This is a transcript excerpt covering the review of Kiborg on the So Videogames podcast, Episode 438.

BRAD: The last game of the show here is a very unusual one. It’s called Kiborg. K I B O R G. Have you heard of this one?

CARLOS: I have, and actually, I saw you playing it.

B: You did?

C: I saw you on a console, and we don’t really check in much on that. But I did see it was like Brad is playing Kaiborg and I’m like, I was gonna play that.

B: Oh, dude. Okay.

C: It’s multiplayer right?

B: No, I don’t think so. There’s no multiplayer on it. It’s just a one player.

C: Oh, no. This is the roguelike game. Yes, yes, yes, which I also was thinking about buying. Yes, I know that, yes. Okay.

B: So Kiborg comes from developer. Would you mind looking up who the developer is? I forgot I meant to look it up, I forgot, but I have played a couple of the games. They did Redeemer, which I didn’t play, but I bought and I heard people say that it was pretty good. And then they did.

C: Oh, they did Redeemer, which I liked.

B: Yeah. And they did one before that, which was um. Oh gosh. It was like about these mech suits that were like killing zombies or something. I don’t know. It’s another game or something. I’m doing it. Okay, so back to studio.

C: Sobaka Studio and the games Redeemer and Remedium.

B: Yes, yes, yes. Remedium. I didn’t play Remedium proper, but they did one that was like a side story and it was like Remedium Knights or something. I can’t remember what it was, but it was like basically steampunk mechs killing zombies in this world. And I was like, dude, this game is dope. Like, it’s it’s low, low budget for sure. Small team, janky AF. But like, it was actually really fucking fun. And I finished it and I’m like, this is really cool. I hope that they keep doing games. And lo and behold, I picked up this game.

Uh, well, PR sent me a code and I didn’t realize it was the same developers. And as soon as I started playing this, I’m like, God, this is janky and low budget, but this is fun as fuck. And I look it up, I’m like, oh shit, it’s the same people. It’s Sobaka studio. Okay, cool. Like, I’m in, I’m in, I’m man. I love that.

So what this game is, it’s like, uh, nihilistic, fatal game show in the future where you. You’re the survivor. They throw you into this gross environment very much like the running man from Arnold Schwarzenegger or something like that. You know, like, it’s like that kind of like fatal game show kind of a thing. And you play as this one specific guy, and, uh, you don’t really know much about it, but you, you start the game and you go into these, uh, roguelike generated levels.

Each level is is basically the same. You kind of do the same, run through the level every single time. So environment is not really the thing that you’re here for. What you’re here for is real time, third person, like brawling, beat em up combat, you know, lots of combos. You have a heavy punch, a light punch, you’ve got a spin attack, you’ve got a dodge, and then you’ve got a couple other minor things. Um, you go on these runs where each room is just filled with, like, mutants and freaks and zombies and what have you, and you beat them up with, like, various combos and stuff like that. All pretty straightforward. Excuse me. Um, but the hook to this game and the thing that makes it really good is that the roguelike system of power ups is just fucking cool as shit. It’s really fun. So from a visual perspective, it’s awesome. Like, you’ll go into a room, you’ll get a power up, it’ll be like you’ll have three choices. It’ll be like right arm, left arm or spine or something like that. There’s also like legs. There’s also heart. There’s also head. I think those are like all the different parts. Um, and so like there’s all these different suits in the game.

So like one suit is all about defense and you can have like the left arm of that suit will give you like a plus whatever defense. And it’ll put up a shield. Or you can do like the head of the electric suit and it generates like static electricity that’ll like chain lightning through your guys. Or you can do the right arm of the Guardian suit, and it makes bombs whenever you punch a guy or something like that. So you can not only does your body, like, transform, like it looks like the suit that you change so you can have this really patchwork mixed up body, which I think actually looks pretty cool. You can have like a weird metal chest and a fleshy arm, and your head is like normal human head. You got these backwards feed and all that. Like, you look like a fucked up dude, but it’s cool, like, in a good way. And each limb does something different. So like every time you’re going through the game, you’ve always got like these new parameters of like what you’re doing. Like in one game I had like one of the suits where you do where every time you kill a guy, it creates bombs. And so like, I would have to like, run in and like, I want to kill guys, like, as soon as possible.

I look for like, the smallest, like little peewee guy, punch him out, and then bombs would come out of his body and they would attach to the bigger guys. And I was like, running away from. Right. So that was like my big, uh, thing for one run and then another run. I got like the electric suit. And so it was like, every time I shot a gun, the bullet exploded and like, this electric shot. And then I got this thing, that chain lightning, that thing out. And so, like, I became like, like, really, really gun focused in that run. And so, like, you look different. And then also every single time you’re doing something, it feels very different. Like your strategies, even though the core of it is like beat em up, like punching and combos, you’re always doing something slightly different. Like sometimes, uh, one of your particular combos will get like a new a new move. Like if you’ve got, like, this one, Uh, right arm or something. If you end a combo with a heavy punch, he does, like three extra, like lightning punches at the end of it. And so you might as you might not have been using that combo beforehand, but then once you got this arm, you’re like, oh, I really want to lean into this combo now because it’s like way stronger.

C: Interesting. I had no idea. By the way, that was a mechanic. From going back to the PR thing. Like, I feel like I just got the vibe of like, it’s a beat em up and that’s it. Yeah, but all the things you’re telling me is more interesting too, though.

B: Oh, dude, I started this game and like before, I had a lot of stuff unlocked. I’m like, okay, this is fine. Like, it’s actually. But then I unlock some stuff, I’m like, oh, wait, wait wait wait. It’s actually pretty cool. Like there’s all this other shit. Every run feels like super different. And I’m always like in my head. I’m constantly thinking about, okay, new mechanic this run, what am I going to do? Like this time I’m getting close. Next run. Oh, I gotta stay far away. I gotta shoot this guy from far away. Don’t get close. Sometimes there’s this other suit that lets you create friends. And so you’ll have, like, like three other buddies in the room that’ll be like your minions. And they’ll be taking all the aggro for you. Totally changes your strategy. You’re taking them out from a distance. This other, uh, in another one you have like a shield. And so you want to get hit because it’s building up, uh, like like reflective energy and stuff. And so like, rather than avoiding the hits, you’re like wading into the hits. And so like, every time you do something different, like, it totally changes the way you feel. And so it takes this very straightforward, simple game and makes it like these moment to moment decisions based on your build. It feels like a different run every time, which I think is like super, super interesting.

I really like it a lot. I think that part is really good. I love that they leaned into the aesthetics of it too, because just seeing your arms and body and head and stuff, change is really great. And the thing that really sells the whole experience is that there is an upgrade tree. It’s huge. Like it’s massive upgrade tree. It’s so big that you have you can like zoom in and zoom out of it because there’s so many branches to it. And every time you do run, you get money just from like, you know, beating up guys and beating bosses or whatever. So every time you come back to the main game, you can probably buy something like, I feel like the economy is pretty good to where you’re always getting at least 1 or 2 new power ups, like 10% more health or like punches do 15 more percent or oh, you unlock the brand new special move, or you unlocked a brand new combo or something. Uh, like, you can unlock all sorts of, like, little perks. And I definitely notice a difference, right? Like, I wasn’t getting very far in the beginning. And after playing for like 1 or 2 days, I’ve unlocked, like, you know, a bunch of stuff. I’m like, okay, I am consistently making it like much further bosses.

That felt impossible to me. I am now regularly beating with no problem, you know? I mean, you still have to be pretty good, but like, you know, you feel like even though it’s tough, you’ve got a chance. Like you can still kind of like see what you can do. And it’s the kind of roguelike to where, you know, right off the bat, whether you’ve got a kind of a good run going or not. And so sometimes you’re like, okay, I don’t feel like this builds come together. I’m going to focus on earning money this run, and I’ll just get money and go back to the skill tree, buy a bunch of stuff, and then sometimes you’re like, oh shit, I got like, all the electric stuff and it’s going, it’s all popping and I’m going to just keep going. You like, steamroll through a couple bosses. You’re like, oh shit, this might happen. So I think it’s like a really, really, really well put together, um, roguelike. I think I haven’t played one like this in quite some time. Reminds me a lot of, uh, this is going to be a mega deep cut. And if anybody knows this game, you’re my new hero. But it reminds me a lot of, like, Rengoku on PSP from like a million years ago. Oh, yeah. There’s no way you know of that one, right?

