Honestly, I went into my hands-on with Bleeding Edge thinking there was more than a little whiff of Lawbreakers about it – and you can’t really blame me. Here we have a well-known developer going all class-based-multiplayer-action-team-based et cetera et cetera. Especially, too, as it’s been so long since Overwatch first carved out that little corner of the market, and so clear that most of the plucky, edgy-haircutted challengers that tried to go toe-to-toe – Lawbreakers yes, plus Battleborn, Drawn to Death, Paragon and the rest – have largely fallen by the wayside.
I’m relieved to say I am at least not by it – in fact I am positively whelmed – because there is thankfully quite a bit more to Bleeding Edge than the edgy haircuts and all that usual stuff. The game modes seem fairly run-of-the-mill – a small arena with three capture points on it was what I played, the points periodically opening and closing being a simple twist – but the combat is surprisingly deep.
You have a stamina gauge – three bars, different things using different amounts – that paces your abilities. You have three abilities with their own cooldowns. You have a choice of two ultimates. And you have a hoverboard. (There’s also a system of mods we couldn’t dig into, but their effects are displayed on the killscreen if you get taken out – plus X amount of Y, and the like – that could be a great little addition).
There is, also, a noticeable chunk of Devil May Cry in there – at least in the sense you can mash out a satisfying melee combo or, if you’re feeling swish, and mash out a satisfying combo (can you tell DMC isn’t really my jam?). It feels tight and responsive, which is critical, because the melee twist is the main thing separating Bleeding Edge from the rest, but most of all there are clear signs of synergy there, that sweet holy grail of team-based design that’s much harder to tap into than you’d expect.