As a seasoned gamer who can remember the days when arcade cabinets ruled the roost and my pocket money was spent on rolls of quarters, I must say that Blazing Strike has piqued my interest with its retro-inspired aesthetic and promising roster of characters. However, upon diving into the fray, I found myself a bit disappointed.
There’s plenty to admire in Blazing Strike – I first took notice of it a few months back when an ad on the rear cover of my wrestling magazine caught my eye. The promotional artwork reminds me of Neo Geo fighters from the golden age, while the in-game sprites are reminiscent of Third Strike. What sets it apart is its unique roster of combatants that aren’t just clones of typical stereotypes, making you eager to try them all out. It’s a game that would have had me setting aside my allowance as a kid. Most impressively, Blazing Strike was created by a single individual.
A fighter stands or falls by its characters and their combat system, and Blazing Strike has a rather unique take. It is clear that the focus has been placed on making it easy to master for casual players, as the inputs are easy to pick up, and there are just four attack buttons to worry about, just like the Neo arcade games that it is inspired by. There are 14 heroes to choose from initially, with two unlockables available once you beat Arcade and Story mode. The roster does represent familiar fighting archetypes, but has some genuinely ace design choices.
Alexander is a massive, powerful wrestler in wrestling attire, Pink is a rebellious cyberpunk armed with an extended weapon, and Jake and Shunsuke are reminiscent of the shoto boys from Street Fighter but with their own unique flair to avoid being considered copies. The animation flows smoothly and is visually stunning, and I was captivated by the large character sprites and their distinct personalities. While the backgrounds are generally good, some areas have questionable designs that seem slightly out of place, particularly in the desert region which features an unsightly sprite lurking behind it.
Although they’re well-crafted, the fighters seem to lack sufficient special moves or unique techniques. Even the super arts don’t provide a satisfying sense of weight and impact. I’ve been spending a significant amount of time with Street Fighter 6, but I still feel like I’m only scratching the surface when it comes to exploring each character’s attacking potential. While I don’t expect the complexity to match that of an ancient colossus, Blazing Strike falls short compared to games from three decades ago, and feels too simplistic.
In Blazing Strike, they’ve incorporated a speedy maneuver called rush, where you press the right trigger to move swiftly forward or backward. This can enhance combos and certain moves, as well as help dodge attacks. However, the issue lies in the fact that the gauge linked to this feature drains rapidly, and once it’s depleted, your character is left in a dazed state which can be shaken off by wiggling the joystick. Strangely, the gauge refills immediately afterwards. This rush mechanic doesn’t seem to offer enough risk versus reward for the already restrictive combat system, and it recalls a similar function in Mortal Kombat 3 that was heavily criticized back then.
Upon starting Blazing Strike, I followed my usual routine for an unrecognized fighter: I searched for a tutorial. Unfortunately, my search proved unsuccessful. There’s a training mode that lets you practice moves, offering options to display hitboxes and button prompts. Additionally, there’s a captivating story mode illustrated in comic book style where you engage in battles against various characters as the narrative unfolds. Interestingly, I stumbled upon the Tutorial, hidden away and not accessible elsewhere – an unusual design choice indeed.
The entire game’s AI for CPU opponents is quite uninteresting, offering little challenge and sometimes even appearing comical. Additionally, the arcade mode suffers due to hazards that cannot be disabled within the stages. In one prison-themed level, you risk getting grabbed by the legs if you get too close to the edge of the arena, while other levels may have you hit by a moving crane or buffeted by excessive weather effects from the environment. If these issues were confined to an “Extreme Battle” mode that could be played separately, I might tolerate it, but as things stand, it made me hesitant to replay Arcade after unlocking the secret character.
After using it, Blazing Strike seemed strangely familiar, taking me back to an issue I encountered in the early 1990s. For years, my preferred gaming device was the Commodore Amiga. Unfortunately, this platform wasn’t ideal for fighting games. The adaptations of Japanese-developed titles were abysmal, and even the top Western-made efforts felt somewhat out of tune.
Blazing Strike carries a unique sensation, much like Shadow Fighter, which was an exceptional gem on the 16-bit platform. Despite certain imperfections, there are still enjoyable moments to be found within it. The developer’s dedication and deep understanding of the fighting genre shine through in this game, as evident by the rich character roster and online play with reliable rollback netcode. However, I believe that a bit more time could have been spent refining some aspects to make it even better.
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2024-10-21 13:16