C: I do, I do.

B: Do you! okay.

C: Yeah, yeah. I remember I had a PSP, I think I played it.

B: Yeah. It’s like the same kind of thing in Rengoku back in the day. You’re an android in this, and every time you fought another android, you could choose which piece of them you wanted. And then you added it to your body. So, like, you would have, like, a blade arm on your left arm, you’d have a grenade launcher on your right arm, you’d have like, a pistol for your fucking head and you’d have, like, all this stuff, and you look like this weird patchwork monstrosity, but you could get, like, some really crazy builds going in that game. Rengoku was like, amazing, like way ahead of his time. I would love for people to bring it back, and this is kind of channeling that same energy where you kind of like have these different builds and like I gotta say, like, I have not really been bored of it yet.

I think about it when I’m not playing it, which is a sign of a great game — I really want to get back to it and try this build or try that thing. Or if I can earn 500 more dollars, I can unlock this other option, and that will change how I play. And I’m just still like exploring the combos and exploring the the passive abilities and stuff. So it comes off like kind of a low budget, kind of like small project. And I think it’s only 25 bucks or something like that.

Once you unlock a few things and understand how it’s working and what it’s doing, it’s clear to see that the developers get it. They fully understand what the fun part of this formula is and they’ve dialed in on that fun. Even though it’s not pushing the most pixels and it’s not the deepest thing around, what they’ve made here absolutely works and it’s fun as hell. Dude, I think this game is so good.

C: Cool. Yeah, I will check it out. And also, um, my only thing is like, if there’s not enough persistence, you know, to keep me going, but this sounds like it does because it sounds like every single time you’re doing something.

B: Yeah. I mean, you unlock new weapons. Yeah, exactly. You cannot like when you start, you have nothing. And then after you’ve been playing it for a day, you’ll have, like double your health bar. You’ll be able to start with like one of the mutation mutation powers. You’ll start with a gun and a weapon where you didn’t have anything before. And so like you just like you’ll build up over time. It may not be huge leaps, but I will say that the thing that this game understands better than most is that the things that you do unlock and the things you do change, they feel significant, like it feels like you’ve done something different. Yeah, you can see the improvement. You can feel the step. It’s not just like a 0.012% increase on flame damage or something. It’s like your your combo like stuns guys where it didn’t used to stun them or like you’ve got this bullet reflective shield that you didn’t have before, or you have a whole new head that you didn’t have before. Like they really do feel like significant steps, which I think is really the key to keeping an experience like this, feeling fresh. So I think this one is I mean, honestly, like, I feel like this is like one of my favorite games of the year. I was having like a total blast with it.

C: Surprised. Okay, cool.

B: Yeah, it’s good stuff. Kiborg check it out. It’s 25 bucks, I think everywhere, which is a steal for a game like this. Just give it a chance to blossom once you jump in. This is a lock for one of my top ten this year, for certain.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed published by Sobaka Studio. It is currently available on PC, PS and XB. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 10 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed multiple times, both campaign and the (endless?) arena mode.  There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, and Language. 

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available in the options.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: Subtitles are available for almost all dialogue (I noticed a few lines during play that weren’t subbed, but they were flavor, nothing relaying important information.) Text cannot be resized or altered.

Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable but there are a couple of presets that players can choose from. Left stick moves the character, the face buttons handle various attacks, and the shoulder buttons are used as modifiers to activate various bonus attacks or abilities.

The post SVG REVIEW: Kiborg appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH B. Jenet is back, and I will be taking no further questions on this matter.

LOW Ronaldo looks extremely out of place in this lineup.

WTF  My newfound paranoia about getting punched in the face whenever people ask if I’m okay.

Ah, who doesn’t remember Garou: Mark of the Wolves?

SNK’s time skip of the Fatal Fury storyline was a firm favorite amongst fighting game fans with a bold new character roster, comparatively approachable combat system compared to their King of Fighters games, and truly slick animation for 2D fans to drool over. Feels like it came out only yesterday, doesn’t it?

Sorry, granddad. It actually came out more than two and a half decades ago. Oh dear.

As in most fighters, the narrative setup isn’t that important. Main characters Rock Howard and Terry Bogard make their triumphant return, along with many of the original cast. B. Jenet is back and looks absolutely fabulous, Gato’s still a bone-crushing reclusive edgelord, Hokutomaru’s grown up to the point he doesn’t look like a literal child anymore and… man, it’s good to see them back in action in a modern fighter.

On top of that, some Fatal Fury favorites from earlier titles have joined the roster, including Mai Shiranui and Billy Kane, and most of the new character designs do a good job of measuring up to the old crew. Preecha, Joe Higashi’s bookworm student, is one such addition with her mastery of Muay Thai and impressive kick combos. There’s also the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo, who looks completely out of place here thanks to an odd lack of expression and his soccer-oriented playstyle.

Then there’s Salvatore Ganucci, apparently a popular real life DJ who comes across as a far more worthwhile addition. He’s got a bizarre fighting style that hits surprisingly hard, and his inherent weirdness honestly won me over — one super involving punching his opponent to the beat while looking straight into the player’s eyes being a personal highlight.

On top of this, expect an appearance from Capcom’s Ken Masters and Chun Li in the first season pass — which is thoughtfully being offered to every player who buys the game. Expect more fan faves to come down the DLC pipeline as time goes on.

As far as modes go, there’s the traditional assortment of offerings for single and multiplayer shenanigans. Episodes of South Town is a story-based RPG-lite offering where each character has their own tale to fight through, levelling up as they go while earning new skills to help them progress. It’s a neat little extra.

Then there’s the more traditional arcade, versus and online modes. Nothing earth-shatteringly new, but well-considered and with various customization options available, such as setting up favorite music tracks to play on certain stages.

Mark of the Wolves was well known for trying new things with its fighting system, and City of the Wolves is no different. It makes some bold moves within the genre, along with a new combo system that heavily encourages cancelling EX Special moves into one another to slam out terrifying amounts of damage. Newcomers and beginners may be nonplussed by this almost-mandatory requirement if they want to be competitive, but it does make for some intense bouts.

One of the other big new tweaks is known as the ‘Rev Gauge’. This starts out empty at the start of each round, but can ramp up towards triggering an overheated status if players aren’t careful with stuff like chaining their EX attacks or using the Rev Guard. During this period they can no longer use many of their best tools or combos and become susceptible to being guard crushed if they attempt to block a sustained counterattack. This status also takes bloody ages to reset itself naturally.

There’s another unique hook called the SPG gauge, and it attaches itself to a third of each player’s health bar. Players choose whether to have it active when their health is good, somewhere in the middle, or right when they’re in danger of getting their ass knocked out. Either way, when it’s available players can slam out crushing attacks that power through enemy hits, as well as allow them to use their most damaging super attack, the Ignition Gear, which has the additional benefit of completely refreshing the player’s Rev gauge when it lands.

These mechanics may all have crazy names, but they tend to have some crazy effects, so it balances out. There’s also the return of Just Defense, where blocking at the exact moment a hit lands returns some health. Feints and Breaking allow for fake outs and quick recoveries, as well as some unorthodox move linking potential.

City of the Wolves is quite a mechanically deep game, and to my eyes, has an incredibly well considered fighting experience powering it. Such depth will require practice, which means that casual players might have a hard time jumping on for fifteen minutes a day. Basic, simple combos aren’t going to cut it against some of the insanely-lengthy murder chains that even intermediate players can whip out. The difference in damage is just too extreme, and the optional Smart Combo mode for beginners is more of a learning tool than a serious way to play.

On the flip side, it’s absolutely worth putting the time in. The online matches have been far more satisfying for me than the absurdly aggressive nature of recent fighters likes Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8. Maybe that will change as time goes on and people start learning how to clean house with their given characters, but right now? It feels bloody excellent against similarly-skilled opponents. Even when I got my head smashed in, only Kain’s zoning nonsense ever came close to tilting me.

