Category: Videos

As we near the release of Nicalis’s new crossover fighter Blade Strangers, it’s important for the FGC to understand what a proper match looks like before making a purchase. Blade Strangers is a new IP and, as such, there’s only one beta test environment likely to produce quality matches that will resemble post-release games: the tried-and-true environment of arcade location tests in Japan.

These videos were taken from two days of testing at Port 24 Gaming Center. The most recent footage from the 15th shows a wide variety of character usage. Pay special attention to the win streaks from the hyper aggressive Helen and Ali players, who make excellent use of Melty Blood-esque air-to-air counter-hit conversions and set-play.

For grappler fans, you’ll want to see the footage from the 12th — Shovel Knight plays a simple, powerful game with his counter-hit jump in combos and EX Command Grab conversions. If you get someone into the corner? Lock them down all day with dig.

This footage was brought to our attention by Doghouse|Corgian, whom is also in charge of the Blade Strangers discord server. If anything interests you about the footage above and you want to find out more about the game, be sure to check out the growing scene here!

Blade Strangers launches on August 28th for the PS4, Switch, and Steam.

Source: ポート24八事店; Doghouse|Corgian

The Fantasy Strike team brings an update to their accessible fighter, and gives a recap of their successful side-tournament at the 2018 Evolution Championship Series.

Fighting game fans know Fantasy Strike as a newer addition to the genre, with an emphasis on accessibility. With simpler movements and straightforward combos, Fantasy Strike aims to bring fighting games to an audience that might be intimidated by their complexity.

On August 21st, the Fantasy Strike team revealed a new update for their title, immediately available on Steam. Notable changes included an 8% increase of total game speed, new single-player modes, character fixes, and a general improvement of the game’s polish.

Due to player recommendations and outside testing, the team decided to amp up Fantasy Strike’s overall speed by 8%. Along with this change came new game modes, meant to increase single-player content alongside the recent story additions to the game’s arcade mode. Fighters now have a chance to test their might via the new Survival Mode, with 4 total tiers of varying difficulty. Jumping from 20 opponents to 10 “cruel” opponents, players are made to fight with a significant health detriment, with every fifth opponent acting as a “Shadow Boss.” These bosses have extra life, new moves, and a unique look that set them apart from the rest of the cast. Players will receive a crown upon their defeat of each level as a testament to their success.

Players can also participate in daily challenges in the new Daily Challenge mode. Described as an “endless version of Survival Mode” in the August patch notes, players’ final scores will be compared with that of other fighters who have attempted the mode in the past 24 hour period. Fantasy Strike’s overall polish was likewise improved, with new environmental sounds for stages, dynamic hit sparks, and smoother facial animations.

Alongside this news came a report of the game’s success at Evolution 2018. The team capped their “mega-tournament” at 64 entrants — a massive success compared to their initial projections. Returning champion FinalAbe took the win once more, with Killer Instinct champ Nicky Iovene taking second place.

While Fantasy Strike is currently only available on Steam, the title is coming soon to the PlayStation 4 and Switch– now planned for early 2019. Fantasy Strike presents the perfect opportunity for newbies looking to get into the fighting game genre, and even seasoned vets looking for a new title in which to hone their skills. Don’t miss out on this latest patch, and keep an eye out for a console release next year!

Source: Fantasy Strike [patch notes, Evo recap]

The Late[st] entry of the Ecole and French Bread fighting series has arrived on Steam.

PC fighting game fans rejoice: Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st], is now available, via Steam. This most recent entry from Ecole Software and French Bread has arrived on Valve’s platform thanks to Arc System Works.

Originally released in arcades in 2016, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st], first hit PlayStation consoles back in July of last year. UNIST (as it’s commonly abbreviated as) features updated gameplay systems including the “Cross Cast Veil Off” system, allowing for free EXS moves for a limited amount of time, as well as six new characters. Nanase, Byakuya, Phonon, and Mika were first added to the arcade version, with Enkidu and Wagner being later added to the home release. All of these are now in this new PC version of the game.

To help celebrate the release of Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] on PC, Arc System Works has released a new trailer for it, that you can see below.

Under Night In-Birth EXE:Late[st] can be purchased from Steam for $39.99. However, via special promotion it is only $35.99 from now until August 27, 2018.

Sources: Arc System Works; Steam

Could that be a custom character seeking to aid our heroes?

Announced previously in this month’s V-Jump magazine, Jump Force has a new batch of fighters entering the ambitious crossover title. Bandai Namco Entertainment released a gameplay trailer for Gamescom 2018 highlighting the confirmed cast’s unique abilities and teasing new announcements for the future.

Classic Shonen Jump characters, Vegeta from Dragon Ball, Gon and Hisoka from Hunter X Hunter, (remember the “X” is silent) and Sanji, Sabo, and Marshall D. Teach, a.k.a. “Blackbeard”, from One Piece unite to fight at stunning new locales. Also, that tease at the end screams “CUSTOM CHARACTER” to me, but who do you all think the “New Hero” rising is?

Jump Force has been doing great with its character announcements and with its expected release date being sometime in 2019, there’s plenty of time for surprise characters. My fingers are crossed for a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure representative, who are you hoping makes the cut?

Jump Force is heading to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment