Last week, 2D-X attended Sony’s “Christmas in July” holiday showcase, which placed many a great upcoming game on display such as Dyad, Papo y Yo, and God of War: Ascension. But it was PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, an upcoming multi-player brawler, that I gravitated toward.

I’ll admit that I’ve been highly critical of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale: I dubbed it Sony Smash Bros. after playing it at E3, after all. However, after this showing, I’m looking at the game in a different light. Getting hands-on in a less frantic and chaotic setting (with FGC legend and Superbot community manager Daniel “Clockwork” Maniago working the presentation) helped me appreciate the nuances.