Part of this success is that all my matches have felt super-smooth with great rollback, and players typically get hooked up with one another at a fairly rapid clip. I rarely have time to bust out more than a few decent combos in training mode before a challenge comes in, and this is exactly what I want from an online cross platform experience. Minimal fuss, quick matchmaking and smooth online performance has been the order of the day so far.

Graphically, City of the Wolves is… fine. It’s an obvious step up from the most recent 3D King of Fighters entries with a stylized comic book aesthetic and clean lines, but it’s certainly not on the level of something like Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear -Strive– or Tekken 8‘s overload of sheer style and visual opulence.  It looks decent, and that’s about it.

It’s maybe no surprise by this point, but I moderately adore City of the Wolves. I played it for many, many hours straight during one particular online session, and when my age-ravaged thumb began to tire and chafe from constantly throwing out special moves and supers, I rubbed life back into it, chewed it like a dog (don’t ask) and kept on going until I was forced to finally take a break because I could no longer control the game to a reasonable standard. Even then, all I wanted to do was keep on slamming out Power Geysers.

That’s the sign of a damn good fighting game right there, I feel. Roll on Blue Mary’s inevitable comeback, my friends. We’ve got some arms to break.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by SNK Corporation. It is currently available on XBX/S, PS4/PS5 and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX and PC. Approximately 7 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed with multiple characters. 18 hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Language, Suggestive Themes and Violence. The official description reads: This is a fighting game in which players can select from a large group of characters to engage in contests of strength. Fighters punch and kick each other as they attempt to drain opponents’ health bars; special moves feature flurries of kicking or large bursts of fire. Fights are highlighted by impact sounds, cries of pain, and screen-shaking effects. Several female characters are designed with jiggling breasts and/or revealing outfits (e.g., deep cleavage). 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. Audio cues do not play a significant role. This game is fully accessible.

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

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HIGH The latest Virtua Fighter 5 edition, with rollback, finally available on Steam.

LOW The single player component is pretty barebones.

WTF Kage’s flying headbutt down attack looks absolutely lethal — to himself.

Rejoice, ye faithful, for the grand Virtua Fighter resurgence is nigh! Hooray!

For those who missed the recent news, Virtua Fighter 6 has finally been announced after almost two decades of waiting, so what better way to celebrate this momentous occasion than for Sega to release a new version of Virtua Fighter 5 on Steam — along with some swanky new rollback netcode, a new intro song by legendary Sega vocalist Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and assorted balance changes? It may not be a brand new game, but still — nice.

Despite being based on a title that’s almost two decades old at this point, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. looks amazing. Stage design in particular is downright spectacular, offering sweeping grasslands, vibrant rain-slick cityscapes and a raft that carries players past soaring pillars of rock as players attempt to dunk their opponent into the drink. Characters are large, well-defined and sharply rendered to take advantage of modern 4K displays.

In fact, the presentation is generally great overall with big, colorful menus that hew closely to PlayStation’s Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown release from three and a half years back. It pops just a little more vibrantly, however, and seeing the main menu screen rolling continuous high level matches that can be enlarged at the touch of a button is as fantastic a feature now as it was back then, as a great way for new or learning players to see how certain characters can operate in skilled hands.

Speaking of characters, there’s a roster of nineteen playable characters, all with distinct and viable martial arts styles on offer. From MMA and Jeet Kun Do to Bajiquan and Drunken Kung Fu, there’s a style to suit nearly every taste. Though, let’s be honest — anyone who isn’t using Vanessa Lewis is probably doing it wrong, as her grapple-based beatdowns are poetry in motion.

The beauty of Virtua Fighter is that all of these fighting styles somehow feel reasonably authentic to their source material, even when someone’s being uppercut six feet into the air and punched five times before they hit the floor. It just works and feels strangely realistic, though arguably filtered through the lens of a Hong Kong kung fu movie.

Additionally, there’s a purity to R.E.V.O.‘s pugilism that’s downright refreshing at this point. In a genre where progress seems to be trending towards tacking on as many Supers, Rage Arts, Drive Rushes and Heat Gauges as possible, it turns out that there’s a lot to be said for simply focusing on the fundamentals. It’s all easy to understand on a visual level too, with no lingering hurtboxes or similar idiosyncrasies throwing players for a loop. Controls are simple – a punch button, a kick button, a guard button and various combinations thereof are all that are needed to delve into an extremely precise fighting and technical experience.

If I had to summarize Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. ‘s matches in a single word, it would be ‘explosive’. It’s not a game that rewards all-out aggression, but when fighters do clash their health gauges can be stripped down in astonishingly short order. However, there’s less of a focus on rushdown than in some competing games as defensive options are strong, most non-specialized attacks won’t hurt downed opponents, and maneuvering around the arena is also incredibly important. A huge lead doesn’t mean much if a player gets sloppy and winds up being tossed out of the ring.

As for the balance changes, they’re subtle. Weight classes have been tweaked so Taka Arashi’s a little more vulnerable than he used to be, and Eileen isn’t such a temptingly lightweight target. Some older moves have been returned to a character’s repertoire, and it’s all just a little more balanced than ever. Not that it was badly tuned before — quite the opposite — but nearly twenty years of digging away at a game’s core will often result in uncovering a few rough edges.

While it’s an excellent offering overall, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.‘s biggest weaknesses tend to occur outside the fighting. Namely, as a modern fighting package, it’s lacking in extras needed to lure in casual players. Not everyone wants to spend all their time online, and aside from a training and arcade mode, there’s not much else for solo players other than watching high-level matches stream in through the main menu. There’s nothing here on par with the extensive single-player offerings seen in recent titles such as Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and recent Mortal Kombat titles, and even character customization options have been pared back significantly since the days of the original Virtua Fighter 5 release.

Worse, though, for a title that focuses so much on online competitive play, there’s no cross-platform play with the PlayStation version of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, which has already been updated to maintain balance parity with R.E.V.O. Steam may be a huge platform, but with an older game like this Sega really should be casting the net as far and wide as it’ll go — and that includes an Xbox release too. Get everyone in on this party, dammit.

With those foibles noted, Virtua Fighter 5 is still a peerless fighter even after all this time, resulting in a game that’s still a joy to play. It’s the best version of a legendary fighting experience, and even if it doesn’t check all the expected boxes of a modern fighting game package, it still kicks ass.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is currently available on PC. A similar version is available on PS4 and PS5, but is missing certain new additions such as rollback netcode. This copy of the game was obtained via paid download before a key was provided by the publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 3 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed with multiple characters. 7 hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes. Furthermore, I’ve played a lot of VF5 over the years in its various forms.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, and Violence.  The official description reads as follows: This is a fighting game in which players choose from a large cast of international fighters to compete against others in one-on-one matches. Players punch, kick, and throw opponents as they attempt to drain their health bars. Combat is highlighted by impact sounds, cries of pain, and brief replay sequences of knockouts. These replays are shown from various camera angles, some of which are slightly zoomed in. Some female characters are designed with revealing costumes (e.g., deep cleavage, bikini-like tops); one character is depicted in a mannequin-like style with nipple-less breasts and buttocks. One character is described as using “Drunken Kung-fu” as his fighting style and can be seen drinking from a gourd during fights; some of his moves reference his drinking, letting players know how many drinks are needed to perform those attacks.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game does not offer subtitles. Characters have a few intro and win quotes delivered in various languages, none of which are necessary to enjoy the game or story. After all, there is no story aside from the background lore. Some audio cues can help discern certain moves, such as a swooshing noise signifying that sidestepping certain attacks isn’t possible, but there’s no need to rely on them. It’s a very visual game.

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

The post Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Soulslike combat with a minimalist art style and a pacifist narrative.

LOW Tedious waves of the same enemy types and harsh penalties for missteps.

WTF Why have different buttons to talk, pick up and read instead of one ‘interact’ button?

Recently, publisher 3D Realms released developer Point N’ Sheep’s Bloodless — an intense isometric action-RPG in which the player must have impeccable timing as they block, disarm and pacify rather than attack their enemies.

