It's a game that deserves to be played, however, and it's one that's a hilarious spectacle to watch too -- something that Arrowhead clearly realizes and is keen to exploit with its Twitch.tv integration.

The price is low and the game is good, but The Showdown Effect needs more maps and some balance.

The Showdown Effect is a good game, and if you're a fan of platform-based competitive online, it's one of the best offerings available today.

Paradox seems to publish fast multiplayer games with comical settings more often nowadays, aside from their deep strategy games. The Showdown Effect is pretty successful in that respect, but lacks finesse.

Until you get bored with characters and arenas, fun can be had. Updates will decide whether The Showdown Effect stays with us for longer. [CD-Action 05/2013, p.69]

The Showdown Effect isn't all style and no substance, but it's definitely weighed disproportionately in favor of the former. On the upside, that means heaps of enticing potential, but it also leaves plenty of room for improvement. As is, Showdown Effect feels rough and unfinished.

There’s a satisfying Shadow Complex-meets-Smash-Bros. style romp somewhere in The Showdown Effect, but it’s buried beneath gameplay mechanics that interfere with the joys its premise suggests, and there are currently stability issues with the servers that demand some urgent attention.