Every Naughty Dog Game: A Full History of Releases in Order

From becoming a staple name in the 3D platformer genre with Crash Bandicoot to creating one of the most beloved stories in video games with The Last of Us, Naughty Dog is without question one of the biggest and most respected names in game development. Jumping from genre to genre with each major franchise it creates, the team’s now-iconic paw print logo has become synonymous with huge productions, heart-wrenching storytelling, and characters that transcend the medium.

Naughty Dog’s rise from the home of colorful, light-hearted platforming to the go-to studio for gripping, mature storytelling has been lined with nearly two dozen games, ranging from fantasy RPGs to educational math games. So, let’s run through every title Naughty Dog has released through 2024.

How Many Naughty Dog Games Are There?

In total, there are 23 Naughty Dog games, with its first hitting shelves in 1985 and its most recent launching in 2022. The list below includes all game releases, standalone expansions, and remakes. Remasters (including the recent Last of Us 2 Remaster) and DLC are not included.

All Naughty Dog Games in Order

1. Math Jam – 1985

The project that paved the way for the Naughty Dog we know today, Math Jam was a collaborative project between both of the studio’s founders: Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin. Developed for the Apple II under the studio name JAM, Math Jam was self-published by the duo while they were still in high school.

It taught basic arithmetic and was purely educational. However, both Rubin and Gavin decided their next game was going to move away from teaching and venture fully into the recreational side of video games…

2. Ski Crazed – 1986

Rubin and Gavin’s second game, Ski Crazed, launched in 1986 when they were just 16 years old. Also released for the Apple II, it saw players launch their avatars down various ski slopes while avoiding hazardous obstacles and attempting to rack up high scores.

3. Dream Zone – 1987

Rubin and Gavin’s third game hit shelves in 1987 and saw the duo take on the point-and-click adventure genre. Titled Dream Zone, it sees players travel to a satirical fantasy realm based inside the protagonist’s dreams, where they must deal with the land’s range of eccentric imaginary inhabitants en route to escape.

4. Keef the Thief – 1989

Officially donning the Naughty Dog moniker for the first time and partnering with EA, Rubin and Gavin’s fourth project was another comedic point-and-click adventure game, this time titled Keef the Thief. Much as the title suggests, the main premise was to steal items, with Keef exploring a large city and its surrounding wilderness while interacting with NPCs.

5. Rings of Power – 1991

Two years after Keef the Thief, Naughty Dog partnered with EA once again to release Rings of Power on the SEGA Genesis. Putting players in the shoes of a sorcerer called Buc, the game was an isometric RPG set in the fantasy realm of Ushka Bau, where a magical staff shattered into eleven pieces that the player must seek out and collect. Along the way, they meet and recruit a party, leading to a final with a malevolent demon named Void.

6. Way of the Warrior – 1994

Taking a swing at the fighting genre, Naughty Dog’s sixth project was Way of the Warrior for the 3DO. The game had players pick a fighter and battle their way through a hellacious tournament, defeating their rivals and spreading their legend throughout the annals of history.

7. Crash Bandicoot – 1996

Naughty Dog’s first breakout success, Crash Bandicoot was the company’s seventh game and their first on a PlayStation console. It stars the titular Crash Bandicoot, a mutated science experiment that escapes the laboratory of his creator, the villainous Doctor Neo Cortex.

A colorful 3D mascot platformer that tasks players with conquering short but challenging stages and defeating Cortex’s band of mutated animal henchmen, the game sees Crash jump, slide, and spin his way through a zany world full of danger. It was a huge success for Naughty Dog and Sony, spawning a major franchise that’s still active to this day.

8. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back – 1997

The second game in the Crash Bandicoot franchise, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back picks up a year after its predecessor, with Crash once again having to stop Neo Cortex’s villainous plans. This time around, Crash is searching for a series of magical crystals that Cortex needs to build his new outer-space Cortex Vortex vessel. Cortex Strikes Back is set over 25 stages, with each level featuring fresh mechanics, hazards, enemies, and bosses.

9. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped – 1998

The third and final entry in Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Crash Bandicoot: Warped is set directly after the events of Cortex Strikes Back, with Neo Cortex’s space station crashing into the Earth and giving rise to a malevolent new threat: Aku Aku’s evil brother, Uka Uka. To combat this new foe, Crash and his younger sister, Coco, travel through time, finding crystals to prevent Cortex and Uka Uka from executing their evil plans.

Much like Cortex Strikes Back, Warped includes 25 new levels as well as a host of additional hazards to overcome, enemies to conquer, and mechanics to learn. It also welcomes a brand new playable protagonist, with players able to step into the shoes of Coco.

10. Crash Team Racing – 1999

A spin-off of the mainline Crash Bandicoot series, Crash Team Racing transports the character to the world of arcade racing. You take the wheel as iconic Crash Bandicoot characters – Crash, Cortex, Coco, Doctor N.Gin, and others – and race across a selection of hazardous courses in an effort to win races in single- and multiplayer modes.

11. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – 2001

Leaving Crash Bandicoot behind, Naughty Dog moved on to a new 3D mascot platformer franchise in 2001 with Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Following titular best friends Jak and Daxter, the game sees the pair embark on a journey to transform Daxter back into a human after he’s submerged in a mysterious substance known as dark eco and changed into an otter-weasel hybrid.

Along the way, the pair become embroiled in a plot to save the world, with the villainous Gol and Maia hatching a plan to use dark eco to alter the realm. Unlike Crash Bandicoot’s strictly linear levels, Jak and Daxter offers players large worlds to explore, with each map containing a variety of Precursor Orbs they can collect in any order to progress.

12. Jak 2 – 2003

Ditching both Daxter’s name from the title and the quirky, upbeat tone, Jak 2 is a much darker reinvention of Jak and Daxter’s world. Taking place after the conclusion of the first game, it sees Jak and Daxter unwillingly flung into the far future, where they arrive in a dystopian metropolis known as Haven City. After their arrival, Jak is arrested and subjected to harrowing experiments for two years, awakening a sinister monster inside of him known as Dark Jak.

Daxter eventually rescues Jak, setting the pair off on a new adventure across Haven City, where they join forces with a local rebel militia attempting to overthrow the futuristic metropolis’ corrupt leader, Baron Praxis. Alongside switching the fantasy setting out for a futuristic sci-fi aesthetic, Jak 2 made several gameplay changes, adding guns, flying cars, and the ability to transform into Dark Jak.

13. Jak 3 – 2004

Capping off the Jak and Daxter trilogy, Jak 3 opens with its lead duo being dumped in The Wasteland beyond the walls of Haven City. Banished from their home and left to die, they take refuge in the city of Spargus hidden deep within the desert. As the pair begin to earn their keep, they learn about sinister plans unfolding in Haven City, beginning an adventure to save their home.

Jak 3 layers several new features on top of Jak 2’s gameplay, including additional vehicles to traverse the desert, new light eco powers, and a range of fresh weapons.

14. Jak X: Combat Racing – 2005

Much like Crash Team Racing, Naughty Dog decided to follow up its work on the Jak and Daxter trilogy by releasing an arcade racer tie-in. Jak X: Combat Racing is exactly what it says on the tin: You play as Jak, or one of his closest allies or enemies, and race across a series of tracks in single- or multiplayer.

15. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – 2007

Naughty Dog’s first foray onto the PlayStation 3 and one of its most seminal releases, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was a major shift in tone for the company. Moving away from cartoon mascot platformers, Naughty Dog began to focus on cinematic blockbusters, telling the story of an Indiana Jones-esque treasure hunter named Nathan Drake.

Hunting for the lost city of El Dorado in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, Drake battles against pirates and other enemies while following in the footsteps of his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake. A third-person, cover-based shooter with platforming elements, Uncharted not only paved the way for one of gaming’s biggest modern franchises but also influenced Naughty Dog’s transformation into a studio synonymous with highly produced video game storytelling.

16. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 2009

A sequel released two years later, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves sees Nathan Drake return to hunt for the lost city of Shambhala in the Hymalian mountains. Betrayed by an old friend during a heist, Drake teams up with Sully and newcomer Chloe to track down the Cintamani Stone, hoping to prevent war criminal Zoran Lazarevic and his private militia from accessing Shambhala.

Along the way, players are met with a healthy dose of third-person cover-based combat and platforming, as well as the kind of bombastic set pieces that make Drake blurt out a litany of expletives in quick succession.

17. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – 2011

The third entry in the Uncharted series, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception follows Nathan Drake as he attempts to uncover The Atlantis of the Sands in the Rub’ al Khali desert. Set two years after the previous game, Drake’s Deception picks up with Drake and Sully battling against the villainous Katherine Marlowe and her private army. Learning she intends to uncover the secrets of the Atlantis of the Sands, Drake begins a race to get there first, launching into an adventure that forces him to confront demons from his past.

Drake’s Deception was the last Uncharted game of the PlayStation 3 era, offering players one more Nathan Drake adventure before Sony moved on to PlayStation 4 two years later.

18. The Last of Us – 2013

Arguably one of the most iconic video games of all time, Naughty Dog took a break from Uncharted to bring fans The Last of Us in 2013. Set in a harsh post-apocalyptic world where a parasitic fungus is transforming humans into bloodthirsty monsters, The Last of Us follows a hardened smuggler named Joel and an immune teenager named Ellie as they attempt to track down a group of survivors known as The Fireflies.

What follows is an emotionally gripping story of grief, survival, and hope, as Ellie and Joel form an unbreakable bond while battling against the monsters that plague their world, both infected and human. A third-person shooter with heavy stealth elements, The Last of Us has gone on to become Naughty Dog’s flagship franchise, even receiving its own HBO adaptation in early 2023.

19. The Last of Us: Left Behind – 2014

Initially released as DLC before becoming a standalone experience, The Last of Us: Left Behind acts as a prequel to The Last of Us. The story flits between two timelines: the first is set during the events of the main campaign, with Ellie protecting Joel while he recovers from the injuries he sustained in The University chapter. The second takes place three weeks before the events of the game, with Ellie exploring an abandoned mall with her best friend Riley.

While the modern timeline features plenty of action sequences, the flashbacks take a decidedly different approach, focusing heavily on exploration and storytelling. The expansion fleshes out Ellie’s backstory, adding additional context to her character and the story she reveals to Joel during the final scene of the main game.

20. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – 2016

The explosive finale to the Uncharted saga, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End catches up with Nathan Drake years after the events of Drake’s Deception. Now retired from treasure hunting and living a regular life with his wife Elena, Drake is dragged back into the game after his brother, Sam, arrives on his doorstep with a tantalizing offer: He’s going after Henry Avery’s lost treasure and needs the expertise of Nathan Drake to find it.

A Thief’s End wraps up Nathan Drake’s story while using the power of the PlayStation 4 to add new strings to Uncharted’s bow, including a grappling hook, non-linear levels, and vastly upgraded visuals.

21. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy – 2017

A standalone expansion for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy passes the reins of the franchise to two new leads: Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. Following the unlikely partners as they travel to India in search of the Tusk of Ganesh, Lost Legacy expands upon Uncharted 4’s open-ended levels, setting the game within a large map and allowing players to complete main objectives in any order they like.

You can check out our guide to the Uncharted games in order for more details about the timeline.

22 The Last of Us: Part II – 2020

The long-anticipated follow-up to the first Last of Us, The Last of Us: Part II removes Joel from the main protagonist role and hands the reins to Ellie. After settling in the small town of Jackson, Ellie’s life is sent into a downward spiral when a group of mysterious survivors arrive on the settlement’s outskirts during a snowstorm and undertake a mission that changes her life forever.

Swearing revenge, Ellie pursues the group, tailing them back to Seattle where she begins searching for their leader: a ruthless survivor by the name of Abby. Expanding the stealth mechanics and including smarter enemy AI that can track Ellie’s every move, The Last of Us: Part II upgrades and enhances the series’ gameplay in every conceivable way. While its story has been divisive, it’s undeniably a significantly enhanced post-apocalyptic survival experience.

23. The Last of Us: Part I – 2022

Released in late 2022, The Last of Us: Part I is a shot-for-shot, rebuilt-from-the-ground-up remake of the first Last of Us, including all of the original chapters and Left Behind expansion. Utilizing the power of the PlayStation 5, it offered next-generation graphics, state-of-the-art accessibility options, and improved gameplay.

Callum Williams is a freelance media writer with years of experience as a game critic, news reporter, guides writer and features writer.

Daily Deals: MacBook Air M1, PlayStation 5 Slim, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

The weekend is officially here, and we’ve gathered up some excellent deals for you! Whether you’re searching for a new laptop or a discounted game, we’ve got you covered with the best deals for Saturday, March 16. These deals include the Apple MacBook Air M1, PlayStation 5 Slum Bundle, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, God of War Ragnarok, and more.

MacBook Air M1 for $699

Walmart has discounted the Apple MacBook Air M1 to just $699. This is cheaper than any student discount or similar could get you. Although newer models utilize the M2 chip, the M1 is nothing to look past. It’s capable of running plenty of performance-heavy software, so you can edit videos, photoshop images, and more.

PS5 Slim Spider-Man 2 Bundle for $399.99

Amazon has a fantastic deal ongoing for the PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Edition. The console itself is $50 off, and you get Spider-Man 2 for free. In total, that’s $120 worth of savings. This is perfect if you’ve yet to pick up a PS5, as we most likely won’t see a better deal than this for a while.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $39.99

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Nintendo Switch title to date. There’s never been a better time to pick up the game, especially since the DLC recently wrapped up. A total of 96 tracks are available to race through with this title, which will keep you busy for years to come. New racers, including Diddy Kong, Pauline, and Birdo, are even available with the Booster Course Pass!

Save $20 Off An Xbox Wireless Controller

You can always use an extra Xbox controller. Not everything lasts forever, and controllers can wear down easily, especially when used frequently. This weekend, the Microsoft Store is offering $20 off an Xbox Wireless Controller. This deal applies to both the Robot White controller and the Pulse Red controller.

WarioWare: Move It! for $30

WarioWare: Move It! is discounted to just $30 at Walmart this weekend. If you’ve yet to pick up the latest title in the series, you can expect to find dozens of fun microgames and shenanigans. This entry utilizes features of the Joy-Con like motion tracking and HD Rumble, which adds new twists and moments to returning and new microgames.

Save 43% Off God of War Ragnarok

God of War Ragnarok is still one of the best PS5 games you can pick up. This action game acts as the sequel to 2018’s God of War, following Kratos and Atreus as Fimbulwinter looms. If you’ve yet to play this game, this is a great time to pick up Ragnarok at a discount and see why so many players love this series.

Apple AirPods Pro with USB Type-C for $189.99

Amazon has dropped the price of the 2nd gen Apple AirPods Pro truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds with the universal USB Type-C connector by $60, now only $189. With this current gen AirPods Pro, Apple has replaced the proprietary Lightning port with the more universal USB Type-C. These earbuds are perfect if you have an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, as they seamlessly connect and provide excellent audio quality all around.

Talking Point: What’s Your Personal Favourite Super Mario Game?

Not the best.

MAR10 Day might be over, but hear us out– Nintendo said that every day is MAR10 day with Nintendo Switch. So we’re going to take that statement to heart and talk about our favourite Mario games. Yep, not the best, not the worst, but our personal favourites. And no, they don’t have to be on Switch.

Everyone has a different favourite. For some, it’s their first foray into the colourful, eclectic world of Super Mario. For others, the leap into 3D may have been too much to resist. Mario has had a pretty varied life since 1985’s Super Mario Bros. (and technically even before that), and with the 40th anniversary looming next year, we’re always ready to celebrate Nintendo’s mascot.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Gallery: You Lovely People Have Been Photoshopping Our Video Producer Into Games

Here are some of our favourites.

Did you know that we have a Nintendo Life Discord server? Well, you do now! It’s a wonderful place full of video game chatter, Nintendo chatter, Photoshopping our video producer into iconic games chatter — wait, what?

Yes, the Nintendo Life Discord recently came together with one goal, to edit a particularly shredding picture of Alex ‘Lovely Person’ Olney into the most amusing scenarios possible. As expected, you clever lot did not let us down.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (16th March)

Seeing an X.

Today we ask the age-old question… Will it corndog? Wait, no… What are you playing this weekend?!