The player controls Tomoe, a ronin formerly known as “The Slasher” who has, for reasons yet to be seen, forsaken her murderous ways in pursuit of a peaceful life. She wanders in a land known as Bakugawa seeking to make amends, but inevitably finds more enemies and fewer friends as she travels.

Between its female protagonist, nonviolent combat, and themes of mercy and redemption, Bloodless presents a welcome change from other titles in a similar vein, such as action-heavy soulslikes and metroidvanias.

As she makes her way through Bakugawa (a fictional substitute for feudal Japan) Tomoe must deflect attacks after seeing either a red or white ‘tell’ from enemies. A white reticle indicates that an incoming attack can be parried, and the player must press into the enemy to disarm them. Red reticles cannot be parried, so the player would be wise to back off. While this combat is fairly simple, appropriate response times and speed are crucial, as is management of stamina.

Besides parrying, another strategy that can be deployed to repel an opponent is a ki “attack.” These can be used whenever a pink spot appears during a red attack, and these ki abilities allow the player to gradually wear an enemy’s stamina down until they simply give up and run away.

As examples, the first ki ability the player acquires allows them to release a wide pink arc that chips away at an enemy’s stamina, but it costs a lot of ki. A ‘cheaper’ but less powerful ki ability allows the player to sprint repeatedly at an enemy while engulfed by pink flame. As much as I appreciated the layer of complexity provided by ki abilities, I found the glacial speed at which the ki bar recharges to be so frustrating that I eventually gave up on using ki at all.

While this ‘pacifist’ combat setup seems like an interesting divergence from traditional fare, one aspect of Bloodless that I found annoying was the inefficient design of the controls. For example, the player must use different buttons for doing essentially the same thing: one button for reading signs, one for talking to a person, and a third for picking up items. All of this could easily have been accomplished with just one ‘interact’ button, and there’s no option to remap the controls.

While that was a bother, a more serious issue is that Bloodless requires near-perfect reflexes for success.

For example, one huge, tanky enemy can drop boulders from the sky. This would be a standard sort of ‘tough guy’ encounter in most games, but here it was nearly unbearable — boulders were not only falling out of the sky but also hurtling toward me as he hit more boulders with his massive spiked club in an arc wide enough to hit me at the same time.

As for the bosses, they don’t have HP in the traditional sense, just a certain amount of hits they can take before they’re defeated. Players can’t level up or upgrade to do more damage, they just have to learn how to time their parries perfectly and in fast enough succession to defeat them.

Even after learning how to navigate this, I struggled to time every movement exactly right to make it through all of their various phases, or risk starting from the beginning. When I finally brought one of the later bosses down, I was overcome by such a wave of relief that I knew I needed to stop playing for the sake of my own sanity.

While the demanding gameplay is a bit much, artistically, there are many bright spots. The music suited each area well and dialogue was well-written. The top-down, pixel art presentation opts for minimalism — the landscapes tend to have muted colors, and character models are rendered in stark black and white, similar to how they might have looked running on a GameBoy. This relatively simple look is effective, using color sparingly as a way to distinguish between enemy types or to accentuate the atmosphere of dimly-lit castle grounds littered with corpses of enemies , or eerie green forests teeming with bandits.

Bloodless is a great game for players who enjoy high intensity, well-timed, precision-based combat, but it is definitely not for everyone.

As much as I like a good challenge in games — including soulslikes — I have little patience for tedium. The world was engaging and the graphics stunning, but the dearth of ways to try different ideas in combat dampened my resolve to see Tomoe’s redemption arc through to the end.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Disclosures: This game was developed by Point N’ Sheep and published by 3D Realms. It is currently available on PC and Switch. Code for this review was obtained from the publisher and reviewed on Switch. Approximately 10 hours were devoted to the campaign mode. The game was not finished. There is no multiplayer mode.

Parents: This game is rated T by the ESRB for Blood and Violence. There are pixelated splashes representing blood as Tomoe is slashed by enemies and there are some disturbing images like the remnants of a battle including corpses left to decay in the city streets and so on.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game features voiced NPC dialogue accompanied by text. Due to the isometric presentation, all incoming threats can be observed from far away and the different types of attacks (whether or not they can be parried) are always indicated by color which makes it fully accessible.

Remappable controls: The controls cannot be remapped. A selects/unleashes special ki abilities, B closes/dodges, X uses items, Y ki jabs/interacts, left trigger/right trigger sprints, right/left bumpers switch ki abilities, switch items, – accesses skills, techniques, etc. and + opens menu.

The post Bloodless Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

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.

The post UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Amazing visuals. Top-notch controls.

LOW Occasional stuttering. Some weird translations here and there.

WTF Kuma hitting enemies with a giant trout is just… perfection.

I can’t write this review right now, as it will take me away from playing Tekken 8, and that is simply unacceptable. 

[An editor, offscreen, mutters something unintelligible]

I’ve been reminded I am required to provide a full review. 

FINE.

Tekken 8 furthers the sordid story of the Mishima clan, who have sponsored a series of fighting competitions. The prize? Control of the Mishima Zaibatsu and its seemingly-unlimited resources. Whoever is crowned the victor will have the power to do anything, including either caring for the world, or allowing it to be consumed by the forces of darkness. 

Fundamentally, Tekken 8 is a 3D fighter, with players combining various button presses and movements to attack opponents, wearing down their life bar in best-of-three battles.  Moves and throws can be strung together to decimate an enemy’s health, while dodges, blocks, and counters can mitigate incoming damage. 

The roughly ten-hour story campaign features gorgeous cutscenes and has everything from heartfelt stories of redemption, love, and friendship to madcap slapstick comedy and one-liners, to the completely absurd (Bears. Getting. Married.) The tonal whiplash is real, but it’s so damn entertaining that I just don’t care. The story mode also allows players to get a feel for the whopping 32 characters available at launch, each with vastly different movesets and playstyles, including everything from close-in brawling to high-flying martial arts. 

Standouts this time around are newcomer Azucena, with her perky, coffee-based banter (apparently I’m in the minority by thinking her constant talk about it is adorable.) I plan to use her often in the future, as I’m a big fan of her MMA-style strikes, speed, and ability to punish at range. I’m also taken with Alisa Bosconovitch, an android who finds herself so attracted to rebel leader Lars Alexandersson that she can (literally) lose her head over him. I’m enamored by her adorkable personality and the fact that she has chainsaws for arms to support a playstyle of speed and aggression, which is just right for me.

I want to say it’s difficult to pick a favorite fighter from the bunch, especially with those two in the mix, but it really isn’t. Since the early days of Tekken, I’ve loved pro-wrestler-turned-fighter King. His ring gear, (including an eerily lifelike jaguar mask) is fabulous, and he hits like a train with rolling kicks, clotheslines, and myriad throws, many of which can combo into one another. He’s always been a difficult character to use and requires incredible precision, but he’s been buffed into a top-tier fighter. His complex, multi-step inputs are a bit easier, and his special moves absolutely devastate at close and mid-range. It’s about time!

A new, additional singleplayer story mode titled “Arcade Quest” tells the more light-hearted story of a group of friends trying to make their mark in the world of competitive Tekken Arcade battling.  This approximately five-hour mode serves as an extended tutorial, teaching players the ins and outs of picking a specific main (which can be changed at any time) and strategies that will help a player achieve success in online battles by explaining Tekken 8‘s new systems and how to use the right moves in certain situations.  Watching my customized avatar wander around talking to NPCs was delightful, if a bit hokey, and the battle tips translated into wins in the online Ranked Mode later — something I’ve never achieved in a fighter before!

Of course, tips aren’t worth much if the controls aren’t there, but the inputs were remarkably precise on my standard DualSense pad, with no delay between my button presses and subsequent character actions.  I rarely, if ever, felt like missing a move or combo was because the game didn’t recognize the input. Rather, it was usually because my timing was poor, or my opponent’s defense was impeccable.  That said, I did and still do wonder if investing in a fight stick might be worthwhile if I really want to master Tekken 8’s standard controls… 

Fortunately, the developers have included a clever new input system for those unable to remember or execute some of the more complicated sequences. By pressing the L1 button at any time, controls are switched to a relaxed “Special Style” which simplifies inputs, allowing players to pull off spectacular moves and combos with one button press, while still allowing experienced players access to the rest of the moveset.  I love this new feature!  The theme for Tekken 8’s Arcade Challenge is that play is meant to be enjoyable and accessible to all, no matter what character, skill level, or play style is chosen, and this mode supports it perfectly.

