Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
- September 24, 2019
- nWay, INC
A fun budget fighter that has its core mechanics in the right place but is currently missing a lot of content, Battle for the Grid is a good fighting game with the potential to become great.
"Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid" is a fighting game featuring beloved characters from the Power Rangers franchise. Players can participate in online and local matches, learning a variety of attacks and combos to defeat their opponents. Featuring a roster of iconic Rangers and villains, this game brings the Morphin Grid to life with stunning visuals and exciting gameplay.
Reviews
- The game features a nostalgic roster of Power Rangers characters, appealing to long-time fans of the franchise.
- The combat system is easy to learn but offers depth, allowing for complex combos and strategies, making it accessible for newcomers and engaging for veterans.
- The game includes cross-platform play and rollback netcode, ensuring smooth online matches and a larger player base.
- The character roster is limited at launch, with many popular characters locked behind paid DLC, which can feel exploitative.
- The AI difficulty is unbalanced, often leading to frustrating experiences where players can be easily combo-locked without a chance to escape.
- The story mode is short and lacks depth, with minimal cutscenes and repetitive gameplay that may not satisfy players looking for a rich narrative experience.
- story225 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of the game, based on the "Shattered Grid" comic series, is generally viewed as engaging yet short, with many players completing it in just a couple of hours. While some appreciate the nostalgic characters and the overall narrative, criticisms arise regarding its execution, including poor voice acting, lack of depth, and frustrating gameplay mechanics that detract from the experience. Overall, the story is seen as a fun homage to the Power Rangers franchise, but it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of character variety.
“The story is a love letter to the franchise (and if you enjoyed said story, check out the comics afterwards!) and I find myself playing every character online in ranked due to how different they are.”
“The story mode is intriguing and for online you can even do cross-play.”
“The story is good as well but has a much more serious tone than the original show.”
“It's sad this game could have had so much more potential if they put the time and money into it; what killed it for me is the poor character selection and the poor storytelling that half the time isn't voice-overed.”
“The story was not only really short but it also felt really rushed.”
“The single player story mode is atrocious and lacks any thought into easing players into it.”
- gameplay173 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the reimagined Power Rangers game is a mixed bag, with many praising its blend of classic and modern fighting mechanics, making it accessible yet deep for both casual and competitive players. While some enjoy the fast-paced, responsive combat and team-based mechanics, others criticize issues like unbalanced gameplay, repetitive character movesets, and a lack of effective tutorials for newcomers. Overall, the game offers enjoyable mechanics and a nostalgic experience, but it struggles with certain gameplay flaws that may deter some players.
“The reimagined Power Rangers gameplay blends classic elements with modern fighting mechanics, making each battle feel both familiar and exciting.”
“Simple and accessible gameplay: the game adopts a straightforward, easy-to-learn gameplay style, making it accessible to both casual players and fighting game enthusiasts.”
“With Marvel vs. Capcom-esque gameplay, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid offers a deeply layered and enjoyable gameplay experience.”
“Horrible gameplay, terrible tutorial, trash low quality cutscenes, waste of money.”
“I tried to overlook the horrible gameplay, but it is impossible!”
“Only nine playable characters, a few stages and heartbreakingly basic gameplay modes, prevent this game from truly shining.”
- graphics76 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many users describing them as mediocre or reminiscent of older console generations, such as PS2 or Xbox 360. While some appreciate the colorful visuals and character designs, others criticize the overall visual quality as lacking compared to modern standards. Despite these graphical shortcomings, many players find the gameplay engaging and enjoyable, often stating that the fun factor outweighs the visual deficiencies.
“And let’s talk about those visuals—whether you’re zipping across the grid or calling in your zord for a finishing move, everything looks amazing.”
“Very colorful visuals and it feels great to play.”
“I grew up a Power Rangers fan and it is clear from the visuals, voice acting, animations, and attention to detail that the developers put a lot of effort into making a quality game that honors the source material.”
“Visuals and presentation: while the character models are faithful to their Power Rangers counterparts, I found the overall visual quality to be lacking, particularly in comparison to other modern fighting games.”
“The graphics are not something that I would call great, but they're serviceable.”
“It may look like another cash-grab game tie-in for a TV show for nostalgia reasons; in fact, the graphics are piss-poor, bland, almost disgusting, at best.”
- music33 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game evokes nostalgia with its use of the iconic "Power Rangers" theme, but overall, it is criticized for being limited and repetitive, lacking memorable tracks and variety. While some players appreciate the energy of the soundtrack, many feel it fails to capture the essence of the franchise's classic music, leading to a less impactful audio experience. Overall, the sound design is seen as a missed opportunity, with calls for a more extensive and varied musical library.
“Upon starting the game, you will hear the MMPR theme playing, and it just hit me with a wave of nostalgia. The music in this game is great.”
“The sound is great; even if the music isn't as memorable as I would have liked, it still has some bangers, especially the menu theme.”
“It definitely has a nostalgia factor, especially with the menu music.”
“First, the music in the game is painfully generic.”
“I get that music licensing is a pain, but the fight themes in Battle for the Grid are really forgettable because of it, and it's a darn shame.”
