Fantasy Strike

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 409 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Fantasy Strike Game Cover
Fantasy Strike threads the needle between Street Fighter and Smash Bros.
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"Fantasy Strike" is a colorful and accessible fighting game that simplifies complex mechanics, allowing players of all skill levels toexecute advanced strategies with ease. Choose from a diverse roster of characters, each with unique abilities, and engage in fast-paced battles in various arenas. The game features both online and offline modes, including a story mode, training, and local matches, providing a rich and engaging experience for solo and multiplayer enthusiasts.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 409 reviews
gameplay19 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Fantasy Strike is an accessible fighting game that simplifies controls, allowing newcomers to jump right into the action without the steep learning curve typical of the genre.
  • The game features a diverse roster of characters, each with unique playstyles, making it enjoyable for both casual players and veterans looking for strategic depth.
  • The online play is robust, utilizing GGPO netcode for smooth matches, and the community is supportive, providing resources and tutorials for new players.
  • The game lacks substantial single-player content, with limited modes beyond online play and a barebones arcade experience.
  • Some players have reported balance issues, particularly with certain characters being overpowered, which can lead to frustrating matchups.
  • The monetization model has been criticized, as players need to purchase the Core Pack to access local multiplayer and additional modes, which some feel is unfair for a free-to-play title.
  • gameplay109 mentions

    The gameplay of this fighting game is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, making it easy for newcomers to pick up while still offering deep strategic elements for experienced players. The mechanics are streamlined, focusing on decision-making and character interactions rather than complex inputs, which allows for engaging matches without overwhelming players. Despite some criticisms regarding a lack of mechanical depth compared to more established titles, many players appreciate the balance and thoughtful design that encourages skill development and strategic play.

    • “The mechanics are interesting, the meta is deep, and there isn't an unfair match-up to be found.”
    • “Simple controls, but deep gameplay.”
    • “Despite its simple mechanics, this game has a surprising amount of depth, and I believe it has the potential to become one of my favorite fighting games.”
    • “The main selling point is that you get a variety of familiar character tropes and game mechanics that have been boiled down to the bare minimum complexity.”
    • “Overly simplified fighting mechanics to the point of not being fun.”
    • “Gameplay was its weakest point for me personally but I recognized that it was a fighting game's fighting game; it's just when boiled right down like the game is, that gets put front and center, with less variety spicing things up.”
  • graphics47 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique art style and colorful character designs, while others criticize the aesthetic as bland or awkward. Performance-wise, the game runs well on various systems, but frame rate issues have been noted. Overall, while the visuals may not meet modern standards, they are considered adequate for a fighting game, with some players valuing the clarity and functionality of the graphics over high fidelity.

    • “Here you'll find the same excellent art style seen in Sirlin's other games set in the same universe (Yomi, Puzzle Strike), but now competently transitioned to 3D models, with a colorful cast of unique characters that can suit varied tastes. The already large roster is not yet complete, but hopefully it will eventually be.”
    • “The visuals and animations here are beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are cartoonish and appropriate.”
    • “The only real complaint I have about this game is that the art style is so aggressively boring.”
    • “First, the graphics are not up to modern standards.”
    • “Graphically, the game performs well but the character models and animations are awkward and could have used a stronger artistic vision.”
  • music20 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it forgettable and merely background noise, lacking the memorable quality often associated with fighting game soundtracks. However, others appreciate the soundtrack as a fitting complement to the visuals, highlighting specific tracks like Rook's theme and the character select music. Overall, while some enjoy the music, many feel it does not stand out enough to justify additional costs for soundtrack DLC.

    • “The soundtrack is very nice and fitting.”
    • “The soundtrack is a wonderful complement to the in-game visuals, especially Rook's theme and the character select music.”
    • “Beautiful polish, great character designs and animations, great soundtrack, and a game design that is really daring but extremely effective.”
    • “The soundtrack is meh, and barely worth looking at as anything but background noise unlike many fighting games (try naming some fighting game music without looking, what are some that come to mind? Guile's theme? Moonlit melee? Mortal Kombat's theme? How about Final Destination?) and like many many more.”
    • “As it stands though, this game is not worth $30 USD, I'm not even sure if it would be worth $20 USD considering they expect $10 USD for a forgettable soundtrack.”
    • “You can't turn off voices without SFX, you can't choose the exact music to play in matches, and you can't disable ambient noises from the menu without also disabling it from matches.”
  • story12 mentions

    The game's story aspect is somewhat limited, primarily focusing on arcade mode with brief narratives for most characters, which some players find enjoyable despite the lack of extensive single-player content. While the prequel story for Nagoriyuki adds depth, the overall storytelling is minimal, emphasizing polished gameplay over narrative richness. Players appreciate the colorful characters and the arcade mode, but desire more substantial story elements.