Before we take a look at the staff picks this week, let’s take a look at what’s been going on the last few days or so. First up, we got word that The Pokémon Company has set up a new subsidiary called ‘Pokémon Works’, but no one knows what it’s up to yet. We also caught a glimpse of some unseen concept art for the Super Mario Bros. Movie, so that’s cool.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Physical Switch Edition Delayed

“In Americas & EMEA”.

If you were hoping to pick up a local physical copy of the upcoming release Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on the Switch, you might have to wait a little longer.

In an official update from 505 Games, it was revealed the hard copy for Switch has been delayed in the “Americas & EMEA”, with all backers to receive a digital copy on release to ensure they can still start their adventure on time. The new date for the physical release is now 21st May 2024. Here’s the statement in full:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

More Super Smash Bros. Ultimate amiibo Are Getting Restocked

Arriving next month.

If you’re planning to collect the full line of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate amiibo now that the final figure (Sora from Kingdom Hearts) has been released, you might actually have a chance of completing this goal with ongoing restocks in recent weeks.

As highlighted by Comicbook.com, amiibo hunters in North America will be pleased to hear GameStop is restocking four different amiibo from the Ultimate collection. This includes Charizard, Pikachu, R.O.B. and the Duck Hunt amiibo.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Xbox Insider Release Notes – Xbox App [2403.1000.48.0]

Hey Xbox Insiders! We are releasing a new Xbox App for Windows build to Xbox Insiders who are enrolled in the PC Gaming Insiders preview! Thank you all for being Xbox Insiders. Continue read to learn about fixes and known issues. Make sure that you update the Xbox app, and Gaming Services to ensure you get all of the fixes!

Versions of PC Gaming prerelease products:

Xbox App version: 2403.1000.48.0

  • Released: 5:00 p.m. PT – Mar 15th 2024

Game Bar version: 7.124.3131.0

  • Released: 5:00 p.m. PT – Mar 15th 2024

Xbox App Bug Fixes:

  • Fixed an issue where installed games might show “Install Now” messaging in Store.
  • Various fixes to UI/navigation in My Library.

How to Get Xbox Insider Support

Don’t forget! If you encounter any issues, you can leave feedback by navigating to the feedback option on your profile menu.

You can also provide feedback, as well as interact with the community, on the Xbox Insiders Subreddit. Please be as specific as possible when providing feedback.

When posting to the subreddit, please look through most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to threads with the same issue before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can!

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information!

Thank you to everyone who participates in the Xbox Insider Program! Your feedback helps us continue to build a great gaming experience in the Xbox app on PC. 

The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Xbox App [2403.1000.48.0] appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Backpack Battles Early Access Review

I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a certain satisfaction that comes from the Tetris-like puzzle of inventory management in some games – hell, a whole game based around that idea, Save Room, became its own hit. Meanwhile the autobattler genre that has exploded in recent years hits similar notes, providing the joy of seeing your planning and preparation pay off in PvP. The bite-sized indie joint Backpack Battles combines these two ideas, pitting your organizational skills and wits in creating RPG-like character builds against others in fast-paced one-on-one matches. After a dozen hours with its Early Access release, I’ve seen the seeds of something great in that concept, with the potential to grow into something unique and impressive. But as it stands now, Backpack Battles is light on content and variety – it’s very much an Early Access game, with an emphasis on early.

The outset of Backpack Battles is quite straightforward: You select one of the four currently available classes – Berserker, Pyromancer, Reaper, or Ranger – then jump into ranked or unranked matches (the main difference being that ranked contributes to your classes’, well, rank). The goal of each run is to win 10 battles before exhausting your five lives, and you can either take your trophies and leave (the currency you earn from playing) when you do so, or go into a survival phase for an extra set of rounds for the chance to earn even more trophies and boost your class rank further. So far, this is the only mode offered, and while it is a digestible setup to let you focus on the more interesting mechanics of building your character throughout a run, it also means how you play is fairly limited.

Cramming as much gear into your bags as possible is part of the fun.

