Fight’N Rage | Nintendo Switch Review
Although some may consider beat-em-ups to have relatively short and repetitive gameplay, fans of the genre willingly embrace the primal button mashing with an insatiable hunger to beat the snot out of some bad guys. Few titles can stand up to the level of gameplay and replay value offered by timeless classics such as Streets of Rage 2, Double Dragon and Turtles in Time, but another title has entered the fight, and I think you’re gonna get a kick out of it…
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER INFO & PLOT SETUP
Fight’N Rage is both developed and published by SebaGamesDev – an independent one-man game studio based in Uruguay. It was originally released on PC in September of 2017, and has now been ported to the Xbox One, PS4, and the Nintendo Switch thanks to the guys and gals at BlitWorks.
The game takes place on Earth after an apocalyptic event called “The Great Pulse” has wiped out all technology and has turned all of the planet’s living creatures into mutants. Humans are now either food, or work as slaves serving “The Boss” and his horde of hairy henchmen. Three survivors lead the rebellion against the Law of the Jungle – Gal, an escaped slave; F. Norris, a ninja with a dark past; and Ricardo, a mutant rebel fighting on behalf of the human race.
GAMEPLAY & CONTROLS
Fight’N Rage offers so much in terms of extra content, that it will take you quite a while to even come close to unlocking everything. The game has an internal store where you can redeem in-game coins (earned from your points total) for bonus modes, characters and costumes, a training mode, numerous multiplayer modes including co-op and 1v1, difficulty settings, and much more. It really is incredible how much effort was put into creating extra content for players that will be completing multiple runs through the main game. This is something you (which you will want to do, as there are numerous different paths and levels to get to the end, and a speedrun mode if you’re into that kind of thing.)
The controls are tight and responsive, yet simple even for genre newbies. You have the option to use combos and throws that can be learned via the training mode, and a special attack that recharges via a meter during your flurry of kicks and punches. You can also use this special attack without a fully charged meter at the expense of your health. The animation for the special move changes depending on your character’s position, and whether or not you are jumping or dashing.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The visuals are absolutely oozing with nostalgia. The classic styling of the 2-D sprites are crisp, and the movement of the characters are responsive, yet fluid. The atmosphere closely resembles Streets of Rage in terms of color palette and design. There are several options in the menu that allow you to change between display modes including a CRT mode, a clear mode, and scan lines so that you can dial in the experience you’d like. I found this option to be a very respectful nod to it’s forefathers. The animations of the enemies are well done, however I would have liked to see a more diverse selection of sprites, as most seem to be color-swapped versions of earlier baddies. This wasn’t a big deal-breaker to me personally, as the gameplay is quite involved, and I was too busy kicking tail. (See what I did there?)
Fight’N Rage‘s soundtrack was composed, performed and produced by Gonzalo Varela, and is a beautiful collection of hard-rock, jazz, and metal inspired tracks. It perfectly accents the game with shredding guitar licks that seem to pick up during intense fights and boss battles. Other areas in the game like the nightclub and beach sported a surprisingly more jazzy style of music, and was a nice change of pace in an effort to keep the audio fresh and not overdone. The gameplay audio is fairly simple, yet offers a rewarding crunch when punches and kicks connect.
Fight’N Rage Final Verdict
This game is an absolute joy to play, and fans of beat-em-ups will be very pleased with the experience Fight’N Rage has to offer. Newcomers may find the story a bit slim and the main game a bit short, but I encourage multiple playthroughs as this game has numerous endings and paths to be taken. (Not to mention there’s an extensive amount of bonus content included.) If you love beat-em-ups as much as I do, this is a must-own title. It has all the right things in all the right places, and it was masterfully done. The attention to detail will make you smile, and you can tell it was a work of love.
This review is based on a digital copy of Fight’N Rage provided by SuperIndie.Games for coverage purposes and is also available on PC via Steam and Xbox One.
Fight'N Rage
$19.99
Pros
- Easy-to-Learn Controls
- Intuitive Combo System
- Large Variety of Modes & Video Filters
- Great Replay Value
Cons
- Short Experience if Only Played Once
- Story Lacking
