The Initial

About

In "The Initial," players engage in high-speed, arena-based action as they control schoolgirls with ESP powers defending their school from an evil organization. With a variety of skills to execute, players must use lightning fast sword attacks and electricity-based powers to outmaneuver and defeat smart enemies. This hyper action game features two main characters, Ruri and Erika, on a mission to stop the evil organization from creating an artificial girl with ultimate power.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 186 reviews

gameplay13 positive mentions

story10 negative mentions

The combat system is flashy and enjoyable, providing a satisfying hack-and-slash experience.
The game features attractive character designs and animations, appealing to fans of anime aesthetics.
Despite its flaws, the game shows potential and has received updates that improve gameplay mechanics.

The game suffers from repetitive gameplay due to limited enemy variety and a short campaign.
Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, particularly with the camera and targeting system.
The story is minimal and poorly translated, lacking depth and coherence.

story
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
74%
14%
The game's story is generally considered short, disjointed, and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it feels like an afterthought compared to the gameplay. While some appreciate the quirky, nonsensical elements of the plot, most agree that it fails to engage or leave a lasting impression. Overall, players recommend the game primarily for its hack-and-slash mechanics rather than its narrative.
- “The story is short but focused; the combat can be repetitive but satisfying and mechanically fun.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the plot is interesting.”
- “The script is full of grammatical errors and the story is bonkers, but it's lovable in that crazy anime way.”
- “There was a bare-bones plot that could have potentially developed more, but the game is extremely short.”
- “The story is short and not very interesting.”
- “Characters are utterly lifeless and the plot is flat.”
gameplay
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
15%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its fast-paced combat and fluid mechanics, while others criticize clunky controls and unbalanced mechanics. Many players appreciate the ease of mastering combat, allowing for enjoyable hack-and-slash action, but note that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth. Overall, while the game shows potential and offers satisfying action, it suffers from design flaws and technical issues that detract from the experience.
- “The gameplay is exactly what it needs to be: fast, fun, and lit!”
- “The gameplay, which is the core of these games, looks and feels great.”
- “The controls are very responsive, which is vital in a hack and slash, and the gameplay is challenging, but smooth and rewarding.”
- “You know it's a horrid design when easy isn't easy, you can't play through it, and from stage 1 it's nothing but a worthless stacking of the gaming industry's worst mechanics ever. Learn the definition of words, or don't use them; this is absolutely horrid.”
- “Gameplay stumbles in a couple of ways.”
- “I hate the boring gameplay.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
48%
7%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful anime art style and character design, as well as the fluid animations and special effects. However, some critics note that the environments are relatively basic and lack detail, leading to a less immersive experience. Overall, while the graphics are considered good for the game's budget, they may not meet the expectations of players seeking highly detailed scenery.
- “The graphics are beautiful and the plot interesting.”
- “The graphics are beyond amazing, and realistically you should buy the game just for them.”
- “To conclude, 'the initial' is a fun action-packed game, with beautiful graphics and fluid combat mechanics.”
- “Input lag aside, did you guys even test out the graphics options?”
- “Graphically, there's not a lot here, in terms of assets.”
- “The visuals mainly serve to set up the action, as pretty much all locations are basically just rooms for you to fight in.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The music in the game is generally praised for its catchy and uplifting qualities, with many users highlighting the nostalgic menu theme and enthusiastic soundtrack. However, some reviewers note that the soundtrack can be repetitive and lacks variety, with a desire for more tracks to enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, while the music is a standout feature, it may not fully compensate for the absence of sound effects and voices during combat.
- “Music is sweet - especially the menu theme is so uplifting and nostalgic at the same time.”
- “The soundtrack is the best part of this game, but even that isn't much to talk about because it's very repetitive and doesn't make up for the lack of any sound effects or voices whatsoever in combat.”
- “I simply loved it playing in the background as well as their theme song was addictive.”
- “The music is probably meant to mask this but ends up somehow making it even more noticeable.”
- “I can't say I'd want to buy the soundtrack, though.”
- “- music is surprisingly catchy though there's only a few tracks.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it infinitely replayable due to extra modes and challenging boss fights, others feel that the short story and limited replay options lead to repetitiveness after completion. The appeal of different difficulty levels offers some replay value, but not all players are inclined to engage with them, leading to varied opinions on the game's longevity.
