Catalyst Black is a fun new multiplayer shooter that lets you annihilate opponents as you see fit and how you see fit. Expecting another game that gets boring after a few rounds, I was pleasantly surprised to find it being a game I will return to often if ever I need a fix of action. How am I sure of the game’s quality? Let me show you.
The action
I’m gonna cut right to the chase. The gameplay itself is great. The game feeds you numerous types of weapons to play on multiple different game modes. You are allowed a primary weapon and a powerful secondary weapon, as well as a few abilities and a ‘mask’, which once charged, allows you to transform into a beast to show your true colours on the battlefield.
The satisfying crunch of your enemies being defeated to the sound and visual design that compliments your weapons all point to the game’s delicate construction. Because who doesn’t want to really feel your enemies being mercilessly destroyed?
Explosions, bullets and overall mayhem is what awaits you in your games. This will probably convince most of you, but you can read on if you’re still not impressed.
The game modes
How do the actual game modes hold up to inspection? There are five game modes, some conventional, others unique. All of them fun.
Catalyst Black does more than simply throw you a ‘team deathmatch’ that you’ve seen a million times, the game adds to the experience. Not only are you blasting back the enemy, but you are also dealing with stationary NPC enemies, which have it out for all of us. To top it off, a Meganaught will spawn, wreaking havoc to anyone in it’s majestic path. The slayer of this mighty beast will be rewarded with double damage. See what I mean? This vibrant game adds layers of fun to their conventional game modes, to give you a fun, new experience.
‘But what about the unique game modes?’ I hear you ask. Let’s take hydra, the game mode with three ways to win. In this hybrid match, you’ll never be standing still. Caught between trying to achieve just one of the three winning conditions whilst preventing the enemy from doing the same is as insane as it is an absolute blast.
With such choice, Catalyst Black does not disappoint, and with the games not outstaying their welcome, you will want to play game after game.
The combat
It’s all well to claim that the action is satisfying, but how is the actual combat? How does player-to-player interaction play out? With the selection of weapons and abilities each interaction will be different. One of my favourite weapon types is the minigun. Oh, the multitude of foes felled by my unending stream is beyond satisfying to remember. It does take a few seconds to warm up but soon you’ll be mowing the enemies down, even with disastrous odds.
The range of your weapons and individual bullets are crystal clear, even with the colourful and crazy environment you will be battling in. Having clarity in a game like this is paramount, and it is refreshing to be able to see how the game’s mechanics function in a natural and informative way. Every time you die will have an identifiable cause, so no blaming it on “lag” or “hacks”, alright?
Outside the game
Time spent not unleashing mayhem will be spent upgrading your gear, collecting quest rewards, visiting the shop, and admiring your load out. The design of the UI is colourful, fun, and clear. It is self-intuitive, so I won’t spend time explaining it. Everything is easy and effortless, it is clear the developers want to make the admin of the game a swift task, to allow you to get back to the games.
Overall, the game is a great way to spend time in a refreshing way, especially if you are fed up with the usual conventions of multiplayer shooters. Interested in Catalyst Black? You can download it from Google Play and the App Store.
Interested in unique multiplayer games? You can check out my beginner’s guide for Bullet Echo.