Also new to Tekken 8 is the incredible “Heat System.” Once a round, players can input a command to enter Heat Mode.  While in this state, characters have ten seconds of enhanced power where they can activate a dash (to quickly approach an opponent) or a smash — a character-specific combo which can truly ruin an enemy’s day if it connects.  For instance, masked wrestler King launches his opponent into the air with a hammer blow, and then leaps to catch the hapless victim in the air with a vicious powerbomb. If the hammer blow is blocked, King immediately switches to a sprint/dropkick combination.  This mode adds an extra layer of strategy, as determining the best time to enter Heat and execute a powered-up attack can turn the tide of a battle quickly. 

It’s also worth noting that Tekken 8 offers an embarrassment of riches in terms of play modes apart from the ones already mentioned.  Beyond the story and Arcade Quest modes, there are the usual PVP offerings such as on- and offline matches, ranked contests, and the volleyball inspired Tekken Ball (attacking opponents with a charged sphere rather than directly).  Online lobbies including the adorable Avatar Arcade lobbies are populous, and it hasn’t taken me more than a minute to get into a brawl with a fellow player.  The game features solid rollback netcode, skipping frames of animation to cover for any lag, ensuring a smooth experience.  Matches are quick to load, and it’s easy to track players I fought, allowing me to turn them into friends (or rivals!) in an instant.

No matter what mode a player chooses, the screen is soon filled with vibrant color, incredibly detailed character models and backgrounds, blazingly fast frenetic action, and llamas.  I will never not be amazed when I can see, for example, things like the stitching on Victor’s immaculately bespoke suits, or the embossed patterns on Jin Kazama’s leather jacket (this is a big game for patterned leather jackets). 

Speaking of costumes, Tekken 8 offers an almost ridiculous level of customization available to players. Not only could I customize my avatar to look like me, complete with my usual t-shirt and jeans gaming combo (and a reasonable facsimile of my glasses), I have the ability to change the way every fighter looks. By unlocking additional gear with in-game currency (not microtransactions) players can make characters look like everything from Santa to Tomb Raider‘s Lara Croft, and just about everything in between. Tekken 8 has a style for everyone.

Tekken 8 is an outstanding offering with almost nothing to complain about, but I do have two minor complaints.  First, some models can clip through one another, which is especially noticeable when attempting a throw on a larger character such as one of the bears. It doesn’t affect gameplay, it’s just a visual quirk. More of an issue is when the camera angle shifts to catch a “better” view of a particularly powerful move or combo, which sometimes makes the action or impact hard to see.

In case it hasn’t been made abundantly clear by now, Tekken 8 is a must-play for fans of the series, fans of the genre, or even for new players wondering what all the hype is about.  It’s a standout entry in a phenomenal series, it respects the player’s time, and gives them a ton to do, and it’s a joy to play.  Go get it.

Rating: 9 out of 10

[EDITOR’S NOTE: After this review was published, GameCritics learned (Source A, Source B) that Bandai Namco will be adding an in-game shop. In this shop, real-world currency can be exchanged for “Tekken Coins” in order to purchase items such as classic versions of costumes. The exact pricing is not known at the time of this Editor’s Note. The customization options described in the review remain accurate, but we can no longer say that Tekken 8 is microtransaction-free.]

Disclosures: This game is developed by Bandai Namco Studios Inc. and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.  It is currently available on XBX/S, PS5, PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 15 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. 3 hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence. The official description reads: This is a fighting game in which players engage in one-on-one combat with a large cast of human, animal, and supernatural characters. Players use martial-arts punches, kicks, and throws to drain opponents’ life meters in fast-paced combat. Some characters use swords, laser blasts, and explosives to deal damage against opponents. Battles are highlighted by impact sounds, cries of pain, and screen-shaking effects; some attacks are depicted with zoomed-in camera angles and colorful bursts of light. The game contains some female characters designed with revealing outfits (e.g., bikinis, deep cleavage) and jiggling breasts; a Gallery Mode also depicts female characters with revealing outfits, exaggerated-sized breasts, and provocative poses (e.g., bikini-clad characters bent over). The word “sh*t” appears in the game.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are present.   

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles cannot be altered and/or resized. All gameplay audio cues have a visual component.  Spoken dialogue during character introductions before a battle do not always have subtitles.  All dialogue in story mode is fully subtitled.

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

The post Tekken 8 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

This is a transcript excerpt covering the score awarded to Mortal Kombat 1 on the So Videogames podcast, episode 375: Chicken Wang FTW

BRAD: The last thing before we get out of housekeeping is I want to circle back to Mortal Kombat one. We talked about it a while ago, uh, last year. I feel like it was like [00:20:00] October or something like that, and I started it. I got a pretty good chunk into the story mode, and then I got distracted. You know, Q4 happened, it was like a million games a minute. We had lots of stuff prepping for game of the year and everything and everything, and it fell through the cracks. And I first, I want to apologize to everybody at the Mortal Kombat team and to Mortal Kombat PR. I meant to cover it in full a while ago, and I just I just lost it, man. I just, I, you know, I just lost track of it and I, I realized a couple days ago and I felt super bad about that. So I do want to apologize to everybody first.

So, let me just now circle back to Mortal Kombat with our official So video Games review. So I talked about it before, I, I like the Mortal Kombat series a lot. I think that ever since Mortal Kombat nine, um, they have just been better and better and better and better. The graphics keep getting better, the controls keep getting better. And the story, the story itself is amazing. Um, you know what the Mortal Kombat Story team did with nine, like, really basically revolutionized what we expect from fighting games they crafted. Like, I think one of the best story campaigns that’s ever been in a fighting game, and they just keep iterating on it time after time in Mortal Kombat one, just for people who don’t remember, uh, this is one where they kind of like reboot the whole thing. Um, in the last Mortal Kombat, they kind of brought everything to a head. It was like this continuing storyline over a couple games. They had, like this cosmic battle with somebody who controlled time and space, and it was just like this giant apocalyptic fight. And I was thinking to my head, where are you going to go from this? Because it’s already you’re like on a universe scale, like there’s nothing left to do, you know? But they pulled it off again. They kind of did like a a timeline, multiverse revamp. Uh, I guess multiverses are very popular in media right now. And so they kind of, uh, did this multiverse thing where they opened it up to different dimensions and there’s like lots of possibilities.

I don’t want to spoil any of the funny moments, but there are lots of crossovers and lots of mash ups with characters where you see like an alternate timeline Liu Kang, or like an alternate timeline Molina and you’re like, oh my God, what’s going on with that person? Um, and it’s just it’s just really funny and interesting. I think that was great. In terms of the combat, I think it’s super tight. I think it feels good to play. I think the moves have been revamped in a great way. There’s also a new system called the Cameo System, where these characters are not in the game officially, but you can still see them. They’ll show up as like a helper character. So like in the middle of a battle, you hit a button and like somebody who you cannot choose to use as a fighter but will show up in like, you know, like Kano will show up and like, shoot somebody’s laser eye or, or Sonya will show up and kick somebody. So you’ll still see her in the game and she’ll still be around. But I mean, the roster is already pretty big. They can’t carry forward like 150 characters every single game, right? There’s no way to do that. So I think that’s totally a fun system and I enjoyed that. After you beat the campaign, there’s also a new system called the Invasion System, where they’re rolling out these chunks of story on a seasonal basis.

