FANTASY STRIKE Review for PlayStation 4

The learning curve may have never been steeper in the fighting genre, as games like Mortal Kombat, Injustice, Smash Bros, Street Fighter, and Tekken all require players to master a multiplicity of intricate combinations before they stand a chance in competitive play. Sirlin Games sets out to even the playing field in Fantasy Strike, its newest release, by cutting out convoluted combos and sticking to the basics. While there exists room for improvement in many of Fantasy Strike’s ancillary aspects, the stripped-down combat system it employs works exceedingly well.

In Fantasy Strike, players have a set amount of time to exhaust their opponents’ health bars. To win a match, players need to win a set number of rounds before their adversary. The number of rounds required to win a match varies by mode, ranging from a best-of-three to a best-of-seven.

Fantasy Strike’s controls are kept to a minimum, which is good for newcomers to the fighting genre. Players have access to quick attack and two special attacks while on the ground. Jumping into the air also provides players with the opportunity to utilize additional skills, while timely grapples can also wreak havoc on an opponent. Additionally, players can make use of the yomi counter, which counteracts grappling tactics, by taking their hands off their controller’s joysticks and buttons. After trying out the game for a few hours, even the rawest player will be able to stand his or her own against both the computer and live opponents.

However, a player’s strongest move can only be invoked once their character’s Mana bar on the bottom left of the screen is fully charged. Using these attacks can take a huge chunk out of an opponent’s health and bring a player all the closer to winning a round. Mana charge persists throughout rounds too, so knowing exactly when to use this type of move is crucial.

Fantasy Strike boasts 10 playable characters that are sorted into four classes. These fighters utilize different abilities, and players should experiment with each before settling on any one given character. One fighter specializes in arrows moves, another harnesses wind, while yet another utilizes clocks in combat; in other words, despite offering a relatively small number of playable characters, the developers at Sirlin Games lavished attention to each character and makes them feel unique. And while it does not impact gameplay in any way, the fact that Fantasy Strike gives players access to all of its characters’ different skins upfront is a nice bonus.

In addition to online player-versus-player combat, Fantasy Strike offers five single player modes: Arcade, Daily Challenge, Survival, Boss Rush, and Single Match. Arcade provides brief snippets of plot that elaborate on each fighter’s backstory in between a series of fights escalating in difficult, although the quality of the stories fluctuates. Daily Challenge, Survival, and Single Match are exactly as their names sound, while Boss Rush allows players to upgrade their selected warrior in a wide variety of manners while fighting similarly-enhanced bosses.

Fantasy Strike succeeds in its mission to provide a fighting game that anyone can enjoy. While additional characters and exposition would enhance the overall product, Fantasy Strike is definitely worth playing.

Rating: 8.2/10

Check Out the Fantasy Strike Cinematic Trailer:

For more information about Fantasy Strike, head on over to Twitter, Facebook, or Discord.

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