Brawlhalla is a free to play game on steam, taking much of its influence from super smash brothers but available on the steam platform. Lacking the appearances of popluar characters or special abilities it instead focuses on fast paced brawling combat with the aim to gain as many points as possible before time expires.
It can be a little difficult to see how long is left in the match, but as long as you’re playing to win and going for the brawls it won’t matter so much what the score is as hiding to run down the remaining few seconds isn’t necissarily the most fun tactic in the world just for a win.
The item pool is set depending on which character you pick, with community items such as the spike ball, horn, bomb and sticky bomb’s while other items such as the sword, guns, hammer and flying spear are drawn depending on which character you choose. Each character has 2 items in thier pool and it appears to be setup for unlockables and perhaps even paid cosmetic differences in order to support the free to play scale, wether this will be pay to win with stronger items only available for cash purchase or unlockable with in game currency remains to be seen as these features are yet to be available, and wether or not all characters are permanently unlocked or on the usual rolling free schedule with a few available each week and purchasable for permanent unlock also remains to be seen.
There does also appear to be minor differences with the characters too besides just the weapons with thier own stats but essentially this makes little difference in the actual combat, at least none I can notice.
Things may change in future updates as is inevitable in any beta gameplay review, and especially as there is to be the free to play and the paid supported elements yet to be decided, because for the most part free to play games don’t tend to remain completely free with nothing purchasable in any form.
However that said there is no requirement to ever make a purchase, and it is a fun to play game which you have a good chance of joining the beta right now via www.brawlhalla.com
If you cannot wait for a response and invite to the beta you can also join now via a purchase of the premium kit via steam, which includes in game items of mammoth coins (inevitably for use with in game purchases) as well as skins and “more” which could be added at any time for the founders pack, available for £9.99 http://store.steampowered.com/app/291550/