The first one is like your inside Johnny Cage’s mansion. You kind of go through the rooms and each room is a different challenge. Now I’m in the second chunk where I’m in like Barakas area. It’s like a desert area, so you get more challenges, unlock some stuff. I think that’s a really interesting mode. I think that’s fun. Looking forward to that. And I think it’s fine that they got rid of some of the other stuff like the, the towers and some of the older the crypt and everything. I was like, okay, that was they’ve done that all like multiple times. And I think it’s fine to like let go of that and just try something new. So that’s all good. I think overall it’s great. I do also want to call out the character design. Um, they did something kind of different here where it’s like more realistic. It’s like a good blend between a realistic looking character model and slightly fantastical for video gaming. But they haven’t leaned into the fantastic very much. And I know some people are mad about that because honestly, uh, the boobs and the butts are not as big as they used to be. They’re not, as you know, they’re not as revealing as they used to be. And I think that’s fine. Like, I mean, you’ve got a whole internet full of porn if you need to get that stuff, that’s cool. This game doesn’t need to be all about just like a meat market, you know, Teddy show.

So I think it’s fine that they’ve scaled things back. Um, I do like the character design overall, and I think they’ve got some neat characters there that are that are fun to use. So enjoying that. Uh, it’s all it’s all good. What is the downside of this game? I think the downside is, number one, I don’t like the online store. Um, I feel like there’s like stuff to get to customize your character, a lot of cosmetic stuff, but I feel like it’s all kind of like wrapped up in the store and it’s not apparent, like what’s in there. It seems to rotate on a basis and like, I don’t really have anything to look forward to unlocking. I kind of just like check in in the store and see what they’ve got and kind of bounce when there’s nothing good. And I, I would much rather have something to work towards, or maybe the ability to choose what reward I want, or something that would give me something to keep playing the game after I finished the story mode. And if I don’t want to play online or something like that. Um, so I don’t like the online aspect of it. I don’t like the the lack of rewards that are obvious. I’m not a fan of that. Also, when you’re in the invasions mode, they kind of. I overcomplicated a bit. Like you can take your character through this and they’ve got like elemental affinities.

Like I was playing with reptile this morning who was a really cool, um, you know, human ninja, but he turns into a giant lizard and like, he’s like an ice character. And I’m like, why is he ice like he does? That doesn’t make sense. It seems like they randomly assigned affinities, [00:25:00] like someone’s fire and someone’s, you know, acid and someone’s steel or whatever. I don’t want to mess with that. I don’t I don’t want to worry about who’s strong. You know, fire beats wood, wood beats water. Water beats fire. Yeah. Like I don’t want to worry about that stuff. And there’s also like, medallions where you, like, have extra powers. You can, like, upgrade them. And I’m like, this all feels like just nonsense then. And trifle that I don’t want to mess with. So I don’t, don’t care for that too much. Um, but overall, I mean, it’s hard to fault Mortal Kombat because they’ve raised the bar, they have raised the bar, they continue to raise the bar, and even even an okay, Mortal Kombat game in modern times is way better than most other, uh, fighting games. And this one is pretty good. I had a great time with the story mode, had a great time, um, just playing, uh, in the practice mode and the versus mode and stuff. So I think it’s a really, really solid game. I really enjoy it a lot. And I’m going to give it an official SVG score of a solid eight out of ten.

CARLOS: There you go.

BRAD: You cannot go wrong with Mortal Kombat.

CARLOS: Pretty solid score.

BRAD: Yeah, it definitely is. So good times. And again, for me the high point is the story mode. Lots of laughs, lots of funny moments, lots of cool fights. I just I love their story modes. I live for the Mortal Kombat story mode, so good stuff. Congratulations, Mortal Kombat eight out of ten and once again, please accept my apologies for not getting to it sooner. I am sorry about that.

CARLOS: Check it out.

Score: 8 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by WB Interactive. It is currently available on PC, PS5, XBX/S and Switch. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 12 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. 1 hour of play was spent in multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language. The official descriptions states: This is a fighting game in which players engage in one-on-one battles against characters from the Mortal Kombat universe. Players punch, kick, throw, and use special attacks (e.g., guns; blasts of fire, ice, or lightning; bladed weapons) to drain opponents’ life meters. Battles are highlighted by screams of pain, realistic gunfire, and exaggerated impact sounds; large blood-splatter effects occur frequently. Some attacks are depicted with slow-motion x-ray views of characters’ bones shattering. Each character can perform various finishing moves (Fatalities, Brutalities) after an opponent is defeated; these over-the-top moves can result in characters being dismembered and graphically mutilated. Some of these moves expose organs (e.g., a character cut in half with visible entrails, a character’s chest torn open with heart visible). The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole” appear in the game.

Colorblind Modes: There are colorblind modes available in the options.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: Subtitles are available for all spoken lines, but the text is not able to be resized or altered. There are several settings relating to the audio including options to make the game accessible to visually impaired players. Overall, I found that the game was quite playable without audio cues, as every special move is accompanied by a visual cue. In my view, this game is fully accessible.

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

The post SVG REVIEW Mortal Kombat 1 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH This is about as realistic as fighting games get…

LOW …until those slow-motion replays.

WTF Online play is great, if you enjoy gaming on Powerpoint.

When I first received UFC 5, I expected to be underwhelmed — and I have never been this thrilled to be
wrong.

EA’s long-standing grip on the genre has produced titles that varied between button-mashing fare
to brutal, technical simulations, but I’m happy to report that this year’s version hits an
elusive sweet spot balancing depth and accessibility in ways prior editions could never achieve.

Let’s start with the heart of any fighting game — the control system. The striking mechanics, while
responsive, feel less like shadowboxing and more like an actual physical exchange in the Octagon. The
punches, kicks, and elbows pack more visual punch this time around, with more of the gritty, raw
unpredictability that defines MMA combat.

The system for managing submissions has been updated for simplicity and ease of use. Now, when players are in submission positions, health bars appear alongside player health. These bars are influenced by the amount of damage a player has sustained and their fighter’s attributes. A defending fighter with lower health is more susceptible to a successful submission, increasing the chances of a tapout.

In turn, the defensive mechanism is straightforward and largely unchanged, with shoulder buttons used
to block attacks aimed at the head, body, and legs. Those who have experience with previous UFC
entries should be able to adapt without much concern.

EA introduces new combo chains and counter-attacks, presumably to add strategic depth, but once
they’re set in motion with the right controller maneuvers, they end up feeling like a rehearsed dance
rather than a spontaneous fight. It’s an improvement in presentation, but one that removes players
from truly immersing themselves in those moments.

Grappling has been an Achilles’ heel of past editions. In UFC 5 they’ve been optimized and improved
throughout. Transitions to (and on) the ground are smoother, but seasoned players may find these
controls too simplified after spending years performing thumb calisthenics in previous editions. That said, for those who want to simply enjoy play without cramping, the streamlined controls are a welcome (and
welcoming) breath of fresh air.

I can’t believe I’m saying this in 2023, but the career mode might be my favorite part of UFC now.
Though EA Sports has struggled to bring these stories to life, I felt oddly connected to this underdog journey. Make no mistake, there are plenty of predictable twists and turns and a complete lack of nuanced storytelling — but like a terrible movie you can’t stop watching on a rainy Sunday, I was surprisingly compelled to push forward.

That said, the career mode is not for those looking for a casual experience. Training and fight prep is as
laborious as ever, and the grind may turn off more laid-back folks. Players have the discretion to
determine the duration of their training, ranging from a brief one-week session to an extensive six-week
program. Longer training periods are generally recommended, as fighters typically experience a
significant drop in fitness following each fight, necessitating thorough reconditioning.

This journey begins in modest settings like backyards and progresses through the ranks to the pinnacle
venues of the MMA world. Early matches are structured to acclimate players to the controls,
starting with basic strikes and gradually advancing to more complex techniques like clinches, grappling,
and submissions.

When it comes to mirroring the realism of the MMA lifestyle, the career mode is the ideal starting point.
Not only does it allow players to familiarize themselves with the game’s intricate systems, but it also
provides just enough narrative to give their avatars a sense of purpose, while accurately reflecting the
rough, underground feel of this sport’s lower tiers.

Additionally, UFC 5 offers the “Fight Contracts” single-player mode, which is regularly updated. This
mode functions as a series of challenges, setting up bouts with specific fighters at varying difficulty
levels. Each contract allows up to four attempts to secure victory, rewarding successful players with
experience points. Failure to triumph in all attempts results in the inability to reattempt that specific
challenge.

