ARMS
A Nintendo Switch boxing game with stretchy arms.
Where ARMS comes up1 episode or test
- Punch beats throw every time
- Throw option removed entirely
- Hard counter
- McCree outperforms Tracer
- Win chance far from 100 percent
- Soft counter keeps matchup playable
Mixing both lets designers control how decisive a matchup is
From ARMS and Overwatch matchup examples
What was said about ARMS
1Punch versus throw as a hard counter in ARMS
In ARMS, a punch beats a throw every time. A punch nullifies a throw every time, which makes it the example of a hard counter that completely shuts a choice down.
A hard counter removes the option entirely. A soft counter only gives an advantage, so the choice stays viable. Mixing the two lets a designer control how decisive a matchup is.
2Similar examples from other apps
These are about other apps, not ARMS: examples from the same sources that help explain it.
Overwatch's McCree beats Tracer without a guaranteed win. McCree outperforms Tracer, but his chance of winning is far from 100 percent. This is a soft counter, which keeps the matchup playable.
It is the contrast case to ARMS, where the punch beats the throw every time.
How Games Get Balanced
A punch nullifies a throw every time, the example of a hard counter that shuts a choice down.
In ARMS, a punch beats a throw every time. A punch nullifies a throw every time, which makes it the example of a hard counter that completely shuts a choice down.
A hard counter removes the option entirely. A soft counter only gives an advantage, so the choice stays viable. Mixing the two lets a designer control how decisive a matchup is.
Overwatch's McCree beats Tracer without a guaranteed win. McCree outperforms Tracer, but his chance of winning is far from 100 percent. This is a soft counter, which keeps the matchup playable.
It is the contrast case to ARMS, where the punch beats the throw every time.
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