Mini Royale Review (PC)

IndigoBlue has, after twenty-five years of keeping the plastic soldiers on ice, made the decision to bring the bucket of emerald men back onto the frontline for a new era of bite-sized bedroom warfare. And it’s about time, too. The fact that I haven’t seen a video game based on army men since 1999’s Army Men 3D sort of speaks volumes about the lack of interest fledgling creators have for keeping the torch alight, really. To that end, I’d say that the team behind this latest Battle Royale shooter are plugging a hole in the market in some ways. And sure, while you could argue that it’s a dated concept—plastic foot soldiers with plastic hands, teeth, weaponry and what have you—it is a concept that clicks with a lot of us nineties folk. To that I say, it’s good to be home — just take my money, Mini Royale.

Mini Royale is what Toy Story 2 is to Army Men: an adolescent vessel of make-believe and innocence. And while IndigoBlue does aim to transform Mini Royale into a modernized and substantially more in-depth, bullet-blistering Battle Royale shooter, the fact still remains: it is, whether it likes it or not, the spiritual successor to a silly, playful, and oftentimes hilarious childhood memoir, only reborn into a new era for a seasoned audience. But that’s fine; if Toy Story can keep plastic soldiers alive and kicking in 2025, then who’s to say Mini Royale can’t do the same, eh?

Anyway, if you have just stopped by to see whether or not Mini Royale has what it takes to keep the fire alight for the breakable boys in green, then be sure to stick with us a while longer as we delve a little deeper into its bucket.

Green With Envy, Red With Rage

If you can picture a six-year old’s bedroom that’s been left to disintegrate into a scruffy pile of colorful bricks, sensory blocks, and memory foam shapes, then you’re already well on your way to establishing the scene for Mini Royale. This is, for what it’s worth, the thing that stands out the most in Mini Royale: the sandbox, as well as the childish creations and DIY contraptions that flesh out its colorful borders. It’s a pretty large map, too, given the fact that it is, with all due respect, a miniature version of a traditional semi-open world Battle Royale game. Naturally, it doesn’t contain any major landmarks or points of interest, only a plethora of randomized sensory objects and other questionable set pieces. But that’s fine; original designs keep us on our toes, right? Right.

The game itself contains a familiar batch of modes, with the traditional Battle Royale mode running alongside a Deathmatch and another called Color Conquest, with the latter revolving around two teams battling it out to convert opposing players into allied forces. There are a couple of maps to tuck into, too, with the vanilla region revolving around a rather chaotic bedroom, and a couple of others taking place within a crate of toys or a sandbox of random trinkets. Not a huge amount to touch base on here, I’ll admit, as the game itself more or less takes the same basic structure as most, if not all online multiplayer Battle Royale IPs. It’s a “winning” formula, though, so while it may be playing it safe, it does at least make the effort to capitalize on a profitable market.

Pitching a Tent

The gameplay is, well, it isn’t great; it’s a little on the wooden side, and is marred with some technical flaws that make an otherwise childish game feel a little jaunted and lacking in value. Don’t get me wrong, it has some notable areas of interest—a grappling gun, mountable objects, sniping points, and a lot of interactive bits and pieces to work with—but it also has a lot of disadvantageous elements, which benefit those who prefer to camp and cheat their way through each encounter to earn their perks. Granted, this is a common problem in Battle Royale titles especially, but Mini Royale doesn’t help to tackle said problem with a level playing field for you to walk into. To put it bluntly, there are a lot of campers aboard this vessel — so expect a frustrating introductory lesson on how to make headway on your journey, basically.

If you can bypass the sluggish mechanics and wooden gestures, then you might come to find a pleasantly surprising way to spend a few hours without having to revert back to another Battle Royale. It certainly has the potential to become something much, much greater, though the fulfillment of a structurally sound product does depend on how the team navigates the forthcoming quarter and, more importantly, how they choose to implement the necessary changes in the near future. The maps aren’t half bad, nor are the initial bundle of game modes, for that matter, but without the added benefit of a smooth gameplay experience, there is still a lot left to be desired here.

Verdict

Mini Royale isn’t anything short of being prime time nostalgia fodder for a selective audience, that much is true. And yet, that isn’t to say that it’s dressed to the nines in anything particularly special, for it does fail to impress with its wooden mechanics and its barely passable audiovisual elements. But then, given that the game is a tribute to shoddy PSX shooters, perhaps I can let such issues slide. I can’t bring myself to say that it’s the best Battle Royale game I’ve ever had the chance to play, but it does bring an exciting concept to the table and a lot of interesting features, too. To say that I’m curious to see where it’ll head next is an understatement, truly, as I do believe it could bolt on some fantastic add-ons and seasonal events. That is, of course, providing that the current issues are no longer present.

It’s an Early Access game, and so, what you see is what you get — at least for the time being. Admittedly, there’s still a few screws loose here, and it’s mainly due to these loose components that Mini Royale is still a little, shall we say, half-baked. If, however, the developers can continue to support it and iron over any technical issues, then it ought to surpass its initial expectations. I suppose, when all’s said and done, only time will tell on that one.

If you’re looking to kill some time and have a habit of romping through anything that exits the BR catalog, then you might as well throw caution to the wind and try something a little different. And, again, while Mini Royale probably won’t amaze you or leave you scrounging for more, it will unlock that inner adolescent spirit within and give you something to reminisce about.