Lethal League Blaze is a truly unique fighting game. Its large cast of quirky characters duke it out in baseball-based combat, smashing the ball from one edge of the stage to the other in the hopes that it will it hit their opponent while simultaneously wishing they don’t hit it back. The more it gets hit, the faster it ricochets until eventually one of you gets wiped out. It’s fast-paced and frantic, making it one of the best fighting games available.
However, Lethal League Blaze isn’t one of the best fighting games for beginners. Its focus on timing and precision make it a difficult entry point for newcomers. Nevertheless, with its place in the Game Pass library, many are likely flocking to it thanks to its captivating art style and premise. So, for those looking for a few tips and tricks, there are a few starting points and pieces of advice you should know before heading into the batting cage.
6 There's A Lot To Unlock
When you first start up Lethal League Blaze you'll likely want to test out the game's roster of incredible characters and modes. However, you may find that some of the characters are silhouetted and some of the modes locked. That's because there's quite a bit of content locked away. Each character will set you back 1000 coins, while the modes will cost you 300 each just to unlock. Fortunately, you unlock the game's in-game currency just by playing.
The best, and arguably most sensible, way of earning currency when you first start is by playing through the game's short story mode. By defeating each character throughout the narrative, you'll gain a handful of coins. By the time you finish it, you should be able to unlock most of the characters, who you'll already have had the chance to try out while playing. You even earn coins when you lose, so it really shouldn't take you all too long to unlock absolutely everything Lethal League Blaze has to offer. At the very least, it is something fun to work towards.
5 Aim For The Target
Aiming in Lethal League Blaze isn't too difficult. You simply need to direct your joystick in the direction you want the ball to go and smash the corresponding button to whack it. As your opponent will be bouncing around trying to avoid or parry your ball back at you, you'll need to carefully aim it in order to hit them. However, another target you should be aiming for is the large yellow one that periodically pops up.
This large and colourful target will appear at the top of the stage and float from side to side until either a ball has gone into it, either you or your opponent loses a life or enough time passes. The goal is to get a ball inside it because if you do, you'll be rewarded with a unique ball type. It may heal you, or it may allow you to control it freely, or it may turn into a super fast ball that's practically unstoppable. It's absolutely worth trying to aim for the target as the reward is almost always highly beneficial.
4 Play Through The Story
The story in Lethal League isn’t particularly long. To beat each mission as just one of the available characters, it won’t take you much longer than an hour or two. However, the story is absolutely worth playing. While the battles themselves get to show off the game’s phenomenal art direction, it is the brief cutscenes before and after each fight that steals the show. These lore-filled moments offer an in-depth look at each character, which gives them some much-needed depth.
Additionally, not every mission in the story is about beating your opponent senseless with a fast-moving ball. There is a mission or two that utilise the game’s core mechanic in interesting ways to shake things up. Above all, however, the story is just a fantastic way to get into Lethal League. It offers you a guided tour through each character, stage and mechanic in an interesting and coherent way that’s tied all together by compelling worldbuilding and lore.
3 It's All About Timing
It isn't hard to lose a life in Lethal League Blaze. If you don't manage to steal the ball from your opponent quick enough, there is a high chance it will ricochet around the map at top speeds before wiping you out. Fortunately, the game gives you five lives to lose before you eventually get defeated. However, to ensure that no lives are lost, you need to remember that timing is everything.
Running around each stage trying to whack the ball carelessly will almost certainly get you hit. The ball can be unpredictable, and hitting it requires a high level of precision. So, you need to watch its patterns, move out of the way when necessary and hit it when the time is right. A well-timed shot in the right direction could see your opponent lose a life, or better yet wiped out for good. Being patient and concentrating on your timing will see you become a Lethal League star.
2 Keep The Volley Going
Lethal League Blaze's central mechanic isn't very baseball-esque. In fact, if anything, it is more like a game of deadly tennis, although characters in shorts and white polos probably aren't as marketable. One of the best and easiest ways of winning is to blast your opponent with the ball going at top speeds. However, getting the ball to top speeds requires a little bit of effort. You can strike it from certain angles to make it go quicker, or even get power-ups to help. But by far the most enjoyable way is through a volley.
By hitting the ball back and forth between you and your opponent you can get the ball up to intense speeds. How intense? So intense that there is perhaps a millisecond for you to react after your opponent bashes it back your way. Unfortunately, it's easy to lose a volley, especially if you're playing against an AI player. So, if you want to decimate your opponent in one fell swoop, then try and keep the volley going.
1 Pick The Character That Works Best For You
There is a vast selection of characters in Lethal League for you to choose from. While not all of them are unlocked from the get-go, you do get to play as them all throughout the story mode. Picking which one you’ll main or specialise in is understandably difficult as Lethal League Blaze has some of the most unique fighting game characters ever. Not only do they all have amazing designs, but they play slightly differently from one another.
The first step you should take is to simply play through the story. It’s a great way to get to know the characters on both a mechanical and personal level through their own stories and gameplay. Once you’ve done that, you can decide which characters you want to unlock first, and which you want to prioritise practicing with. However, if you find that most of the characters play or feel the same to you, then just go with the one that has the best-looking design. Either way, pick whichever character works best for you.