This is a game I really want to support as a fighting game fan. I can say confidently that I will repurchase this game if the dev fixes these issues and continues to update it in the future, but the game should not have been released as it is. It baffles my mind there was no Early Access or Beta for players to test the game and provide feedback. It is lacking a lot of basic features. Not even just QoTL features frame data, or replay takeover, but bare minimum such as private lobbies or "Reset Position" in training mode.
For a brief overview of the game. There is no air dashing, air blocking or air teching). It is a 4 button fighter (LP, HP, LK, HK), and there are no command normals or proximity normals. There is proximity throw, if I had to guess, it is old school frame 1 throw. Move lists are small and motions are pretty simple Like almost every character only has 3-4 specials, and one super which is just a single QCF(236) or QCB(214) + Two Punches or Kicks. The most complex motion you will see is a half circle, but there are no 360s, DPs, pretzels, or charge motions. A lot of characters have huge normals, Pink for example, her stand heavy is like a halfscreen sword swing that has no hurtbox on the sword at all so you cannot whiff punish it with a normal like say, a Dhalsim limb in Street Fighter.
I wish I can comment more on the gameplay, but I just straight up could not play the game. I would assume this game will turn out to be a high damage, ground-based neutral game, where you want to get in whiff punishing with Rush, or maybe react with parry.
I am truly not certain what the pacing or neutral of the game will be like since I unfortunately just could not play the game. I will continue to keep an eye on the game to see how loyal fans will develop the meta, and see how the gameplay evolves.
Now, to start with the few positives I can say about the game.
Pros
Gorgeous character portraits, great spritework, and overall really appealing character designs.
Rush system is incredibly unique and fun to mess with. Unfortunately I cannot praise it too much because I wasn't able to play the game (I will explain in the cons), but on the surface, it has a lot of interest things. To give a quick list, the Rush system gives you access to:
1. Dash cancelled normals (for combos and pressure)
2. Runs/dashes
3. Superjumps
4. Parry
5. Parry Burst (parry you can do while in hitstun, to break out of combos)
6. Unique character ability (double tap Rush Trigger button)
7. Changed properties to normals (different light chain combos, heavy normals properties change to become wall bounce for some characters)
8. EX Specials (one special per character)
The game is defined by Rush, and is by far the most interestin thing about it. There is also a Critical Rush mode you can enter, that lets you go completely ham with Rush, but will lock you out from using it for the rest of the round after the gauge has completely drained. I wish I could have experimented with it more, but issues with online play and training mode I will address in the cons section.
Rollback netcode, and soon to have crossplay. However, unfortunately I will have to discuss this in the cons section as well.
Cons
Online is unplayable.
1. Quickplay is already dead day 1.
2. Private lobbies do not exist. When you create a lobby it is open to everyone, and there are no settings like a password or something to filter out players.
3. There is no Invite function.
4. Lobbies are only 1 match, without a rematch function, and disbands after that 1 game (oh god why!?). Even worst is that, the game seems to be bugged so after the room disbands, when I made a new room to keep playing with my friend, it was no longer showing up for my friend to join. This means we probably would have to exit back out into the main menu or restart the game, but we ended up just going on Quickplay since we'd just run into eachother so I am not sure what the solution was to the lobby issue.
5. Rollback netcode is poorly implemented. For reference, my friend and I are both wired players that live in the same region. We have played dozens of fighting games together with no problem. In this game, we got desynced two matches in a row, evident by the fact that on our screen, the opposing character just stopped moving. We needed to forcequit the game each time.
6. Game dev already confirmed crossplay and spectating in a future update, but worth noting that on release this game does not have these features.
Training mode is incredibly lackluster and straight up frustrating to use.
1. Training mode settings such as dummy state (standing or crouching), dummy blocking (no block, block after first hit, block all), Supre meter refill, hitboxes, Replay/Record functionality are all settings that must be enabled in a separate menu that pops up when you enter training mode. In-game, there is no way to change these settings. The game also will not save these settings for the future. So this means you have to exit out of training mode every time, and go through this whole process just to have the dummy be changed from crouching instead of standing, or blocking to no blocking.
2. There is no "Reset Position" function.
3. There is no "Infinite Rush Meter" or "Autofill Rush Meter" function. This one boggles my mind, because as I mentioned previously, to do anything in this game, you want to use the Rush mechanic. It is the DEFINING mechanic of the game. So why if I want to learn how to use it and lab it, is it so frustrating? You are labbing a Rush combo and run out of meter? Wait for it to fill up. You want to use Critical Rush and see what type of crazy combos you can get? Remember how it locks you out of using Rush for the remainder of the round? Yeah, EXIT training mode and reenter every time.
4. No Character-Specific settings. Some characters have unique resources like Pink with her ammo, or Mateo's Devil Form install. It is just annoying to have to refill ammo everytime with Pink while labbing her, or have to reenter Mateo's Devil Form every. single. time. after a few seconds if you want to lab what you can do in his Install. Majority of figthing games will have settings such as "Autofill Ammo" for Pink or "Infinite Devil Gauge" for Mateo.
5. Record/Replay only has one slot.
6. Recordings do not account for side switch. If the dummy is on the right side and does a 236/QCF input, then when it is on the left side, it will be a 214/QCB input.
7. Record/Replay is bound to L2/R2, so if any of your controller configurations are on those buttons, it will not work and the game will instead prioritize Record/Replay.
8. There is no "Dummy Takeover". Typically in a fighting game, you can press "Record" once so that you can simply takeover the dummy, but not yet start the recording. Tap "Record" again to actually start the recording. It may sound small, but account for the fact that is no "Reset Position", there is one recording slot, and it doesn't even function properly... yeah. Every single time you are trying to lab a combo in midscreen or the corner, you have to manually reposition the dummy everytime but simultaneously erase the recording you have.
9. More of a QoTL so probably the least severe offense, although it is becoming standardized in fighting games, but there is no in-game frame data display.
L3/R3 aren't configurable buttons. Maybe because this game doesn't have enough buttons to justify it, but worth mentioning as it is becoming more common for fighting game players to have controllers with extra buttons.
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