One thing: it needs a taunt button. That's the icing on the cake when you have your opponent outmatched.
some of the best parts of the game in my opinion:
- I like how a fair amount of the moves line your opponent up for a second hit if you can judge it properly.
- I like how many of the moves can be repurposed as dodges if need be, and if you judge its use as a dodge properly.
Overall incredibly satisfying game. I find myself spending time enjoying it rather than enjoying many of the games I own that I paid good money for.
improvements:
1. I enjoy this game so much that I could see myself gladly playing several times through a campaign built around it. I envision that a campaign in this game would look much like a classic Mortal Kombat campaign tower with different fighters on each floor and the boss waiting at the very top. A much needed challenge would be added to this game by facing opponents along the tower with fighting styles foreign to what you're used to. You may face someone who uses mainly their fist and prefers to be an infighter, or a fighter that prefers to create and keep distance to launch ranged attacks, or even a fighter with an ensemble of kicks who can reach you in any direction within his mid range.
2. Fighting new enemies can open up the opportunity to alter your own arsenal of combat strategies. Not only do I get the vibes of a Mortal Kombat tower journey from this game, but also I see vast potential in the prospects of collecting cards. If you could defeat mundane opponents along the campaign trail and take (in canon 'learn') their signature martial arts card, you could collect a deck of these cards from which you could select which ones you will bring with you in battle. In this way you can specialize what type of fighter you'll be each go around of the campaign - adding replay value.
3. As aforementioned I enjoy how many of the moves set your opponent up for a second, well judged chain attack. However, in all cases your opponent is being knocked back which limits your options to only the moves that have the most reach. While this already works well, an enormous amount of potential for combos can still be opened up by simply changing the angle at which you launch your opponent with certain attacks. Send them in more of an upward angle and they'll be inline for a Thundercut to the ribs (an attack that currently can't be used as a follow-up to any of your other attacks). Conversely, if you bashed down on your opponent with an axe-heel kick you could send them flying at a lower angle, perhaps sending him prone. I still find myself looking for the opportunity to see my opponent lying prone so I can use the jump attack to leap up and stomp down on the enemy. It feels instinctual that there should be a prone position that you can put your opponent in, and some attacks that can reach floored opponents.
4. I find myself wanting to use an attack that can close distance between me and my opponent . I naturally envision this as a gliding straight-arm punch (much like the main sword lunge attack Dante uses in all devil may cry games). This feels like it would fit in naturally if it is balanced enough (such as a period of ending lag like Desupanchi has, or a high energy cost to prevent spam). This would be well used to capitalize on an enemy that is being knocked back, or is intentionally keeping their distance.
5. The card aspects of the game inspire me to think of both Yu-Gi-Oh! and Persona. Filling out your deck with new and unique cards looks par for the course in a game like this, in my opinion. However, I imagine that the features of card fusion from the Persona series would prove useful (both as a fun mechanic in the game, and to make it easier for the game developer to put in great access to more moves without complicating the heads up display). For instance: you can elect to expend a large sum of energy to select two of your thirteen cards on the HUD. Depending on the two you select they'll momentarily turn into a new card that will allow you to use higher level powers for an instant. One example would be selecting the "charge at" card and the "punch" card to perform a gliding straight-arm at lightning speeds. This would keep the HUD clean because with only thirteen cards on display, you may have access to over a hundred different abilities. Of course balancing for specialty moves like this would be needed to keep the game in the realm of a chess-like experience, and not change it into a mere beat-em-up.
6. I don't know how or why, but it would be extremely gratifying to grab my opponent from mid air (while they aren't suspecting of being grabbed mind you) and spiral them down in a primary lotus. This is probably wishful thinking, but still a very gratifying prospect.
7. I like the jumping attack, but it feels like I should be throwing something down at my opponent while I'm up there... Among the many martial arts cards one might attain I imagine several types of jump cards, each of which featuring a different type of action at the apex of the jump (such as a flying kick at a downward angle, or casting a large energy ball ahead of you). The fact that they are all jumps may serve as a feint against your opponent.
8. I'm noticing that the absolute most fluid combo currently available in the game is:
- Knock your opponent back with any of your melee attacks
- follow up with a Super Kick as they careen backwards in the air
- follow up again with a Fireball
You can't link any other attack this well in the game.
btw you've definitely got one new subscriber to the YouTube channel, cool content.