- “For the price, the story is kind of short, but the replayability more or less makes up for that.”
- “It also has some extra modes (playing as the bosses!) for the extra replay value.”
- “Boss fights can be challenging, especially on higher difficulty, and challenge modes offer a decent amount of replayability.”
- “Limited replayability; once the game is completed, starting a new game becomes repetitive.”
- “Pricey for the limited replayability on offer.”
- “I know that there is some replay value in playing the other difficulties, but not everyone is necessarily going to do that or want to do a replay.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to progress. While combat is present, it is described as boring and repetitive, lacking engaging mechanics or meaningful challenges, leading to a frustrating experience overall.
- “No grinding means no leveling, no gear, and no complex quests: just kill, destroy, and move to the next stage.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “While the combat isn't entirely terrible, it probably couldn't be more tedious.”
- “Ordinary combat is boring, and the boss battles are tedious, with attack patterns happening with no rhyme or reason.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally good, with smooth performance and improved camera tracking following an update. However, players feel that further optimization is needed, particularly in certain areas of gameplay.
- “Good performance from start to finish.”
- “After the update, the camera is much smoother and keeps track of the player, but it’s not fully optimized.”
- “I think it should be optimized further in the game.”
- “I think the game should be optimized better.”
- “The point system for buying skills based on fighting performance feels unbalanced.”
- “The optimization in this game is lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development is noted for its beautiful graphics and appealing designs, though some players feel that the character designs could be more engaging if players could interact with them more directly. While the anime-inspired aesthetics may not resonate with everyone, they contribute to the overall visual appeal of the game.
- “I really liked the character designs throughout, but it would have been nice to play as them too.”
- “Character design is a little weird, but that might just be because it seems anime-inspired and I don't watch a lot of anime.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the game's emotional engagement, noting a lack of meaningful reactions from characters despite emotional voice acting. The difficulty spikes in gameplay also contribute to a sense of disconnection, leading some players to abandon the experience altogether.
- “I'm talking about the faces; how could you have no emotional reactions when you are talking to someone with an emotional voice?”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its intentionally poor translations, which feature amusing grammatical errors and awkward phrasing reminiscent of Google Translate mishaps, providing a source of entertainment for players who appreciate this type of comedic misstep.
- “By the way, the translations are hilariously bad.”
- “You can get a kick out of those if you find bad grammar and Google Translate mishaps funny.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with no noticeable glitches, others encounter significant issues such as debilitating bugs, choppy frame rates, and occasional crashes upon exiting. This inconsistency suggests that the game's development may have been deprioritized in favor of an upcoming sequel.
- “Unfortunately, the devs abandoned this game to focus on an upcoming sequel, and it shows. The visuals look good and the gameplay is fun, but there are too many debilitating bugs at times. The graphics are excellent, but the frame rate is choppy, my gamepad sometimes stops working, the game occasionally freezes briefly, and it even crashes while exiting.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The monetization model is praised for its transparency, as there are no DLCs or microtransactions, indicating a player-friendly approach that avoids exploitative practices.
- “There's no DLC, no microtransactions; they're not trying to screw you over.”
- “The game offers a fair monetization model that respects players' time and investment.”
- “I appreciate that the developers focus on delivering a complete experience without pushing for additional purchases.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should just to enjoy the game.”
- “I was disappointed to find that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending money.”
- “The constant barrage of ads and prompts to purchase in-game currency really detracts from the overall experience.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers note that while the level design primarily involves transitioning between rooms, the developers effectively create distinct atmospheres in each area, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The level design involves walking and flying from one room to the next, but they did a great job of changing the atmosphere between locations.”
- “The immersive atmosphere draws you in, making every moment feel unique and engaging.”
- “The sound design and visual elements work together to create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after you stop playing.”