Where Backpack Battles shines is in the inventory organization mechanics that make up the bulk of what you’ll be doing. Light RPG elements blend with the self-induced puzzle of trying to fit all your best gear into limited spaces of your grid-based bags. Before every round, you have the opportunity to purchase interesting items from a randomized shop and equip them by fitting each into your backpack. That pack is constructed with several interlocking satchels and pouches you can freely reconfigure, which is important because gear comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can (and must) purchase backpack expansions while balancing spending on weapons, armor, food, and accessories that all contribute to you actually winning battles. But not only is cramming as much gear into your bags as possible part of the fun, several pieces also react to others based on proximity. That’s how you essentially create “builds” for your character during a run, working out how best to stack item effects relative to each other or make them evolve into much stronger ones you cannot simply buy from the shopkeeper.

For example, as a Pyromancer, you’ll earn flames that you place into your bag to improve your attacks, but placing a lump of coal in an adjacent slot will turn the coal into a flame gem the following round, which you can then attach to weapons or armor to provide buffs in combat. A more significant tactic deeper into a run would be to place flames next to a set of Holy Armor to evolve it into Sun Armor, which then stacks on more effective buffs for the Pyromancer class. Working with the limitations imposed by bag space and investing in certain item types from round to round to make yourself even stronger later on is a tricky puzzle I enjoyed working out.

Then there are a handful of subclasses for each main class that open up later in a run, which offer new ways to further strengthen your character. A favorite of mine is the Firebender subclass that gives you an equippable gear piece (which is a very cute reference to Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle) to amplify the attack speed and power of all fire-based items in its surrounding slots. This way, that Burning Sword and Molten Spear I upgraded in earlier rounds are further strengthened if I can figure out how to get them next to it – and with the compounding effects of other accessories that can either boost my armor rating, inflict debuffs on the enemy, or even give me a second life mid-combat, I could become nearly unstoppable.

With each run, you’ll see a ton of variations on fascinating concepts like this, which ultimately feels like a clever crafting element woven into the inventory organization challenge. This means you’ll be spending most of your time in the shop, racking your brain as you try to weasel your way into fitting a weapon that takes four linear slots alongside a shield that takes up two-by-two, then also finding room for that Y-shaped Phoenix for revives alongside healing food items like an L-shaped banana. Sometimes rotating weirdly shaped gear isn’t enough and you just need to break it all down to completely rearrange your setup. It’s an enjoyable process that tickles the part of your brain that fires off in other games like Unpacking or just neatly fitting a bunch of your stuff into a closet. I saw one Steam review refer to Backpack Battles as the best banana-flipping simulator, and you know what, there’s truth to that.

Backpack Battles currently comes up short in its incentives to keep going.

Since this is an autobattler, the actual combat is out of your hands, with attacks and abilities being fired off on their own based on what you have in your inventory. You simply jump into a matchup and watch it all unfold. How much stamina the weapons in your inventory take up, your stamina recovery rate, the way your character builds armor or heals up, the conditions for which status effects are activated, and so on can all affect who comes out on top. The more you read the item descriptions, the more you realize how deeply their granular mechanics intertwine with each other, making this a thoughtful take on choosing gear and creating builds. That prep is important too, because it’s tough to really grasp what’s going on in combat since fights go by very quickly, lasting roughly 10 to 15 seconds per round (although you can read the battle log to see a detailed breakdown), and the limited, stilted animations don’t really express what is happening.

For all its great ideas and clever execution, Backpack Battles currently comes up short in its incentives to keep going, not letting these interesting systems truly sing. Trophies can be spent on new cosmetics for each class, which is fine, but doesn’t exactly push me to keep playing once I’ve seen what the different builds have to offer. And with only ranked or unranked matches, you start to go through the same motions a little too quickly once you’ve tried out each class. Preparing for opponents isn’t as dynamic as I hoped from run to run, as you basically just build the best character you can based on the items offered to you and hope it’s good enough for whoever you face, regardless of what they are doing. After about three or four hours, I felt I had already hit the plateau of what the Early Access launch offered. That’s not so bad for a fast-paced autobattler where you can get in and out of matches quickly, but I can’t help but feel it’s lacking a larger structure to bring it all together.

Of course, it’s always hard to judge a game in Early Access, as hopefully more modes, classes, and other options to shake each run up will arrive in future updates. What’s currently available is a great starting point, it just needs to be ushered in the right direction to reach its full potential. The public roadmap shows promise, and I’ve at least been convinced to keep tabs on Backpack Battles as it gets closer to its final build, but at the moment it’s probably worth waiting until it’s a little further along before really diving in.