[Editor's note (jay): Next up is a new guest reviewer, Xiao, and he offers his take on a brand-new melee-style shooter from XGen Studios. Note: The game contains graphic violence against other players (who play as stick figures), and therefore may not be appropriate for some age groups...]
You might know XGen Studios as the makers of Fishy, Motherload, Stick RPG and Defend Your Castle. Well, they have created another excellent Flash game, only this time it is a top-down shooter that features over-the-top multiplayer melee action in any browser. In Stick Arena, you take the role of a stick figure aiming to kill everyone else in sight to elevate yourself within the ranks.
Gameplay consists of basically running around until you can find some kind of a melee weapon, and then beating some poor stick to death with it. To do the most damage, however, you will need to find some kind of a gun to start killing everything in sight.
If you have ever played a game like this then you may already know the controls: [W], [A], [S], [D] to run, mouse to aim and shoot, [V] to walk—though I don't see a need for that—[T] to chat, and [shift] to view the leader board.
The game has an array of options including: 17 different maps, quality selector to suit the speed of your computer, chat with users, change the color of your cursor, toggle the blood from "On" to "Off" or "Savage", etc. There is a tutorial and, although it is short, it does explain pretty much everything you'll need to know.
The game seems to be well balanced between the melee weapons and guns. There are three of either kind of weapon. The three guns available are the Glock (A small pistol), The Shotgun, and the AK-47. The Glock enables you to be faster then the shotgun or AK, and while its shots are not as devastating, its rate of fire is higher and therefore a worthy weapon. The AK-47 shoots roughly 3 rounds every 1.5 seconds, however, it makes you much slower than usual, which leaves you open-target to any fast moving samurai sword wielders. The Shotgun is my personal favorite gun. With it, you will likely get a shot every 1.5 seconds, and it takes about three (3) shots to kill someone who has full health.
The melee weapons consist of a Samurai sword, which is very fast and powerful and can even take on AK's at close range, a baseball bat, which is slightly slower then the sword but packs more damage, and a Sledge Hammer, which can kills anyone with just one hit, and yet it makes you very slow moving and it has a slow rate-of-fire.
The graphics are excellent for a stick figure game and extremely polished. The character animations are smooth and believable, and the backgrounds are nicely detailed. At the end of each round the player is treated to well-produced cut scenes. Unfortunately the only game play mode available appears to be Deathmatch. The addition of an alternate mode would have been nice, such as mission-based combat of some kind. Another thing that would make a great addition would be the ability to change the color of your stick figure, attach bandannas, etc. However, this is a flash game and it still manages to be one of the best available of its kind.
The game allows you to play as a guest, or you could spend the 5 seconds it takes to register. Registering is free and it's worth it, because you'll be able to rank up. Ranking is dependant on how many kills you get. It's surprisingly action-packed, addictive and well made, so what are you waiting for? Click.
:sigh: I wish I hadn't forgotten my TypeKey password. Oh well...
My personal favorite is the Hammer. Sure you move slow, but if you know the levels and are good at dodging or hiding you can gank a lot of people. Although it was much more useful with the bug that let you twirl it around and kill people for about half a second after you smashed down with it - if that's been removed since I last played (about a month or maybe just a few weeks ago I think) then I'll be much harder pressed to want to use it.
Very amusing. If your bored and feel like beating the crap outta someone, this is your game ^_^. I prefer the katana because you can kill easily (i find). I really like the level "the pit" because you can go all out, and because it's the best place to use the katana...
awesome game, lots of dumb fun. definitely appeals to the GTA part of me.
The katana is practically the only other melee weapon I use (bats are just.. well, kind of icky compared to the other melee weapons). Only reason I don't use it more often is because of the guns (I like guns a lot, and the katana is only really super good [read: life saving] against them if you can get within punching range of the gunner).
I think I take weapons like: Hammer, AK, Katana, Shotgun, Glock, Bat. Hammer is unstoppable in capable hands (at least, with the glitch I described earlier), AK is very good at killing previously wounded contestants, katana is great for catching up to gun users and anyone else who is slow, shotgun is a handy thing to have for taking on the wounded as well as healthier but less capable opponents, and the Glock is a fair bet to take down other gun users (if you're at full health, that is) and any meleer with low health. The bat.. doesn't seem to me to have any great uses outside of taking out wounded people who are avoiding someone else and beating a katana user in one on one. It could conceivably be useful for hammer users too, but the slower rate of fire makes me more interested in sticking with katanas.
i like bats as my melee weapon since they do more damage than katanas and move faster than sledges
for guns i like the pistol since u still go fast and can shoot fast w/ it
I only ever use 3 weapons: AK-47, Hammer and Katana.
I only use Katana when I am trying to beat the peep guarding the hammer on melee only lvls.
There is a easy way to do this
Walk towords them and wait for them to swing, dodge it, and run at them and slash until they reload thier hammer.
On levels like workspace aeinxiety I use hammer to te. (i once got 14 kills and no s)
I use AK 47 in pretty mush any level with guuns because then other people will have guuns too and hammer is almost completely useless against them.
If i need to, I will probobly pick up a glock or SG but I NEVER EVER use bats NO MATTER WHAT.
