Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Developer: nWay
Publisher: nWay
Genre: Action, Fighting
Price: $49.99
Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid – Super Edition is surprisingly disappointing, even for old Power Rangers fans. Billed as a productive trip down memory lane, it possessed the potential to be transcendent. Unfortunately, it suffers from a handful of issues that bring down its fun factor. From lack of content to really sink your teeth into, to its lackluster presentation and visual flair, it is ultimately hampered by its inability to stand out from the competition.
At its core, Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid – Super Edition is a fighting game with tag-in mechanics that allow for a fluid three-versus-three system. Characters battle for dominance over one another in a setup which allows for easy combos to be strung together with little to no issues. Unlike other fighting games like Tekken and Soul Calibur which rely on memorizing often complicated combos, it aims to be much more dynamic. Emphasizing the fundamental elements of attacking and defending, it's a very easy fighter to get into, and one that still manages proper skill provided you can read your opponent.
To its credit, this is probably Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid – Super Edition’s best strength. Once you get started, it provides a continuous flow of content where you'll be taking fights even if you don't know the particular character you’re controlling too well. It doesn't really matter when combos flow naturally through game time, and the fun is kept up due to each character's own personal quirks and drawbacks. Special abilities feel satisfying to use, tag-ins and tag-outs are fluid and rewarding, and the fast pace of combat helps it keep its momentum going. It feels like a title you can pick up, learn in minutes, and then do well enough to stay invested. And why wouldn't you? While its graphics are nothing groundbreaking, it's still able to look charming and colorful. It properly emphasizes the differences between characters, and brings them to life in a way that's both flashy and entertaining.
Sadly though, while the characters you can pick in Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid – Super Edition are all unique, there's a distinctive lack of variety holding it back. You only have a small roster to play with, and the ease of learning the game actually proves to hinder its staying power. You begin to face the same characters and enemy combinations over and over again, and while this helps you learn their moves, players used to fighting games with a bigger cast will be disappointed. Most of the playtime you'll get from the title isn't from trying new characters, but from mastering old ones, and that gets boring quickly when there's a lack of challenge found in the single-player artificial intelligence. While it's challenging enough for a casual playthrough, it in no way substitutes for a human opponent, and the online mode, while sufficient, lacks basic quality-of-life features to keep it entertaining.
To be sure, Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid – Super Edition is actually pretty decent. It has solid fundamental elements, and the visuals it presents should match your memory of the show from which it traces its roots. Moreover, the defined roles of each character mean that you'll be able to gravitate towards playstyles with which you feel most comfortable. However, while these help cement the game's identity, the lack of content remains a disappointment. It really just makes Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid – Super Edition feel like it could've been much more; while it's a sufficiently fun game, it's one that'll burn through a bit too quickly.
THE GOOD
- Well defined mechanics and combat
- Easy to pick up and play
- Nice, fluid graphic style that captures the essence of the show
THE BAD
- Lacks content to keep you entertained for long
- Its small cast hurts its staying power, as it never feels like there's much variety to be had
- Very little single-player content on offer
RATING: 7.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment