made was that some people prefer only playing with motion controls and would rather just play other motion users rather than struggle with people using pro pads (if that's the way it shakes out over time).

But yeah, in your case it's moot if you view it only as a fun, casual game rather than as a competitive one.

I think that's where these kind of games struggle today. Casual MP games don't need balance when they're local MP party games where you expect different skill levels and no serious competition. That just doesn't really mesh with online gaming culture as that's inherently competitive as fewer people care to play casual/party games with randoms or distant friends vs. local people while drinking etc.

The game is trying to be both with the local MP focus and the online modes. The online modes would probably get better reception with ranked mode lobbies (if nothing else) split by control method (if the user base is large enough) to be more balanced (again if there does end up being a competitive advantage to physical controls).
 
Only new stages, characters, and ARMs are to be expected at this point. They haven't said anything about new modes, much less a Story Mode. At best, we'll probably get an Overwatch type of deal where they trickle and flesh out the lore through social media, or when a new character is announced.

Well, it works for me with OW, so I think itll work for me for this game. I'm also in for Splatoon 2 (missed out on the first but craving a shooter). I'm hoping the online community doesn't become too divided. I know that Ill be able to make time for both, seeing as how drastically different they are.

Just another 10 days! The 16th couldn't come any faster
 
Hotdamn at some replies. To each its own I guess, but come on...there is more content coming guys.

Personally, I'm pretty sure that the MK8 team will deliver. I had a blast with the Testpunch and I can't wait to get more Arms.

I haven't read all the quotes, but, I will say based on yours. People should not be willing to pay 65$ for a promise of more content. The game should be feature rich, like BoTW, and then add more content. Don't release a barebones game, at least that's my opinion from the demo, and then promise more on the way. You're selling me an early access game at that point. That's just my opinion.
 
Damnit.. The lack of online options kills this game for me. It's 2017 and I can't party up with an online friend to match with randoms. It's bizarre how there aren't more complaints about these things from Nintendo games. There should be more playlists to choose from too.

Guess I'll be hard passing on this game for now :[
 
I would have bought it if not for paid online, but there's splatoon 2 around the corner and I know I won't play anything else for the remaining time.
Skipping monster hunter for the same reason.
 
While I don't want to be ignorant to reviews, I've really stopped letting them decide on what I buy. While a contributing factor, I need my own time with something to form my own opinion. The testpunches did just that and I went from a new switch owner with a "so-so" opinion of the game to immediately preordering it. Luckily, I was able to get it for $45 via Amazon Prime so the "lack of content" doesn't really upset me. I think the amount of characters and stages will do me just fine to play online ranked just like Overwatch does.

I'm in the same boat, I'll get it at 47€ incl. shipping(not from amazon though, they want 59 here lol) and I enjoyed the testpunch more than Mario Kart 8DX that got 92% on Meta while ARMS is in the 78% dumpster now. I even played both games for roughly the same time and ARMS isn't even out yet. The majority of the reviews was 8 or above though(41 out of 56 gave it 8 or more), so judging by reviews is still fine, it's just the few 5s or 6s really hurt the total score of any game, more than they should but that's just the way such statistics work.
 
Honestly, seem they have a solid foundation on the gameplay.

Game runs well and sounds like a fun time. They just gotta listen to feedback and make the next game better.
 
I haven't read all the quotes, but, I will say based on yours. People should not be willing to pay 65$ for a promise of more content. The game should be feature rich, like BoTW, and then add more content. Don't release a barebones game, at least that's my opinion from the demo, and then promise more on the way. You're selling me an early access game at that point. That's just my opinion.
Nintendo made good on their promise to add more content in Splatoon, plus nobody should expect a new IP made from scratch to have a massive roster, so I guess I'm not as mad about the barebones launch.
 
Agreed, tho I would honestly say no game deserves should cost more than 50 bucks in a post BOTW world.

I mean, I would love for games to be cheaper, but... What?

Oh, I think the point being made was that some people prefer only playing with motion controls and would rather just play other motion users rather than struggle with people using pro pads (if that's the way it shakes out over time).

Well that's the issue, I keep seeing this point brought up, with the weird implication that motion controls are (Or will be) so inferior to the point that people are gonna only want to play with other motion control users. That it'd be unfair to them to pair them with people who are using traditional controls. And I'm like... the game hasn't even come out, with a fair amount of people feeling otherwise regarding the viability of motion controls; we're nowhere near any sort of consensus to suggest something like that.

Well, it works for me with OW, so I think itll work for me for this game. I'm also in for Splatoon 2 (missed out on the first but craving a shooter). I'm hoping the online community doesn't become too divided. I know that Ill be able to make time for both, seeing as how drastically different they are.

Just another 10 days! The 16th couldn't come any faster

Only really need one MP game, so I'll probably skip out on Splatoon. I'm not very good at it anyways lol
 
Splatoon is "only" at 81 on Metacritic and was the most original multiplayer game that year.
ARMS seems to be a very unique fighting game. This novelty alone has be intrigued and is worth the price for me.
That said, I instantly saw the appeal and depth of Splatoon. I was instantly hooked on the smoothness of the controls, the gameplay mechanics, mobility and strategies of the game.
It is less obvious in ARMS, the gameplay of throwing extended arms with ZR and ZL isn't as fresh and the controls don't flow as well. I think it will have less lasting appeal.
 
I don't think the Pro Controller is superior to Dual Joycons. Both control methods have their ups and downs and I am quite certain that there will be really good joycon players, I can't believe how well Andre from gamexplain plays with them for example but he also likely had a lot more hours to train with them than any of us.
 
Nintendo made good on their promise to add more content in Splatoon, plus nobody should expect a new IP made from scratch to have a massive roster, so I guess I'm not as mad about the barebones launch.

I don't doubt they'll make good, but you can understand why people are angry. I mean that's pretty hard to argue, unless you're just looking to argue, right?


It's be like if you bought a car and you only got the bumpers, with the promise of the rest of the car over time. Extreme example, just the best off the top of my head. I want what I'm paying for, and then if I want extras, chrome grill, I can wait for that.
 
Well that's the issue, I keep seeing this point brought up, with the weird implication that motion controls are (Or will be) so inferior to the point that people are gonna only want to play with other motion control users. That it'd be unfair to them to pair them with people who are using traditional controls. And I'm like... the game hasn't even come out, with a fair amount of people feeling otherwise regarding the viability of motion controls; we're nowhere near any sort of consensus to suggest something like that.

Definitely agree with that, as I stressed needing to see how it plays out as time goes on and people learn the game.

But it is hard to see motion control ever being equal though as the movement just isn't as precise. If they change it to allow holding the joycon differently so you can use the stick to move, then it's a different story.

As is, it's just so much less precise it's hard to see an expert motion player beating an equally expert pad player very often--but again it could shake out differently.

I know I won way more with a pro pad than motion, and from what I could tell really only lost to other pro pad users as the motion users were pretty obvious with their slower and less precise movement and reactions--those I dominated most. Of course, maybe there were some expert motion players in there who I mistook for pad users who kicked my ass. :D I also hate motion controls probably more than any other thing in my 30+ years of gaming, so some of that is probably my bias.
 
Your avatar made this post amusing to read lol
It's a pokemon but I am team squid. I also think Splatoon 2 feels worse than the original but that's for another thread.

I do hope this game does well to encourage Nintendo to explore even newer ideas, and continue to improve this game through updates

Yeah they should implement more control options like motion control and moving with stick
 
I don't doubt they'll make good, but you can understand why people are angry. I mean that's pretty hard to argue, unless you're just looking to argue, right?


It's be like if you bought a car and you only got the bumpers, with the promise of the rest of the car over time. Extreme example, just the best off the top of my head. I want what I'm paying for, and then if I want extras, chrome grill, I can wait for that.
That example is extreme indeed. I think a better example would be that you buy a car, but the radio and airconditioning will be installed at a later date.
 
From my time with the Test Punch, the motion controls seemed to essentially be a remapping of the standard controls.

I'm extremely convinced that the game was built with traditional controls initially and the motion controls were wrapped around them, but I'd love to hear if there's something I missed.
 
From my time with the Test Punch, the motion controls seemed to essentially be a remapping of the standard controls.

I'm extremely convinced that the game was built with traditional controls initially and the motion controls were wrapped around them, but I'd love to hear if there's something I missed.

Was the guard button mapped to left stick click that convinced you on that?
 
Not something that phased me, don't know what to tell you. It'd make more sense on the shoulders, but the specific mapping doesn't matter much.

If you take the game as based on twin stick virtual on controls, it's just that plus punching motions. I don't think the motion controls is as big as a departure from controls used before as some people may think.
 
Was the guard button mapped to left stick click that convinced you on that?

If anything I bet they did that to cut down on the block advantage pad players have. Angling joy con in is way less precise than pressing a button so make it a stick click to add some awkwardness to pad players to balance a tad.
 
8/10~ average seems about right! I'll be picking up, test punches were a blast. Felt like playing Overwatch at launch.

I would dig some more single player / co-op vs AI options for a sequel, Arcade is dandy but I've always loved stuff like Subspace Emissary in SSBB and Weapon Master Mode in Soul Calibur 2. Devs seem to be moving away from things like that in fighting games recently and opting for a more 'pure' experience though (SSB4 was basically as lean as ARMS is).

Hopefully we get some options for matchmaking online with friends once the phone app launches. Higher hopes on this for that than Mario Kart, you can tell they actually designed it around the system since 2nd player online gets to choose their profile and everything.

From my time with the Test Punch, the motion controls seemed to essentially be a remapping of the standard controls.

I'm extremely convinced that the game was built with traditional controls initially and the motion controls were wrapped around them, but I'd love to hear if there's something I missed.

Either that or they're developed in tandem. No way motion controls were primary, given that Switch has the handheld mode and if this was in dev back during WiiU, it wouldn't have worked there either.
 
From my time with the Test Punch, the motion controls seemed to essentially be a remapping of the standard controls.

I'm extremely convinced that the game was built with traditional controls initially and the motion controls were wrapped around them, but I'd love to hear if there's something I missed.

This sounds like something you want to believe rather than anything supported by the game... especially since the motion controls are much more intuitive than traditional and offer more options (like curving punches independent of movement)
 
This sounds like something you want to believe rather than anything supported by the game... especially since the motion controls are much more intuitive than traditional and offer more options (like curving punches independent of movement)

While I don't really care about what people feel is more intuitive, that latter part is what I want specifics on. I don't remember being able to curve punches independent of movement when using motion controls, but I do remember both modes halting me when initiating a punch and letting me pre-input a curve during that pause.
 
I had a blast with the test punch so I'm for sure getting this @ launch, can't wait :)
Mostly used the pro controller during it but I wanna get used to the joy-cons in the full version
 
I still find it pretty sad how much Neogaf users rely on reviews instead of forming an opinion yourself. That or use reviews to brag about the game or trash it.

Most of the time there is no way to form an opinion for yourself, unless you want to go spend $60 and see if it's any good or not.
 
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