Visually, UFC 5 flexes its graphical muscles with detailed fighter models, but sometimes these models
get that ‘wax figure’ aesthetic that belies the realism of the gameplay. Famous faces are recognizable,
though stars definitely received more attention than those fighting on the undercard. Likewise,
the arenas are well recreated but just miss that unique, edge-of-the-seat fight energy. The presentation
is there, but once users step into the Octagon, it’s a little muted.

Conversely, the sound design packs a wallop with the in-fight audio. Punches sound convincing,
knockout blows are devastating, and the crowd noise — though a little muted — still ebbs and flows with
the fight’s progression. In turn, the commentary team occasionally seems to be calling a different fight,
but the overall vibe of realism is there.

Online play stands out in UFC 5 for all the wrong reasons. Though things may have changed via patch by
the time this is published, my experience at the time of writing was spotty at best, and maddening at its worst. There are plenty of modes available for different skill levels. But, matchmaking is spotty, and connections are as unpredictable as a spinning back fist. The lag is a significant negative considering how split-second timing can mean the difference between well-earned victory and controller-tossing defeat.

Ultimately, UFC 5 is in an interesting space — it’s a sports sim that also holds appeal for casual fighting fans. While not perfect, this is the best rendition of the sport to date, and a great launching point to take the series in exciting, new, more narrative-driven directions.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published by Electronic Arts and developed by EA Sports. It is available on
XBX/S and PS5. This game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately
22 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed.
Approximately 3 hours of play were devoted to online multiplayer.

Parents: According to the ESRB this game is rated M and features Blood, Strong Language and Violence. The description reads as follows: This is a simulation fighting game in which players fight in UFC-style
matches against real-world fighters. Based on full-contact mixed martial arts competitions, the game
allows players to use martial arts, wrestling, boxing, and grappling moves to fight opponents. Damage
includes characters losing consciousness from knockouts and/or tapping out from various submission
holds (e.g., choke holds, arm/leg locks). Repeated strikes can cause opponents to bleed from cuts,
resulting in large bloodstains on the mat and/or their bodies. Match replays depict knockout strikes in
slow motion, with crunching sound effects and spurts of blood. The words “f*k” and “sht” are heard
in the game.

Colorblind Modes: There are colorblind settings and other visual adjustments available in the Game
Settings menu.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: UFC 5 features subtitles and numerous tactile feedback features within
the controller, in all modes. There are no audio cues needed for play. The game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: There are several controller configurations but the game’s controls are not remappable.

The post EA Sports UFC 5 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Great character designs with varied combat styles.

LOW This Switch port performs worse than on Playstation or PC.

WTF ‘The Seeds of Volition Bring Forth a Challenger’ is a weird intro to each bout.

Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Give Arc Systems Works an intellectual property and they’ll turn it into a beautiful and competent anime infused brawler. When they’re not polishing their own Guilty Gear to a mirror-like sheen, they’re turning Kill la Kill, Granblue Fantasy and Dragon Ball into visually stunning hyperkinetic beatdowns.

This is a company with a real talent for turning franchises into fighters, and naturally they’ve gone and done it again with Nexon and Neople’s Dungeon Fighter Online side-scrolling series, which is now a one-on-one anime fighter. It actually first came out in 2022, but was only recently brought to Nintendo’s Switch — and while it took a few visual knocks in the transition, it’s still a fine experience.

As is typical for a fighter, the story’s not much to write home about. There was this world, then the world fragmented a bit, and then these magical gates appeared to let people meet up who were destined to punch each other in the face… or something. Beyond that, there’s a range of the usual game modes to choose from, such as Arcade or Survival, and while the script is largely throwaway it does have some beautiful artwork between matches. (The first NPC I saw in Grappler’s story mode had me wishing she was a playable character.)

Speaking of the roster, there’s a total of sixteen characters so far. Weirdly, they aren’t given personal names and are instead referred to by their class — Grappler, Kunoichi, Striker, and that sort of thing. Regardless, the cast are almost certainly what most players would want from an anime fighter. The designs are on-point with a varied array of manly men and pretty ladies punching each other across the screen in aesthetically pleasing ways, employing either their fists or a variety of weapons such as guns and magical attacks to gain the upper hand.

For anyone who hasn’t played a 2D anime fighter before, battles are usually play out at a decent clip with a ton of visual effects whirling around the screen. Characters zip in and out of range with a variety of dashes and evasive tactics, zoning at range by employing projectiles or closing the distance to land punishing grappling techniques or various combo strikes. While DNF Duel does slow things down a touch compared to some of the more aggressive anime fighters on the market, players can still be murdered in a hurry if they let their guard down and receive an avalanche of special moves.

DNF Duel is fairly easy to pick up, with special moves activated via directions and a single button press, and stronger specials coming from a button that implements the character’s MP gauge — a resource which rapidly refills after use. There’s also a dual damage system where characters take permanent damage from attacks, but also temporary damage that can be recovered during battle by simply not taking more hits to the face.

One slight downside about this simpler approach (and a lack of defensive options) means that I quickly started to play in patterns. After I found a good opening gambit for a character, I’d use that over and over to get inside the opponent’s space rather than having any real ‘footsie’ or mix-up game to break through their guard, leading to abusing the same moves repeatedly. That said, I like the combat fine overall, even if it’s seemingly not really tuned for high-level play.

A more serious issue, however, is that DNF Duel on the Switch comes with performance issues. The excellent character portraits in the menus and versus screens are razor sharp, but once into the game proper, there’s an immediately noticeable (and offputting) blurry sheen smeared over the characters. The crisp detail seen in the PC and PS5 versions is gone, and previously fine lines now look like they’ve been roughly sketched out with a graphite pencil. The same lack of definition also applies to backgrounds, meaning the Switch version comes up short in a comparison between available platforms.

It’s not the end of the world, admittedly, but a large part of DNF Duel’s appeal lies in how good everything looks as all kinds of chaotic craziness unfolds on the screen, so some of the concessions made to get it running on Switch are a disappointing compromise.

Another thing that should be mentioned is that the online lobbies are basically dead. The Switch version of DNF Duel uses delay-based netcode instead of the universally-preferred rollback model, which unfortunately means a worse online performance and presumably no chance of ever seeing crossplay being activated to connect players up with people on other platforms.

The unfortunate result is that in a genre known to shine when taking on opponents of similar skills from across the world, most players will instead have to treat DNF Duel as a primarily single player experience or find matches through online forums and fan communities rather, than simply hopping on and playing online at their own convenience.

I found DNF Duel to be enjoyable overall, but this cool, high-energy anime fighter with great characters and an appealing style is hampered by a lack of depth, low online playerbase, and the Switch’s hardware. That said, when it comes to a bit of brawling on the go, players could certainly do a lot worse than this. It’s not going to be the next big thing in fighting games, but it doesn’t have to be in order to still offer a fairly solid experience.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by Eighting, Arc System Works and Neople and published by Nexon. It is currently available on PS4/PS5/Switch and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the Switch. Approximately 6 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. 4 hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Violence.  This is a fighting game in which players can select from 16 characters in a fantastical world/storyline. Players use punches, kicks, and special moves to deplete opponents’ health bars in frenetic on-on-one combat. Fights are highlighted by cries of pain, dramatic light/sound effects, and screen-shaking effects. Cutscenes sometimes depict still images of characters with blood-splattered faces and clothes; one image briefly depicts a monster corpse impaled by several weapons. Some female characters are designed with revealing outfits (e.g., low-cut tops, deep cleavage) and jiggling breasts.

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. As a fighting game, the gameplay should be almost fully accessible without sound.

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

The post DNF Duel: Who’s Next Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Luke: 9 HP, 2HP, 214+PP, 214+HP, 236236+HK.

LOW The initial character roster’s extremely unambitious.

WTF Bring Crimson Viper back already, brigands.

Street Fighter V was an interesting one. Clearly the product of a company attempting to woo the competitive eSports crowd at the cost of casual players, there was a notable amount of backlash from casuals and hardcores alike that it felt unfinished at launch. Over time it clawed its way towards being a complete package, and now that it’s in a good place? It’s time to cast it aside and start anew with the sequel, Street Fighter 6!

That’s okay though. Street Fighter 6, at launch, is a significantly fresher and more exciting experience than Street Fighter V was, and the confidence in this entry is notable. From the character select screen where combatants swagger towards their bout with real panache, to the myriad graphical flourishes in each match that accompany important moves and match-deciding reversals, there’s been a lot of care and effort put into making sure that the experience is both solid and bombastic.

On the other hand, while it’s a little disappointing that over half the eighteen-strong character roster is lifted straight from Street Fighter II (more on that later) there are a few newcomers worthy of mention. My personal favourite is Marisa, a hulking female Spartan-style warrior who’s almost as big as Russian wrestler Zangief. Her attacks are powerful and can be charged by holding down each button to change their properties on the fly, and some of her specials grant super armor to absorb enemy hits without being knocked out of her move.

While I’m less interested in the other new faces, I did begin to warm to Manon, a French judo expert who treats the world as her fashion catwalk, practically dancing with her opponents as she hurls them around. With each command throw that she lands, her grappling damage increases, eventually hitting a peak where being caught does terrifying amounts of damage and it doesn’t decay between rounds.

The other characters are less my style. Jamie’s a drunken kung fu expect who powers up by drinking herbal juice, and cane-wielding gentleman JP’s a psycho power-infused zoning expert. Kimberly’s an ’80s enthusiast street artist with some decent ninja style combos up her ninja sleeves, and I find Lily too bland to even bother talking about… So I won’t.

Though the roster is ever so slightly dull at the moment, the visual overhaul is worthy of praise. There’s a notable step away from the cartoonish, exaggerated look of previous entries, though characters are still heavily stylized. It’s possible to see the bulge of Ryu’s biceps flexing as he unleashes his Shin Shoryuken during its execution cinematic, as well as the accumulation of sweat, dirt and minor bruises piling up as the match progresses. In short, it’s a great looking piece with attention spent on portraying each fighter in a cool and appealing manner.

Gameplay has also seen some fairly substantial additions. Beyond the combat being much improved with heavy, powerful blows and a style and pace that just feels ‘right’ for the genre, there’s some smart and interesting new features in play. First off is the Drive Gauge, which can be spent to power up special moves, perform parries or unleash guard-crushing Drive Impacts. Its importance can’t be overstated, as running out of Drive leaves characters vulnerable and limits their options while it slowly recharges. It’s so important, in fact, that there’s an entire visual effect dedicated to highlighting this temporary weakness.

The Drive Impact can also be a real game-changer. It absorbs up to two hits, and if it lands through an opponent’s attack, it will stagger them on the spot and leave them open for serious retribution. Moreover, if an enemy is bounced into the boundaries of the stage, they’ll rebound into a stunned state. It’s incredibly powerful in practice but vulnerable to throws, super attacks or even return Drive Impacts which mean that the person who threw it out first will be the one getting stunned when two of them clash head on.

Finally there’s a Drive Rush which allows players to cancel moves into quick dashes at the cost of some meter. I haven’t really come to grips with it during my time so far, but the players who had could whip out some truly outlandish combos that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Certain moves also have new properties throughout a Drive Rush — for example, Luke’s overhead can suddenly be chained into other moves, leading to a massive damage potential that isn’t possible without triggering one first.

These additions are great, and lead to dynamic fights where fortunes can turn in the blink of an eye, and a well-read counter can lead to wild damage being doled out. On the flipside, spending meter carelessly can lead to dangerous situations. Emptying the Drive Gauge may have seemed worth it for the extra combo damage at the time, but hitting the burnout state and having drastically reduced defensive and offensive options can be a real shock when dealing with a counterattack.

There’s one other huge change I’d be remiss not to mention — the addition of a new ‘Modern’ control method which makes doing special moves and supers far simpler. Purists like myself might scoff at it, but it does make sense given that it trims away some buttons so that the combat system’s more suited for console controllers instead of fight sticks. I stuck with Classic and moaned about not having easy access to Medium Punch since I have it set to left trigger, but Modern perhaps makes more sense for casual players who don’t mind losing a bit of flexibility in return for ease and simplicity.

Returning players may remember that Street Fighter V launched with almost no singleplayer content whatsoever, leaving solo players out in the cold. Street Fighter 6 is massively improved in this regard with a plethora of arcade, practice and training modes, as well as a resurrected the World Tour mode. The result is a hugely modified and fully realized package at launch.

This World Tour mode initially welcomes players to Metro City, where sucker-punching an old lady in the back of the head with an uppercut is every bit as socially acceptable as saying ‘Hello’. Taking place in the form of a third-person adventure, players will create their own unique avatar and be set loose in the world to follow their dream of learning what strength truly means.

They’ll naturally accomplish this lofty, nebulous goal by kicking bins over, punching unruly thugs in the face, buying stat-altering items or clothes, and jawing with a collection of Street Fighter legends such as Luke and Ryu who are only too happy to take players under their wing and teach them how to pull off a Shoryuken or two. Luke in particular comes across as an awesome dude, doing his best for his students while also espousing the values of videogames and junk food.

It’s a cool mode that lasts upwards of thirty hours for players who want to do everything, though it does end in a strange way that left me wondering whether I’d seen the actual ending or if I’d missed something along the way.

The player’s World Tour avatar can also be brought into online lobbies which consist of large arcade-style hubs with plenty of cabinets dotted around to challenge other players, spectate fights or stand in a queue to take on the winner of a given match. It’s a slick setup, with optional rotated arcade games such as Final Fight or Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo available during downtime.

While this is all pretty great so far, one slight issue I have with Street Fighter 6 is admittedly a personal one — I find ‘zoning’ characters incredibly boring to fight against. Seeing a Guile or JP turtle up and spend their time on the opposite side of the stage salivating with delight at the prospect of ticking down the timer with a prolonged poke and projectile war is a harsh and immediate turn off. I’d forgotten how much I disliked zoning characters, and after a ton of great, fast-paced matches in a row, these moments were like a sudden dash of cold water in my face.

While the roster could use some spicing up, Street Fighter 6 is a total blast overall and has captured my attention in a way that other recent fighters haven’t. It’s a fantastic game straight out the gate for both for solo and competitive players, it features excellent netcode that provides smooth cross platform online play across decent connections, and there are a bunch of exciting new gameplay tools and tweaks to get to grips with. Capcom have essentially knocked this one out of the park, and Street Fighter just feels right again.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Capcom. It is currently available on XBX/S, PS4/5, and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX and S. Approximately 33 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. 7 hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Mild Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco and Violence. The official ESRB description reads as follows: This is a fighting game in which players assume the roles of international characters engaging in one-on-one fighting matches with other online players. Players use punches, kicks, and special attacks (e.g., fireballs, rising uppercuts, electric attacks) to drain opponents’ life meters. Combat is fast-paced and constant, highlighted by impact sounds, cries of pain, and bursts of light/paint streaks. A handful of bonus games (e.g., 2D side-scrolling games) depict small blood-splatter effects; other games depict blood on characters’ faces after losing matches. The game contains some suggestive material: female characters designed in revealing outfits (e.g., thongs, deep cleavage, partially exposed buttocks, chests covered by narrow bands.); some characters’ breasts jiggle during matches–camera angles sometimes highlight various body parts. One character fights in a Drunken Boxing style, which depicts him drinking alcohol from a gourd, stumbling and red faced; various moves/combos, badges/banners, and bio text reference alcohol (e.g., “Don’t Cry Over Spilled Booze”; “Intoxicated Assault”; “Immune to Hangovers”; “I Breakdance When I’m Tipsy“; “Swagger Step: Drink level 3 or higher”). A bonus game depicts enemy characters smoking cigarettes.

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, but the background opacity can be tweaked for easier reading. As a fighting game, most of the onscreen action should be easy enough to understand without access to sound. There are certain sound cues that could give some players an advantage though – for instance, when Luke charges and times his special Flash Knuckle correctly, he’ll shout ‘perfect’ to indicate that the move properties have changed. I found this aspect tougher to gauge without the accompanying voicework.

Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls as well as several wildly different control schemes to choose from.

The post Street Fighter 6 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.