Fantasy Strike

 Switch
Fantasy Strike Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 39 Ratings

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  • Summary: Fantasy Strike is a colorful fighting game where fantasy meets martial arts. It focuses on depth and strategy rather than difficult execution. It's designed for tournament play, but also to welcome you to the genre if you haven't played other fighting games before. Online play uses theFantasy Strike is a colorful fighting game where fantasy meets martial arts. It focuses on depth and strategy rather than difficult execution. It's designed for tournament play, but also to welcome you to the genre if you haven't played other fighting games before. Online play uses the excellent GGPO networking technology. Includes several single player modes.… Expand

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Fantasy Strike - Gameplay Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. GameSpace
    Jul 25, 2019
    85
    Fantasy Strike is not what I originally thought it would be. With the vibrant world and brightly colored characters, you will have a good time fighting against computer enemies or real people. For the price of $29.99 USD, there is plenty for you to do. It is a full game, just like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter, but for half the price. If you want a change in pace from those other guys, give this one a try.
  2. NintendoWorldReport
    Jul 24, 2019
    85
    As someone who is primarily a casual fighting game fan, Fantasy Strike scratches an itch in a different way than Street Fighters and the like do. The simplicity of the control inputs puts it more in the space in between, almost like a less platforming-focused Smash Bros. The overall approachability makes it a great choice for less experienced fighters, but beneath the sheen of less combos and button inputs still lies a deep game with tense strategy, complete with a variety of ways to play it both online and off.
  3. Cultured Vultures
    Jul 24, 2019
    80
    Fantasy Strike’s philosophy of a truly “accessible” fighting game is a successful one, with plenty to love for new fighting games players and veterans alike.
  4. Nintendo Life
    Jul 24, 2019
    80
    Fantasy Strike isn’t going to blow anyone away aesthetically and its arcade mode is a little barebones. However, in terms of gameplay, it absolutely achieves what it sets out to, offering fun and accessible fighting action to newcomers whilst at the same time possessing enough technical depth in its roster of characters to keep more seasoned fighters interested. Online ranked team matches and Boss Rush modes are an absolute blast and, in stripping away many of the complex layers that have built up around fighters over the years, this is a game that’s rediscovered the simple pleasures that lie at the beating heart of the genre.
  5. IGN
    Jul 28, 2020
    80
    Fantasy Strike is a shining example of a fighting game that’s incredibly easy to play without sacrificing the mental chess and decision making that makes them so much fun. It’s very rough around the edges, with a roster of twelve characters that are much more interesting mechanically than they are visually, and a few interesting, though ultimately shallow single player modes. The inability to set up a private match with friends who are also playing for free is a tough pill to swallow, but its value as a free-to-play fighting game cannot be overstated. This truly is the best entry point for those who want to dip their feet into a traditionally difficult genre – and those who stick around will find it stands up as a great fighting game in its own right too.
  6. GameCritics
    Sep 23, 2019
    70
    Overall, Fantasy Strike takes a leap and tries to create a deep fighter that’s also accessible. It’s successful, but I don’t see it dethroning any of the heavyweight fighters anytime soon.
  7. GameSpew
    Jul 24, 2019
    60
    If you really are new to fighting games, Fantasy Strike is worth giving a go. But you’re probably going to want to move onto something a little more advanced fairly quickly. It’s a well made game, but the action just gets too repetitive too fast because of its limited movesets. I just can’t help but feel that Fantasy Strike is a little too simple for its own good.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. Jonnyblond77
    Aug 27, 2019
    10
    This is one of those games that got decent hype before release and you go in thinking..alright..it’s out now..time to see if it’s good and itThis is one of those games that got decent hype before release and you go in thinking..alright..it’s out now..time to see if it’s good and it sorta ends up disappointing at first. I tried it a few times and from what everyone was saying how it’s accessible yet deep it was, i thought..hmmm...it’s not that good. Sure street fighter is a game that you really have to understand not only the game mechanics but being an input master at a joystick is paramount. It’s truly rewarding but you pretty much master one character and that’s it. Sure you might know how to use the other characters but you most likely won’t get their full potential unleashed unless you really dedicate a lot of time to understand how they work. Fantasy strike was suppose to eliminate all the need to know so much stuff to have a good time yet be deep enough for someone looking to get more from this genre. Like I said..when I first tried it..it felt barebones. It was like smash brothers, tekken and street fighter rolled into one but with far less depth. I played it for a bit to give it a chance because it wasn’t winning me over. Finally I just thought,.blah..I wasted money on this. So it got lost in the shuffle. It wasn’t until a few days ago I thought..ohhh..this game...so I turned it on and to be honest..it clicked..what I thought was mediocre turned out to be truly awesome...it’s real magic kicks in when you play multiplayer. The mind games you can play on the other person is a blast..after you win you literally have the shakes because the matches are close a lot of times. I’m still getting good at this but it’s not a lifetime of learning as it really is accessible but decently deep. Give it a try or wait for a sale and then pick it up. The roster isn’t huge but big enough for variety and hey..most times the majority of fighting games get broke in the process of adding to many fighters because the balance gets way off. Heck even fighting games just clone moves but just swap out the character art but add maybe something to make them different like this guy shoots a fireball but the other guy throws a hammer but the rest of their moves are the same..woah..a lot of work went into that. But the worst part is..one guy may have two extra frames which makes him more better or cheap. Anyways...fantasy strike really does get things right. I actually love it.… Expand
  2. EtikaJoycon
    Jul 16, 2020
    10
    This game is an sbsolute joy to play on Switch. It is visually stunning and has a great play style for newbies and veterans alike
  4. CWheezy
    Jul 28, 2019
    10
    Excellent fighting game, great depth, netcode, and very accessible. I've played for over a year and I still learn something new each time I play
  5. Darches
    Aug 3, 2020
    10
    tl;dr tl;dr
    It's now my 2nd favorite fighting game. Please give Sirlin all your money so I can have more characters. Smash Ultimate plays a    tl;dr tl;dr
    It's now my 2nd favorite fighting game. Please give Sirlin all your money so I can have more characters. Smash Ultimate plays a bit better but is harder to control and has serious problems. Fantasy Strike has less expressive gameplay but is incredibly balanced and has ALL the quality of life features.

    Fantasy Strike is more than just "another fighting game." It's a philosophy and the culmination of Sirlin's work. tl;dr review:

    Pros
    +Accessible. Anyone with working fingers can play.
    +Competitive. Sirlin says no grinding!
    +Balanced. Unlike 99% of game developers, Sirlin knows how to balance things. All moves are useful and all characters are viable. It's amazing.
    +Elegant. The yomi counter is especially innovative and fun.
    +Challenging. While FS is easy to pick up it's very hard to master. The mind games are intense, the roster is diverse, and you can train and learn nuances like in any other fighter. There's serious replay value here.
    +Plays great. Rollback networking and cross platform support make this game a joy to play.
    +Polished.
    +Sounds great. This is probably my favorite fighting game sound track.
    +Looks great. It's the best that you could ask for from an indie company. I love the fantasy martial arts style and the designs, lore, movesets, and presentation all come together perfectly.
    +Good single player modes.

    Cons
    -Far less freedom, especially compared to Smash Ultimate. You still get meaningful choices, they're just less granular and expressive. It's a reasonable cost to pay for an insane boost in accessibility.

    Conclusion
    Despite the lack of freedom and my initial tilt from losing too much, I keep coming back for more! It's addicting. There are few games where even losing is this much fun. While it's not as mechanically fun as Smash Ultimate, Fantasy Strike does everything right and is the kind of fighting game that we've been sorely lacking. Games like this are a rare treat and I'm incredibly happy to see Sirlin's design work finally put into action. IMO this makes most other fighting games obsolete. Buy it.    … Expand
  6. doctorfedora
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    An intense, fast-paced fighting game that beginners can also play. Streamlined controls make it feel kind of like that scene in the MatrixAn intense, fast-paced fighting game that beginners can also play. Streamlined controls make it feel kind of like that scene in the Matrix where Neo gets kung-fu installed in his brain, then goes straight to lightning-fast sparring. Basically, it's designed to help beginners stop being beginners as fast as possible, to go straight to the exciting stuff. Plus, it's the first proper fighting game that's actually genuinely playable for real on a single Joy-Con. I cannot recommend this game enough, both for existing fighting game players and for people interested in checking out what the genre has to offer, but without spending hours practicing joystick motions before they can actually play for real.

    Not sure why the landing page says "no online play" though! Someone at Metacritic needs to get their act together, or something, heh. Instead, it has extremely good online play, especially on the Steam version (which has crossplay with both consoles)!    … Expand
  7. FrozenStorm
    Jul 25, 2019
    10
    This is a perfect fighting game for the Switch: accessible yet still strategically deep, great netcode to work within wifi limitations, easyThis is a perfect fighting game for the Switch: accessible yet still strategically deep, great netcode to work within wifi limitations, easy to play for 5 minutes or hours. The new boss rush mode is a great way to mix up the action and get a wild and fun single-player experience. I've been playing this in early access on Steam for the past couple years and I'm so excited to be able to play on dad time on my switch now.… Expand
  8. Whiteout
    Oct 28, 2021
    0
    The "develpoers" should play some fighting games before developing one.
    Avoid this "game" like plague.

See all 19 User Reviews

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86
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