Recent reviews by Subcombo

Doing my part to undo the negative reviews now that Sony has backed out of their plan to force PSN accounts.

This game is fun with friends and if you only play local with friends then it's a 10/10 for quick fun. However if you're seeking any real competitive element akin to Nintendo's Smash series then you will be sorely disappointed. I'm speaking from the perspective of a Platinum ranked 1v1 Ember player. This game's high end gameplay is filled with button mashing spam, if you are not throwing out a hitbox or a dodge at any given time then you are not playing correctly. Why? This is due to the fact that moves in this game have little to no startup frames or end-of-move lag. Someone spamming sword neutrals in the air and on the ground for example leaves about 5 frames of vulnerability that require you to breach the range of there swords and also touch them with the hitbox of your move lest they just spam out their neutral again and catch you.

The skill element just isn't there, good competitive fighting games are built on the premise of reading your opponents moves and then punishing them. I can call out reads on my opponent all day but this is the only fighting game where reading your opponent doesn't allow you to punish them. A heavy attack of hattori for instance will cover a huge radius with it's hitbox, leave her in the air behind said hitbox and then have nearly no end frame lag. The only way to punish this is move is to literally pre-emptively dodge through the attack, pre-emptive because their is no start-up lag on this huge heavy attack. In this scenario you are forced to dodge frame towards the opponent and simply get hit if he just stands still and does any other move instead.

There must be a counter to this obvious inbalance? Yes there is, it comes in the form of throwing your weapon. Throwing your weapon will hitstun the opponent and allow you to re-equip and attack the opponent within the same frame. Due to the fact that there is no priority, deflection or parry systems in this game it ends up devolving into who can throw their weapon the most. An excellent read followed up by a perfectively timed smash is all made pointless when the enemy throws their weapon at you at the last second with no punishment available for such an audacious and should-be-punishable move. I could go on forever about the games combat flaws but honestly for a free to play game it is good fun but very shallow. I don't recommend taking this game seriously as a competitive fighter as you will disappointed with the shallow button mashing, weapon throwing facade it turns into at high levels of play.