Kill la Kill: IF

Kill la Kill The Game: IF managed to exceed my expectations in almost every way delivering a fantastic experience for Kill la Kill fans like myself who have been waiting a long time for a game.

While I was probably the furthest thing from the intended audience before starting this review, I had an absolute blast with Kill la Kill: IF, and I could almost be considered a convert at this point. It probably doesn’t have much chance as a serious, tournament-worthy fighter and the supporting content is thin, but if this title can win me over, it’s well worth any fighting game fan’s time.

This colorful burst of anime goodness may not be flawless, but it's exemplary for the genre, and another of Arc System Works' great efforts. It's quite short and a bit on the shallow end, but when it comes to presentation and sticking close by to the anime, few titles have done it better. For newcomers, it's best to watch the series first, but for Kill la Kill faithful and Trigger enthusiasts, it's a great weekend rental or purchase.

KILL la KILL The Game: IF features exciting arena fighting action and silly yet engaging yarn that together form an exclusive episode for the quirky franchise. The presentation is big, bold and in-your-face, creating a handsome package you really want to dig into. The girls never miss a chance to strike a defiant pose and don’t mind how exposed they are doing so, be it in special moves, combo finishers or psyching up before matches. However, with a limited number of playable characters and ill-founded playing after completing the story with the main girls, the sixty dollar asking price might be a bit steep.

Kill la Kill is an anime licensed tie-in fighter done well, and given how frequently these turn out to be terrible that in itself is a relief. It's fast, it's furious, it's explicit and fanservicey, and it is outright hilarious in its satire. The developers have nailed every element of Kill la Kill that needed to be done right, and I can't imagine fans wanting anything more from this particular game.

It’s a gift for the fans of the anime – definitively not suited for those who aren’t – with a well crafted combat system: simple but deep mechanics that can reward players who can read correctly their opponent, even if their execution level is not top class.

The developer has managed to adapt the anime quite faithfully. However, by focusing mainly on the story they have neglected other important aspects of the game, such as the limitation of characters, modes and combat scenarios. However, the pace of frantic fighting and how well it is achieved, adaptation can become a fan.

Kill la Kill IF is a great adaptation, that nails the combat, the visuals and the tone of the series, but lacks content. However, if you’re a fan, you cannot miss it.

Much like the anime that came before it, Kill la Kill: the Game is weird, wild, and loud, but also a bit shallow. But unlike the anime, the Game doesn’t have the same feeling of scale to it, the same feeling of unrestrained creators working with a healthy budget and top-tier industry names.