Fighting EX Layer Another Dash

Genre: Fighting Game

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local / Online)

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Review:

Fighting EX Layer is a Fighting Game originally released on PlayStation 4 and PC in 2018 and was brought to mobile devices in 2019, developed by Arika as a spiritual successor to the Street Fighter EX games, which they previously developed. With the game coming to Nintendo Switch with the in 2021, Arika is doing something a bit different, releasing the game for “free”, although this is somewhat misleading – the version of this game players get for free has only 4 of the game’s 18 characters playable, and lacks both online play and a training section of the game. Still, those curious to try it out can certainly make use of this release as a demo of sorts to test the waters and decide whether they want to pay the full $25 to unlock the missing characters and features.

I can say that this game won’t be impressing anyone with its visuals, which are low-resolution to the point of being distracting. Still, the game’s 3D character designs are inventive at least. These visuals are paired with a forgettable rock-inspired soundtrack and some fairly typical primarily Japanese voices for the characters. It’s sufficient for the most part.

As for the gameplay, what’s here works well enough, but is pretty simple compared to most modern fighting games, and I felt like the hit detection here was just a bit lacking. Also, it bears note that the Gougi Deck system present in other versions of the game seems to be missing here, which removes some much-needed depth from an already fairly simple game.

In the end, unless you’re a huge fan of the Street Fighter EX games, and willing to forgive the graphical downgrade and the loss of the Gougi Deck system, I think you’ll likely find this Fighting Game lacking compared to other offerings on the Nintendo Switch. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t do anything truly extraordinary wither, save for dressing up its demo as a free game.

tl;dr – Fighting EX Layer’s release on Nintendo Switch strips the Fighting Game of its Gougi Deck system and dresses up a glorified demo as a “free game” with $25 required to unlock the full game. It’s not a terrible game, but it’s pretty lacking compared to other Fighting Games on the Nintendo Switch.

Grade: C

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