Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st] Review for PlayStation 4

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st], co-developed by Ecole Software and French-Bread, is a welcome addition to the 2D fighting game genre. Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st] succeeds in delivering an enjoyable gaming experience to inexperienced and expert players alike by implementing a multifaceted and intuitive combat system. It even introduces a diverse cast of playable characters possessing distinct skillsets, which allows players to choose the type of play-style they desire to use. Despite a clunky and unengaging single player story and outdated graphics, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st] is a game worth playing.

When they begin playing Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st], players will first notice all of the different gameplay options available to them. This game’s main feature is its arcade mode, consisting of 10 matches set against the backdrop of a story. Players can also engage in a tutorial, training, and missions to work on certain abilities.

Additionally, players have the option of watching chronicles, which constitute prologue stories that set up and provide more context for the main tale told in the arcade mode. Players can also practice against the computer or engage in network fights against others in real time. Lastly, players can test themselves by trying numerous other modes such as score attack, time attack, and survival.

In addition to giving players many modes to choose to invest their time in, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st] boasts 20 different playable characters. The characters all possess unique moves and differing skillsets: a couple are strong and large, a few are diminutive and nimble, and a small number represent a midway point between the two extremes. These differences translate to different strengths and weaknesses in combat, which means that players have the opportunity to determine for themselves which character fits their play-style best. Characters are also imbued with special designs and animations, which further contributes to their distinctness on an aesthetic level.

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st]’s combat is another of the game’s strengths. Players new to the 2D fighting genre can delve into an extensive tutorial to acquire fundamental skills. Moreover, the game’s combat system manages to be multifaceted and immersive without feeling overwhelming. Players can crouch, jump, hit, and kick as well as perform special, ground, and aerial attacks on their opponents. However, unlike in fighting games like Injustice, players cannot interact with items in the environments they are situated in.

However, undermining these positive elements is the fact that Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st]’s graphics are extremely outdated. The antiquated graphics are just not up to par for PS4 standards. They are at their worst in the backgrounds for the fights scenes, which prove to be absolute disappointments. They imbue the environments with a blandness and lifelessness that work against the combat system’s innate dynamism, which is otherwise enhanced by the game’s soundtrack.

Lastly, the single player arcade mode’s storyline feels thoroughly uninteresting. The plot does nothing to enrapture players or make them become invested in it, instead serving as setups to the fighting matches that ensue. The whole storyline can also be completed in less than an hour, which reinforces the idea that it is underdeveloped.

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st] does a lot of things right. It offers a plethora of modes to engage in, benefits from a large cast of characters, and manages to create a compelling combat system. However, it also misses on key aspects that detract from players’ experiences. Its graphics and story serve as major weaknesses, which bring the game’s overall score down to a 7/10.

For more information about the game, visit www.aksysgames.com/unist

Jori Grossman

+ posts

I'm a recent graduate of Columbia University. Gaming has been a passion of mine my entire life; I enjoy everything from RPGs and FPSs to stealth and narrative-driven games. I love the deeply immersive quality that good video games inherently possess, and am looking forward to highlighting games worthy of acclaim. When I'm not studying or reading, you can catch me playing games like Uncharted, Dishonored, The Witcher 3, and Far Cry.

• Per Aspera Review for Steam
• WARSAW Review for PlayStation 4
• SHING! Review for Steam
• SNAKE Review for Android