Toribash blends two completely different genres together. And it works pretty fine.

User Rating: 7 | Toribash PC

The Good: Strong sense of style; innovative mix of genres

The Bad: Dated HUD

It was a grateful surprise to try Toribash for the first time almost ten years ago when it was just an unpretentious standalone download. The absurd premise of a turn-based fighting game was even amped by the fact the player can’t really throw a punch or kick directly, having instead to choose which muscles to contract, which joints to expand to get anything resembling a fighting move to happen.

The result could be beautiful or a disaster, as players at times ended tearing the opponent apart with a graceful flying kick and others simply crumbling over themselves lifeless; whatever the case it was always a delight to watch, making even queues for the next online match fun to take part in.

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Now Toribash is free-to-play at Steam; and that’s quite the ideal environment for it to expand and build a cult around it with all the ‘modern’ resources at disposal: an immense and active community, sharing videos and screenshots, achievements, etc. The later are already there but still barebones—and so are the Web 1.0 lobbies, chat and HUD overall.

Toribash has the clear potential to become huge if it’s willing to stand on its square toes.