The story of the game centers on The Club, an underground blood sport controlled by a wealthy elite who place their bets on who will survive the gladiatorial-style combat.

[1] The game utilizes both racing and run-and-gun elements, where players must either complete a level quickly or defend a location from numerous enemy attacks for a set amount of time, all while accumulating their score through various kills with a bonus multiplier.

The player chooses from a roster of characters who are forced to compete in The Club, a modern form of gladiatorial combat.

The player must make their way through a level as quickly as possible, or defend one location and survive attacks from respawning enemies for a set amount of time.

Bramwell pointed out that the game "does for the third-person shooter what no one else has even bothered trying to do: moving it closer to the 2D shoot-'em-ups of old in a manner that appeals anew.

"[8] GamePro reviewer Cameron Lewis wrote of the Xbox 360 version: "What might be most impressive about The Club is that despite the many disparate elements that it cherry-picks from genres as diverse as racing, skateboarding, and first-person shooters, the whole never bears the disjointed feel of a Frankenstein creation.

"[9] IGN UK's reviewer Alec Meer stated that the scoring system "will prove an immediate turn-off for some" and went on to blame the "fairly dismal" graphics for putting potential players off, saying that "it's about how it plays, not how it looks.