Mayhem Brawler 2: Best of Both Worlds — Everything We Know

So, guess what? Mayhem Brawler 2: Best of Both Worlds is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC sometime in 2024. It’s the sequel to 2021’s Mayhem Brawler that will more or less follow the same vision. The series has committed itself to reincarnating the ‘90s arcade genre into modern-day beat 'em ups. That’s an interesting juxtaposition because, when you think about brawler games, you immediately associate them with old-school vibes. 

And now, developer Hero Concept is looking to explore that idea further with their upcoming sequel with an interesting twist. Instead of bringing back arcade-y themes to the present day, they’re looking to curate the sequel’s gameplay to simultaneously switch between past and present timelines. Sounds interesting? Well, tag along on Mayhem Brawler 2: Best of Both Worlds — Everything We Know to find out more. 

What is Mayhem Brawler 2: Best of Both Worlds?

Mayhem Brawler 2: Best of Both Worlds is an upcoming sidescrolling beat ‘em up game that is the sequel to 2021’s Mayhem Brawler. The original was duly beloved for bringing back ‘90s arcade-y gameplay and urban fantasy themes to the present day. Now, developer Hero Concept wants to take that idea further and implement both past and present timelines in the sequel. 

Ideally, players will be able to switch simultaneously between 20-year-apart timelines and, therefore, fight on the fly against different enemies using two different personalities. It’s an interesting take on a genre that’s known to play it safe, so seeing a refreshing take coming to the gaming brawler scene is something to look forward to.

Story

The story will take place in Mayhem City along two timelines: the past and the present, with a 20-year time difference between them. Players will take on the roles of younger and older versions of familiar characters alongside new ones. Here’s the Steam description of the best of both worlds:

Witness parallel events unfold in two periods 20 years apart! On one side, Stellar, the legendary Fort agent. On the other hand, She Wolf, fierce as ever, running a campaign for president. The two teams embark on an adventure to uncover one of Mayhem City's darkest secrets.

In total, players will control eight playable characters: four from the past and four from the present. They will be able to switch between characters on the fly. While the arena will remain the same, the enemies of the two time periods will change, which can be an interesting way to avoid encounters with enemies you don’t like. Additionally, your character will change to their past or present self and, in the same breath, change their skills and personalities, too.

Gameplay

The gameplay infuses three main elements: RPG, rogue-lite, and beat ‘em up mechanics. RPGs and rogue-lite will vary the gameplay, whether via character selection or randomized enemy spawns. Each of the game’s eight playable heroes has unique personalities and skills. They will also go up against a good variety of foes, including over 40. 

Thanks to the time transitions, you can switch between timelines and simultaneously fight against enemies from the past and present. What’s more? You can tag along a friend or two in the co-op mode, which allows up to four players to challenge one another online or offline. When you consider all these, Mayhem Brawler 2: Best of Both Worlds seems to shape up to honor the “best of both worlds” experience in its name.

New Mechanics

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the new mechanics you can expect to see:

• Randomly generated encounters in a rogue-lite structure mean you will fight different enemies, using different weapons and consumables at different spawn points.
• Multiple choice-based difficulty system that gives you the freedom to create your own challenges using hundreds of different combinations. 
• 2.5D backgrounds, so unlike the previous static screens, you cannot anticipate where enemies jump from – whether alleys or behind buildings.

Development

Developer Hero Concept has been explicit enough to bring along their fans on their development journey. In “Mayhem Brawler II Developer Diary 1: What Can We Share?” Hero Concept reveals that they have been working on the sequel for months. And that their goal is to draw inspiration from the ‘90s while trying not to condemn the game strictly to that time period. As a result, they have focused on pushing the limits of the genre with the new “two timelines” concept of Mayhem City. 

It’s unclear how the past and present timelines will affect the story and gameplay. How different will playing in the past feel from playing in the present, for example? To that, developer Hero Concept withheld any details, “at least for now,” they added. As to when the sequel will be ready for launch, Hero Concept reaffirmed that it will likely only be ready after the first quarter of 2024. However, they do assure fans that once ready, the final game will have been worth the wait.

Trailer

Hero Concept has released a gameplay teaser on YouTube. It’s a rather brief 20-second trailer to show snippets of the hand-drawn comics-inspired visuals and the new animations that scream sweet delight. You can also see the added light and heavy attacks and aerial combos. Hopefully, much more detailed gameplay will be released soon.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Currently, Mayhem Brawler 2: Best of Both Worlds is scheduled to release sometime in 2024, likely after the first quarter. On the website, Hero Concept confirms the game will launch on PS4 and PC via Steam. However, that list is likely to accommodate all current and next-gen consoles and the Switch, too, as did the original. 

As for editions, we don’t know if there will be options to choose from yet. However, feel free to keep a lookout on the official social handle here, and we'll also let you know as soon as any new information comes up.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Mayhem Brawler 2: Best of Both Worlds when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.