UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes Review

Birthing Loads Of Updates

HIGH New gameplay mechanics updates and characters.

LOW What story mode?

WTF Divide! 2nd Clause! Immortalize! It’s the standard Arc System Works word salad.

As a fan of the original UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH, I was curious to see how UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes changed up the formula.

UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes (UN2) takes the captivating universe of its predecessor and amplifies it with new characters and enhanced mechanics. It also feels like an incremental update over the original, now with less story, though it ‘finishes’ some plotlines the prior left open. Developed by French-Bread and published by Arc System Works, UN2 is ultimately a strong entry to the series for fans of the original, and those looking to get into it as a pure fighting experience won’t be disappointed.

Visually, UN2 has the same beautifully-drawn 2D character sprites as the original. Simply looking at it, I would be hard-pressed to tell that it was a new game — it seems to be all the same sprits and assets, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as its predecessor had some of my favorite designs in a 2D anime fighter. The animations are fluid and dynamic, breathing life into each character. Whether it’s the swift strikes of Linne or the powerful spells of Hilda, every move feels impactful and satisfying.

Speaking of which, the UN series has great character diversity, and with 24 faces currently on the roster, there’s something here for everyone. With the same characters from UN1, UN2 then adds three new playable characters, Tsurugi, Kaguya, and Kuon. All of them feel strong and complement the cast well. Tsurugi wields a shield in combat, and hits harder. Kaguya is a speedy gun kata fighter. I enjoyed playing her quite a bit, and imagine she might become a fan favorite. Finally, Kuon is the new “boss” character, as he’s featured in the story as such. Out of the three new characters, he felt the most powerful thanks to some brutal moves and floating swords. While there will always be tier lists and characters who are stronger than others, UN2 feels balanced to the point that someone who devotes time should be able to have a good shot in competition, no matter who they choose.

Some of the key mechanics in UN1 have been improved. For example, the Grid system still adds an engaging tug-of-war style mechanic. Represented by an on-screen “Grid” (GRD) at the bottom of the screen, the Grid is based on retreats, blocked attacks, and using the “concentration” ability which is simply holding down a button to charge it. When a character’s grid bar is filled up. the character will enter “GRD Vorpal”, which gives a 10% damage boost.

Likewise, “Chain Shift” is a state the player can enter if they have Vorpal and press the “D” input quickly twice. The player will gain EXS (their meter) depending on the amount of GRD they have. All movement stops for just a moment, but then players in Chain Shift can cancel all of their attacks into each other. UN2 also features other mechanics such as “gatling” inputs to chain normal combos into one another, as long as it’s not the same normal in a combo.

If it wasn’t made clear by the paragraph above, UN2 is a very technical fighting game. Unlike some that might be more approachable to newcomers or casual fans such as Mortal Kombat, those who aren’t ready for this level of complexity might be a bit daunted. However, UN2 does have an auto-combo system, seen elsewhere in recent titles like Granblue Fantasy Versus. This system lets the player mash the light attack button and perform a simple combo if they land all of the follow-up hits. While an experienced player will be able to compensate and overcome it, it helps bridge the accessibility gap for new blood.

There are also other useful tools in the Tutorial and Challenge Mission modes to teach virtually every mechanic UN2 offers, and many that are generally key to competing in fighting games. This is a good touch, though they are relatively dry — essentially, the player just reads and does what they instruct. Depending on one’s learning style, they can potentially be a great help.

At this point I’ve covered UN2‘s systems, but what about that story?

Most fighting game players I know don’t come to the genre for the story. Me? I’ve put almost 80 hours into Guilty Gear Strive in the past few months and I’ve never experienced the story. UN2 seems to realize this truism, and doesn’t devote much time or effort on changing it. The singleplayer story mode is essentially just an arcade mode with little narrative, but this stands in contrast to the prior installment. The first had a full visual novel (of sorts) with detailed stories for each character. Despite not generally being in the market for fighting game stories, I would have liked more plot here.

In terms of performance, it runs great on the Playstation 4 and I had no problems playing with friends on that system. It does have Rollback netcode which should reduce the input lag and visual stuttering that affects some other online fighters. Lacking crossplay, I was unable to play with friends on PC — a factor for prospective players to keep in mind for those who might not have friends handy.

I believe UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is a strong entry in the series and I’m happy to see it get a sequel, even if it feels more like a small step forward instead of a substantial shift. However, something that’s broken shouldn’t be fixed, so this level of refinement clearly has a lot to offer to fans and newcomers alike.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by French Bread and published by Arc System Works. It is currently available on PS4/PS5 /PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS4. Approximately 10 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. 9 hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Language, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes and Violence. The official description reads: This is a fighting game in which players engage in one-on-one combat by selecting amongst human and supernatural characters. Players use kicks, punches, and weapon attacks (e.g., sword slashes, claw strikes) to drain opponents’ life meter. Characters can perform special attacks, resulting in brief animated sequences that depict fiery blasts and brief blood-like effects. One character is depicted with blood covering his hands and arms. Some female characters are designed with revealing outfits (e.g., deep cleavage); the dialogue also references suggestive material (e.g., “…I thought you’d be satisfied with having seen me naked”; “Shame on you, subjecting this girl to your vices“; “…you little perv…”; “What on earth are you doing? She’s naked, for crying out loud.”). The word “sh*t” appears in the game.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles cannot be altered and/or resized. The entire game can be played without sound and contains no informational dialogue (audio sounds are mostly reaction noises during combat). As such, this game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.

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Nikki Waln

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