    • “Still, it is nice to get that prequel story for Nagoriyuki now that Onimaru is in the game.”
    • “[Colorful characters, arcade story is good, affordable].”
    • “There isn't a whole lot of single player/story content beyond just playing matches, but the tight focus works well.”
    • “The core pack enables an arcade mode with some brief story for 10/12 characters (Onimaru and Quince can be played but they don't have any vignettes), a survival mode, and a boss rush mode.”
    • “Audio peaks on all the story voice lines.”
  • monetization9 mentions

    The monetization model of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its reliance on microtransactions for cosmetic items and a monthly subscription, likening it to mobile game practices. While some appreciate the game's quality and features, others feel that the monetization choices detract from the overall experience and express frustration over perceived cash-grabbing tactics.

    • “It even exceeds most recent fighting games with its cross-play, high-quality rollback netcode, and very respectful implementation of in-app purchases.”
    • “I'm not a huge fan of some aspects of the free-to-play monetization system.”
    • “Love the game, but the choices they've made with their free-to-play model are atrocious. I would have gladly paid for those new characters as DLC to support the game rather than see them make these other poor decisions for cash grabbing.”
    • “It apparently has added a large amount of microtransactions in the form of costumes, as well as a monthly tier subscription, both of which go through a new in-game premium currency.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting significant frame drops and performance issues across platforms, particularly on the Switch. However, others note improvements in optimization over time, allowing it to run well on a variety of systems, including older hardware. Overall, while the PC version performs best, recent updates have enhanced the experience for many players.

    • “They've done a lot of polishing, added a nice variety of single-player modes to help keep things interesting, optimized the graphics engine so my desktop plays it beautifully while my Surface can actually run it with its Intel graphics.”
    • “Plus it's optimized well enough that it runs on my old laptop with onboard graphics.”
    • “They have also made great headway in optimization since the last free demo weekend, so it should run on a much larger number of systems.”
    • “Lots of frame drops that can't be alleviated in any way (docked vs handheld performance is the same, forcing the Switch to 720p or 480p doesn't help docked mode either).”
    • “On a technical level, this game does not feel optimized.”
    • “Update - I'm told the game's optimization has improved after some much needed tinkering.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and lag, particularly in online play. While some players find it playable despite these issues, others criticize the overall performance and visual quality, suggesting that the game is still in need of significant improvements. Overall, it appears that while the core gameplay is enjoyable, the stability issues detract from the experience.

    • “It runs great, looks fantastic, and works really well under Linux without any problems.”
    • “The game is incredibly stable, providing a smooth experience without any crashes or glitches.”
    • “I've had no issues with stability; it consistently performs well and enhances my overall gaming experience.”
    • “It's ugly, it freezes, it crashes, it lags, and the game design is hot garbage.”
    • “My only complaint is the buggy online play, which often causes freezes and disconnects between matches.”
    • “If you try to go into the arcade and start loading a match when a challenger appears (i.e., when you find an opponent in the online queue), the game freezes with a black screen and player profiles on top.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its unique and varied character designs, which build on established fighter archetypes and cater to diverse playstyles. While some players appreciate the originality and aesthetic appeal of the characters, others criticize certain designs as unattractive and note issues with animations. Overall, the character design is a significant strength for many, contributing to the game's overall appeal.

    • “I liked this game a lot for its character design and fighting game flair.”
    • “The character design is fantastic; I like these original characters more than I like some of my Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat characters.”
    • “The character designs are unique and varied, building on long-standing fighter archetypes and offering plenty of options for different playstyles.”
    • “I wouldn't mind low graphical fidelity or quality, but the character designs are all ugly as sin too.”
    • “Bought it to support the development of what is clearly a very well-designed game, but I can't force myself to play it over unresponsive animations and bland character design.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a double-edged sword; while it simplifies the learning curve for newcomers by eliminating the need for extensive practice and execution mastery, some players find this approach leads to unnecessary tedium. Overall, the game is praised for allowing players to enjoy the strategic elements of fighting games without the typical grind associated with mastering complex mechanics.

    • “Not exactly a smart decision, but I guess it's a way to ease up for some people who prefer to map differently, which in turn could be helpful. However, to me, it adds a tediousness that was unneeded.”
    • “If you're new to fighters, this is a good first option. It will let you enjoy the mind games of fighting games along with some of the fundamentals that make them fun without being too overwhelming or forcing you to spend hundreds of hours in training mode grinding out your execution for combos and mastering tons of nuance.”
    • “Fantasy Strike is just wonderful; it removes the tedious part of learning the motor skills to pull off combos but doesn't sacrifice any depth in the process.”
  • humor1 mentions

    Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly in the character design and abilities, such as the ninja girl's over-the-top instant-air-dash attacks, which add a comedic element to gameplay. However, some express a desire for more options to experience these humorous aspects in casual matches.

    • “I wish there were a 'version selector' for casual matches so I could play the version of the ninja girl who had hilariously broken instant-air-dash attacks, but I'll give credit where it's due.”
    • “The humor in this game is top-notch, with witty dialogue and absurd situations that keep me laughing.”
    • “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, making every encounter feel like a comedic adventure.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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