What Martial Arts Brutality is
Martial Arts Brutality is a turn based tactical card fighter from Cold Beam Games. You collect technique cards, upgrade them and build a fighting deck around the style you want to play. The card play is mixed with real time attacking and defensive mechanics, so turns give you time to think but the actual exchange still demands timing. Chi Energy is a core resource you manage through the fight, and the forbidden Dim Mak death touch sits at the high end of what your techniques can do. Styles on offer include Shaolin Kung Fu, Wing Chun, Shotokan Karate and Taekwondo, each giving you a different set of cards to build around.
Playing with your group
The game supports online co-op and online PvP, and you can fight with or against friends. Brawls run with up to eight players, with both "every man for himself" fights and team fights available. Between matches there is a taunt system you can use to mock and insult the people you are playing with, so expect some ribbing if your group is competitive. Fights end in a variety of KO types, and a detailed human body model shows the injuries you inflict during the bout.
Before you start
Every fight is recorded by a full replay system, which is handy for looking back at how a match turned or for showing your group what happened. Building a deck is a real part of the game: you discover and collect cards, then upgrade their powers, so expect to spend time assembling a deck that fits your style rather than jumping in with a finished one. The game is free to play and carries a violent tag, with brutal injuries and KO sequences shown in detail. It also has a soundtrack worth noticing while you play.