“If I was to add a particular gripe, the soundtrack is very lackluster.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both entertaining and unpredictable, often leading to hilarious moments during gameplay. The combination of funny character actions, unexpected gameplay mechanics, and a darker storyline contributes to a lighthearted experience, making it enjoyable for players of all ages. Additionally, amusing graphical glitches add to the overall comedic atmosphere.
“Idk what's going on half of the time but it's pretty funny.”
“Health bars can be confiscated like it's nobody's business and it's actually funny.”
“Fun combos, funny moments and interesting gameplay throughout.”
- stability8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly during online play, such as character freezes and disconnects. While the gameplay mechanics are generally solid, the presence of animation issues and other technical problems detracts from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, some players find the game enjoyable enough to overlook its stability issues.
“Runs great.”
“It has crossplay, which is great, and okay rollback (with lots of animation frame skipping, after images, and other horrible glitches), which keep the game alive.”
“This is one of two games in my library where I get disconnects on my end (the other being +R, which seems to have gotten a bit buggy since the rollback update).”
“A solid fighting game, but a lot of bugs, glitches, and issues that could/should have been fixed before bringing it to Steam.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its strong optimization, allowing it to run smoothly at maximum settings, even outperforming other titles. However, players have reported some bugs, including random online disconnections and issues with resolution changes when alt-tabbing, which can affect performance and input delay. Despite these minor drawbacks, the game maintains a solid online experience with crossplay support.
“The game is very well optimized; it runs quite well with max settings when games such as Sonic Generations and even Broforce would lag with similar settings.”
“Decent roster, easy controls, very well optimized, and crossplay with Xbox One and Switch creating a very solid online player base!”
“What that means is if your opponent has optimized their combos, each character will die in 1 hit, leading to a mix-up on your incoming character, into a mix, into death.”
“The game has its fair share of bugs; online will disconnect sometimes for no discernible reason, alt-tabbing will change your resolution (at least for me), and various display settings will have varying performance and input delay, despite being a low-end game for anyone to run.”
“Power Rangers goes back to the old days of Street Fighter 4, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and even incorporates mechanics from Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite and BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle into a game that really tests your abilities in neutral and in optimization.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is highlighted by its unique character designs, particularly from the Power Rangers crossover, and a dynamic combo system that balances accessibility with depth. Players appreciate the variety of characters and techniques, such as dash cancelling, which keeps gameplay fresh and engaging. Overall, the character designs and smooth online experience contribute to a fun and inviting environment for both new and experienced players.
“The zords, assists, great character design, and some more advanced techniques like dash cancelling mean there's always new stuff to try.”
“Smooth online, fun character designs, creative combo system, and a really fun and easy to get into neutral.”
“All of the dynamic neutral and crazy combo structures of other tag fighters, but without the incredibly complex button inputs, and with unique character designs thanks to the Power Rangers crossover.”
“Honestly, at this point, just rip character designs/models from legacy.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is viewed as a cash grab, with some players feeling it lacks depth and was hastily developed. However, the DLC characters are praised for adding unique gameplay elements, distinguishing them from typical cash grab offerings. Overall, while the base game may feel exploitative, the additional content is seen as a worthwhile enhancement.
“I love Power Rangers, and this is just a cash grab that was quickly thrown together.”
“It's okay for a cheap nostalgia cash grab (wish there was a middle option).”
“I would give a negative review for this for the broken AI alone, but then again, compared to other cash grabs like Nickelodeon Brawl and Multiversus, the gameplay here is pretty enjoyable.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is considered infinitely replayable, offering a rich experience with various characters like Jen Scotts and Trey of Triforia available through DLC. However, access to certain characters requires additional purchases, which may affect the overall replayability for some players.
“Infinitely replayable.”
“The game offers a variety of characters and storylines that encourage multiple playthroughs.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different choices and outcomes available.”
“Jen Scotts (Time Force Pink) and Trey of Triforia (Zeo Gold) are playable in the story, but you need to buy them as DLC to access them otherwise.”
“The lack of diverse characters in the base game makes replaying it feel less rewarding.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there isn't much incentive to go back and play again.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is hindered by its limited character roster and simplistic gameplay modes, which detract from the potential for deeper engagement and connection. Players may find the focus on mastering combos overshadowing any emotional narrative or experience.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that the grinding aspect of the game is exacerbated by the overuse of a particular zoner character, leading to tedious battles in the story mode.
“The game mode also completely overuses a slightly cheesy zoner character, which makes a good portion of the story mode’s battles unnecessarily tedious.”
Critic Reviews
Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid Review – A Half-Powered Morphin Grid
If you’re looking for a solid fighting game, Power Rangers Battle For The Grid is definitely something you’ll want to try out for a while. But if you’re looking for the ULTIMATE Power Rangers fighting game experience. Or a fighting game that’ll last you a long time, this isn’t it.
70%Almost a morphin’ great time --- Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid review
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid has some near-perfect online play and tag-team mechanics, but is held back by some disappointing story modes and an egregious lack of content. Dedicated Power Rangers fans and fighting game enthusiasts will find a lot to love, but for everyone else, wait until the free update for more characters and content in the future.
65%Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid (Nintendo Switch)
Power Rangers Battle for the Grid was undoubtedly a lot of fun to play. It does a great job of making the game easy for beginners to learn and feel enjoyable for the more experienced player. Despite not knowing many of the characters, I still enjoyed playing through the game.
80%