Bang On Balls- Chronicles [Review]

Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is an open world History…ish 3D platformer made by Exit Plan Games. In this game, you play as a sentient bouncy ball that also happens to be an actor that you can customize by collecting hats, weapons, clothing, and other accessories throughout the game. There are a ton of cosmetics floating around the world. Also, players can buy them from random characters with what feels like a never-ending currency that's gatherable while playing. Collectibles are scattered around the map so while playing through the game casually, players will stumble into currency by picking it up, defeating enemies, or just exploring the level.

This game is very simple in concept and easy to learn. It’s perfect for anyone of any skill level to play. It was also very easy to set up a local co-op, which can be done with a simple press of a button. As early as the tutorial, players can join in on the fun. There are also benefits to playing in co-op, which is amazing, and nice to see in a modern game! Recently, games have treated co-op as an afterthought. There are multiple buttons throughout the world that need to be simultaneously pressed. This is something that benefits from having two to four people although while playing alone you can buy helpers that will stand on the other buttons for you, but if you have another player you can save some currency for more cosmetics!

Each world feels completely endless with many things to do. There are objectives to complete to beat the world but it's easy to ignore them and go off exploring. This game gives the Breath of the Wild "Oh what's that?” feeling, strategically placing points of interest in a direct line of sight, making players constantly explore something new even when they have already reached an interesting destination. There was so much to do in just the first level, which was a world filled with Viking balls invading the coast of England, with the final boss being dressed up as Thor. Cosmetics also give abilities, some weapons in this game (Although not really used since your character doesn't have arms) give the ball abilities such as a lightning slam. One cosmetic I constantly use is Thor's helmet because it allows you to glide. The cosmetics are such a small part of the game but really add to the humor of the game. One of my co-op partner’s favorites was the star glasses because if you put them on they actually have two-star shadows covering the screen (Don’t worry though, you can toggle this off in the costume menu).

Image from Co-optimus

Something I'd love to note is the attention to detail here. The Viking balls are all sporting the flags of Denmark and Norway which is a nice touch. My father’s family is from Norway and one thing I have constantly heard my entire life living in America is “What’s Norway?'' whenever anything Viking and or Norse is used, everything always references the Icelandic culture and the Danes of Denmark, so I'm happy Norway actually got some love here. Bang-On Balls had us so occupied we never even realized we had been playing the game for 3 hours straight. It's been years since a game has kept my attention for so long, without a thought of time. We got to the final boss of the first stage several hours after starting the world because there was so much to do. From fighting a giant raccoon mini-boss, a flying pig, and a ball dressed up as an octopus to exploring an underground cave, just a single level is enough to be one game in and of itself. After defeating bosses and mini-bosses you get to unlock a cosmetic that represents the boss. The underground cave mentioned earlier felt more akin to a dungeon. There were multiple mini-bosses and a few big bosses that reminded me of Conker’s Bad Fur Day! My personal favorite was the sewer section where players could team up with three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle balls that helped you parkour up to buttons to press them. After completing the small area you get four face masks that correspond to the turtles' preferred colors. Exiting the dungeon we had finally completed the objective to fight the final boss. Defeating him gives you cosmetics like other bosses, including his lightning-powered hammer and helmet I mentioned earlier. The absolute only thing I would nitpick about this game is the lack of a mini-map, and this is only because it's difficult to find the location where you died. When players die it leaves a gravestone, similar to Minecraft or a Souls game. If players die they have to get their points back. When you die you lose half of your currency but can get it back by destroying the gravestone that spawns after death. So, it’s important to find the location of death. Though, with how much money you can earn by simply walking around, it isn’t a necessity to get the grave back.

I will say now this game absolutely deserves a 10/10 everyone needs to play this! Honestly, there is so much to write about this game it's overwhelming. It's incredibly hard to talk about this game without sounding like a crazy person but everyone I have gushed about this game wanted to play it because they couldn't understand the complexity of it all. Bang-On Balls is great for adults and children. It's a low-stress game with way too much to do and honestly probably one of the best games I've played in years. Also, let's not forget it teaches you history in its own way…ish. Bang-On Balls is available on all gaming platforms (Excluding mobile).