They suck...
bats do not suck. bats are in fact better than katanas, if you use it properly. in closed spaces, a bat takes out a gun every time. the only reason i would prefer katana is its fast movement
Shotgun are the best, it only use two time to kill a person, hammer is better than shotgun but easy kill by shooter, to kill who use close attack like hammer, bat and other. Use Gun!
to kill who use gun need hammer to kill with full speed.
is there any cheats for it???
always get ready before using hammer wait until the person gets closer then run on him and kill hem:)
hey there, i'm chris, from bowling green, ky
i have played for a couple of months and this game has been very good (i am rank 5 name-nickmister i am usually on)ok now for the spoiler,usually the ak-47 will get u far but also the katana and sledge are good get up close inside of someone and slash away with the katana. if u are new to this game u need to kill in about a hit , the sledge is for u,since most games are in xgen studios then go in the bathroom and wait for some one to come.(if not look around)now the ak-47 is different,this is for everyone, i would stay in a room and kill since it makes u slower.not much but there will be more.........
I Like Bats , Sledghammer and Rapid Fire.
Bats Can Kill someone with full health in 4 shots.
Sledghammer can kill anyone with full health in 1 shot.
Rapid fire had unlimited ammo but has decent power to kill someone.
My favorite weapon would have to be the um..... katana or the glock cause you can murder peeps quick with katana and with a glock
guess what! found a cheat for stick arena and now i use it all the time.
these weapns can kills some one with full health
hammer 1 shot
katana 8 shots
bats 4 shots
glock 8 shots
shotgun 3 shots
ak 47 machine gun 8 shots
its a totally awsome game way better then runscape and far better then any xbox, gamecube, or playstation game my user is stickslick
I like using the bat, e gun, shotgun, and samurai sword. I may be at a low rank but im good... 140 kills in 1 day... wow...
i like the hammer the best, because i mastered it and i dont just camp i can go out and kill. i know the space you need and timing.
man there must be cheats or this game has mad glitches... i did somthing on accident (i dont know what) and no one could touch me i beat 6 guys up with my fists. it was hilarious. and this other guy got weapons in his hands out of nowhere and he disappered without leaving
man, this game rocks. My personal favorite weapon is the pistol. It's about the same as an AK, but lets you move alot faster. though AK and shot gun are still really good. I don't use the melee weapons much, but the sword is the best one.
swords are the best
in this level theres a break room hold up in corner then really fast hold down then u should be in wall up is down down is up etc.. it might take a few tries
I know a cheat where u can become invible but you must have a leat 9,980 kills to do this cheat code
is there any cheats? i kno of 1 called speed gear but i cant find it! is u kno were or how to get it tell me or tell me on stick arena go to private and joshs arena in private im ussually there my name is darksouleater and i have gray around me please help!
ps:please be seriose and only type if u kno or have the slites idead please im asking any1 arg!
I use a knife soometimes. I know the unlimited health speed and weapon cheat too.
how do you get the knife and health
How do some people not die when i shot them for hit them and dont have speed gear
I know cheats for thisgame but X Gen Studios are going to completely change the game so no cheats are allowed!
my friend knows all the cheats from this website but he wont tell me the website or any of the cheats. someone plz tell me how to do at least one so he'll crack PLEEEEAAAAASE!!!
I prefer to use the
shotgun
or the
hammer
i know a cheat
go to xgen headquarters get sledge hammer go to the posters go in a square by going in a square inbetween the posters until you start moving very slowly up the wall but while ure moving slowly the key you press makes you go the opposite way (same rules for while you are in the wall). the only way you can get killed is by melee weapons.
i love killing noobs with shot gun.
how do you not die and can you tell me some wepon cheats
i love this game. will some1 give me cheats?????!!!! please??? i really want the invincibility cheat. Just give me a cheat!!!
this game is awsome!! cheat!! you can usually team up with me im on there alot!
someone tell me some cheats!!!!!
when you have a katana hold down the mouse button and move the mouse side to side
and you will kill anyone super fast
i cant find any cheats either and ive asked everyone in my neighborhood and their all stick arena freaks (like me)
but like 3 kno how to hack but still couldnt get any!!!!
gah does anybody know any cheats this checking back is hard to handle
i would pefer the meele wepons are ok like the katana and the basball bat. The only time i use the slege is in the bathroom and with speed gear.The shotgun is ok because it has a bad rate of fire the other bad thing about it that it is slow at doing damage.(^_^)The glock is the best because it has a good rate of fire.
hey.. i just want to know how to get the default knife hack... this will allow you to fight with a knife instead of fists as a stationary weapon. it even has a farther reach. i think it is slower and it might have to be the only weapon you can equip. i'm not entirely sure... but i saw a person use it today. i wanted one ever since
I know how to use the speed gear cheat, ill explain if somebody tells me how to be invincible and go through walls. Thanks!
dont ask for cheats search super watch it kills anyone with ten percent health or less
i know how 2 walk in the walls
i use invincibility speed hack and know how to use the knife it just takes forever to work
I Know how to go through walls I will tell you if you tell me other cheats going trough walls is easy in each level there is a spot that you can go trough by pressing Up and Down against that spot but it doesn't always work when you get in the Up And Down Keys are backwards so to go Backwards press up
Ok, i see alot of people with black name and people who post pictures on the stickarena chatroom. Well, i hope you can tell me <:). So post if you get how to do it. thanks, peace out homiEz
dude how i get hackpack?
How do I get the knife?
how the heck do i get speed gear and fast reloading
i like the sword the best because it makes you run faster and it is a fast wepon to use
how do you do fast moving and reloading
I hate it when you cant kill anyone because they cheat.
lol the`spoiler probably didnt work
I dont know how to get the knife.
Do you mean the katanna?
dude...no offence but would you not mind making more cheaters?
its hard enough as it is with all these cheaters.
sry about that i just thought they should know. The info for these cheats are very limited so yeah but sry if im creating.
Its ok, i guess if i learn to cheat back then it would be fair.
The only weapons I really use are ak-47s or katanas relly easy kills
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