For as much as I liked playing Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 on the Switch a few years ago, that was still a remaster of an older and quite janky game. I was hoping for Microids to fund and publish something else, something brand new for the current (or last, depending on your perspective) generation of consoles. Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All is exactly that. It’s more than just your run-of-the-mill licensed game. While flawed (and we’ll touch on that in this review), I don’t think anyone else could have done a better Asterix licensed title than this thoroughly enjoyable beat ’em up that oozes charm and heart.

Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All is not an innovative game in terms of its core gameplay. This is a beat ’em up, clearly influenced by old-school titles like Streets of Rage and Final Fight. That’s fine. They needed a template in which to base an Asterix game on, and a game where you’ll told to beat the living crap out of tons of Romans in hilarious slapstick fashion is perfect. I’ll touch on the gameplay a bit later, but it gets the job done with its controls without ever feeling groundbreaking or generic. It’s… there. It’s fine, it works, it serves the purposely brilliantly. It is NOT, however, the game’s main selling point. Its presentation is.

It is no exaggeration to state that Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played in my life. It is partially meant to emulate the classic Asterix comic book strips, and partially meant to emulate the older Asterix cartoons, especially in regards to the sound effects and the character animations. Although the game runs at a solid 60fps, all characters are animated with very few frames, giving that distinctive 50s/60s cartoon vibe. From the comic book side of things, I loved the inclusion of tons of onomatopoeias whenever you punch a Roman or any other enemy on your way.

The sound design is equally impressive. It’s fully voice acted, with a ton of one-liners. They are adorable, but I won’t lie: they’re really repetitive, especially if you keep spamming the same move over and over again. The soundtrack fares a lot better, especially whenever there’s a level with a bagpipe-infused banger being played on the background. The game is set in old Celtic Britain, after all, so it makes sense.

I have very little to complain about Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All‘s presentation. The same cannot be said about its gameplay loop, and it’s not because it’s broken. It’s not because it’s derivative. The problem is that, sadly, there’s not enough variety in here. All you do is punch a multitudes of Romans until the game tells you to stop. There are lots of levels in here, but they’re basically just a different background with the same enemies being thrown at you in waves.

Even on harder difficulties, Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All is one of the easiest beat ’em ups I think I’ve ever played. It all boils down to the Romans’ (lack of) intelligence, and the vast array of moves at your disposal. Asterix can mop the floor with his ranged throw, and Obelix can run over anyone like a bus. I’m not gonna lie, I had a lot of fun at times, as the feeling of getting past these legionnaires with ease is amusing, but I ended up craving for a little bit more variety in the enemy design, as well as in the overall level of challenge.

This is not going to make you stop playing Streets of Rage 4 or cancel your preorder for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game, but damn, am I glad this exists. Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All is really easy and can be really repetitive at times, but it’s lovely to look at and listen to. The fact it’s so easy makes each combat section even funnier, all thanks to some of the best animations I’ve seen in a game in a while. Is this going to turn you into an Asterix fan? Doubtful, since this is the kind of stuff you either grew up with or will continue to ignore, but if you’re a fan of the franchise, or have the slightest knowledge about it, this is better than you could have ever asked for.

 

Graphics: 10 Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All is one of the prettiest games I have ever played, and that is no exaggeration. It’s a playable 50s cartoon.	Gameplay: 7.5 Control-wise, Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All‘s combat system is simple and pretty entertaining. You are beyond overpowered, however, resulting in some overly easily and repetitive combat sections throughout most of the game.
Sound: 9.0 Even if the one-liners are repeated ad nauseum, I thoroughly enjoyed the quality of the voice acting, and most importantly, the soundtrack. Especially whenever there’s a tune with a bagpipe being played on the background.	Fun Factor: 7.0 It is a feast for the eyes and ears, not to mention funny and heartwarming if you’re a fan of the franchise. As a beat ’em up, it is repetitive and devoid of difficulty, but it’s still very entertaining in shorter sessions.
Final Verdict: 8.0

Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! is available now on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch.

Reviewed on PS4.

A copy of Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! was provided by the publisher.