In case you have ever been touched by a moment of true tears, rolling on the floor in laughter yet at the same time desperately attempting to prevent your character being thrown into a meat grinder you have likely played Gang Beasts. This zany multiplayer fighting game is known and disliked due to its wobbly physics, insane maps and random matches. However, behind this humorous shenanigans is a part of the game that is truly quite difficult: Learning and getting to grips with the Gang Beasts controls. Regardless of whether you want to play on PC, Xbox, or PlayStation, the trick to becoming a nuke up the zombie, rather than a ragdoll victim, comes down to knowing how to punch, grab, throw and survive. This guide will look at every component of the controls, give expert tips and assist you on how to take control of your next rooftop brawl.
Gang Beasts Controls Any Way
Gang Beasts is beautiful because of the strangely clumsy movement system disengaged. Characters are awkward but that also makes them part of the fun, and the challenge. The controls can be described as fairly easy on their part, but in the noise of war that changes. On PC your primary actions are related to the keyboard, whereas on the console the player presses the buttons and triggers of the gamepad. The fundamentals- grabbing both-handed, picking up your opponents and headbutts are the same across the board but the way in which these actions happen will be located in different locations depending on the platform you are playing on.
Game designer Bennett Foddy, a specialist in unusual control schemes qualified this in a 2006 lecture: game design clumsiness can be funny, but you need to learn how to work within the constraints.’ Gang Beasts centres around this philosophy. It is not that one forgets what a certain button does, it is that at that point one has to act out the actions with coordination of the punches and evasion of obstacles flying in their face as well as other items on the environment.
The following comprises basic movement and attacks.
All the fights in Gang Beasts start with the simple movement. On console the left stick will move your character and the left moves your camera position. In PC, it is the WASD keys that deal with movements and the mouse used to correct your viewpoint. Attacking is accomplished by punching with each arm separately by using the bumpers or mouse buttons. This autonomy is also essential–with the two grab buttons in hand, you can cling on any walls, rope-ends, or your opponent uniform.
It is more a matter of positioning than of damage to punch. When you land an effective punch you may soon stagger your opponent and have a fleeting second to seize him and make a throw. Kicks and headbutts, although more difficult to execute reliably, can be used to give a quick knockdown, and thus can serve to counter an enemies momentum.
Grab of putting and throwing
Gang Beasts is about the grab mechanic. When you press the grab buttons you have an unlimited ability to engage items or characters, so this can spell the difference between life and death. After gaining a grip you can hit the jump button and send an opponent soaring and after pressing the action stick you can then sling them into trouble.
Nevertheless, this is not that simple. It is due to the physics that a wrongly timed throw could see you falling over the edge together with your opponent. Renaissance is attained through drilling of time and learning how to strike a balance between indulgence and self-preservation. Several experienced players suggest short, swift grabs to break instead of consistently trying to make a full-square grab–particularly against opponent players of skill, who can perform counter-grabs.
Defensive Techniques
Offense answers the question- who wants to have fun? But the key is defense- the defense is survival. Among the least discussed points about the Gang Beasts controls, we may also count the fact that it is possible to hang on the ledges, even when having been knocked out. When you are hurled to the ground, mash the grab buttons before you hit the ground so you are still on the edge and mash the jump button as you are flung away so you can come back up. This can be also used in maps such as Trucks or Rooftop where this method can often be called ledge saving.
The other form of defense is through the grab which is an appeal on stable objects to fasten yourself to the objects even in moments of chaos. Such as in stages, like the Ferris Wheel, where taking hold of the center axle may help prevent being tossed overboard during the vehicles carousels.
A complex level of combat strategy.
After you have learnt the basics, now is the right time to graduate to more advanced tips. Feints-which means simulating the act of throwing an opponent and instead regrouping them- can disorientate your opponent and leave gaps. There is also soft grabbing which is when you lightly press grab button to hold temporarily and then release like you did to break your opponents rhythm but you have not committed to a full grapple.
The management of stamina is also involved. Even though there is neither a stamina bar in Gang Beasts, the performance of your character gradually drops after multiple jumps or hits. One can be taught to stop and rest at the right moment so that when it comes to the crucial moments; one is not sluggishly slow with their movements.
Tips on platform-Specific Control
Although the control principles are identical, they have platform distinctive features.
On PC, the mouse sensitivity may severely manipulate aiming headbutts and positioning punches. It is usually good to reduce sensitivity moderately in order to increase accuracy. Another advantage of keyboard users is in re-mapping less natural functions, such as kicking, to easier to access keys.
Precision of the analog sticks is central on console. The triggers offer greater levels of analog control over grabs i.e. you can adjust the grip tautness. This especially comes in handy to climb walls or manipulate vertically oriented maps such as Girders.
Gang Beasts Psychological Warfare
Physical controls are not the whole war- the mental is half the battle. There are trash talk, false feints and pretending to fumble when you actually are not to get your opponents to fall into a trap. There are those that will purposely bend back and forth to make themselves appear vulnerable, only to break counter-grab when the other attacks.
It is this psychological stratum that will take Gang Beasts beyond the party game-label into the realm of strategic brawlers. This is because when you know how to control Gang Beasts, you also learn how to manage expectations thus creating shocks and hilarity.
Training and practice approaches
Repetition is the solution. Most of the players will advise you to practice in single player mode to familiarize yourself with the game controls without it being too out of control like it can in the online matches. This allows you to play around press free with movement, throws and ledges saves. You can also set up custom lobbies with friends, so you can do specific drills e.g., practice throwing on certain maps or practice recovering faster after you got knocked down.
Another good method of learning is when you play with good people on streaming sites. Be alert to their timing of grip, environmental receptiveness and how they manage to get out of appearing hopeless circumstances.
Why it is important to learn about Controls
Arguably, some may say that Gang Beasts is supposed to be chaotic, and one does not need to control things precisely. Although we should admit that randomness is an advantage of the game, it is still possible to survive much longer by having a good command of the controls. A skilled player can play so many hours and not even get bored whereas the ones who just play by chance will always end up getting tired.
Like in any competitive game skill is cumulative. The more familiar you are with the control scheme, the more time you get that you can read your opponents and adjust in the match.
Conclusion
The absurdity mixed with the skill makes Gang Beasts work. Ifs clumsy animation, chaotic physics, and awkward maps assure memorable matches, behind each crazy knock out are mechanics still to be learned. Mastering the Gang Beasts controls is not only limited to pressing the correct buttons, it is about getting a feel of time and space and knowing how to react to specific situations.
It is all part of the process, as the game design specialist Bennett Foddy has called embracing the awkwardness. When you can effortlessly pick up, hurl, and regain in the din of battle you are no longer a flinging character any more–you are a contender. And go fight in that arena, pop those combos, and keep in mind, in Gang Beasts: the best defence is occasionally the perfectly timed suplex.
