Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. Noisy Pixel
    Feb 20, 2020
    90
    Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late|cl-r| is a fantastic fighting game that’s easy to pick up and understand with its simplistic yet deep tutorials that will set you up for slicing and dicing your foes in no time. It’s a title that has so much to offer in terms of style and presentation that its tough to not be having a great time while playing.
  2. Gamers Heroes
    Feb 16, 2020
    85
    Frantic, fluid, and fun, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] features all the greatest parts of the fighting game genre. It’s not a revolutionary update, but rather an evolutionary one designed for those looking for accessible yet nuanced gameplay and a truly diverse roster.
  3. PlayStation Universe
    Mar 4, 2020
    80
    If you’re looking for a solid fighting game with tons of content, replay value and a deep story, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] is a must-have whether you’re a newcomer to the saga or a seasoned veteran.
  5. DualShockers
    Feb 21, 2020
    80
    Like many modern fighting games, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] is so unique. While it has a really steep learning curve that may turn casual fighting game players off, it is incredibly satisfying if you put the time in. If you love fighting games and want a challenge, then look no further.
  6. Vandal
    Feb 3, 2020
    80
    Exe:Late [cl-r] is a great way to discover this not very well-known series. If you own previous entries, you might want to purchase it just as an update, as it is definitely a good way to expand a great fighting game.
  7. SpazioGames
    Mar 6, 2020
    77
    The combat mechanics are deep and extremely interesting to master, but this new release doesn't offer enough additions to the ones who already bought Exe: Late[st].
  8. The Indie Game Website
    Feb 20, 2020
    70
    Overall, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] is a good fighting game, one that should help any interested players into the world of In-Birth, and maybe even bring back a few lost fans. That being said, it’s also effectively a remaster with a couple of small updates, so it stings a little to see it out in the world as a brand-new game. This is a great pick up if you’ve never played the series, but a far harder sell if you’re a long term fan who has bought every entry in the series so far, though you’ve probably already bought your copy if that’s the case.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Best PS4 Game of 2020

User Reviews

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User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 28
  3. Negative: 8 out of 28
  1. jcboyer515
    May 6, 2020
    10
    Idk why PS4 user reviews would be so low, Unist is one of the cleanest, best performing 2D fighting games that's ever landed on console. MustIdk why PS4 user reviews would be so low, Unist is one of the cleanest, best performing 2D fighting games that's ever landed on console. Must be the salty fans that bought [cl-r] without realizing if you already owned [st], there wasn't much a difference. All PC & PS4 versions got automatically upgraded to the current edition, although you still have to purchase the new fighter if you were wanting to check him out. Highly recommend, especially if you've played similar titles such as BlazBlue, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Skullgirls, etc, & enjoyed those.… Full Review »
  2. thegreatreviw
    Mar 29, 2020
    10
    Great game, art style, gameplay, and music are bomb af. With the expansion of [cl-r] added to Under Night, I can say that this will be a gameGreat game, art style, gameplay, and music are bomb af. With the expansion of [cl-r] added to Under Night, I can say that this will be a game I'll be playing for a long while to improve and have a generally good time with. The tutorial's great and provides insight to players that have never played a fighting game before while introducing it's own unique ideas into the learning exercises. What starts off as complex becomes more and more enjoyable with mastery.… Full Review »
  3. ShadowPeter
    Mar 1, 2020
    9
    First Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late, then Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [st] and, finally, comes the 3rd full version: Under Night In-BirthFirst Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late, then Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [st] and, finally, comes the 3rd full version: Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] (read- “clear”). Yes, I know it has a strange name as if someone had slept on top of the keyboard, but despite that, it is a game of enormous quality as you would expect from Arc System Works and French Bread. And this is the first time that this 2D fighting game has arrived on the Nintendo Switch.

    The game's story tells that some regions of Japan were affected by a strange event called Hollow Night, which attracted several dark creatures, called Voids, and that use a power called EXS (or Existence). These Voids have a mission to hunt people who have the ability to feel, hear and see the dark creatures. Many characters from Under Night were involved in this strange phenomenon and some are linked in certain clans with different missions. For example, Yatos and Licht Kreis fight against evil, but with different priorities. The Yatos have the priority of destroying black creatures, while the Licht Kreis have the priority of maintaining order and protecting the innocent. Those from Amnesia are a conflicted group and plan to stop the influence of the Yatos and the Licht Kreis.

    But let's moving forward. Let's start with the news compared to the previous version, which was Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [st]. If we have a character that uses fire (Wagner), this new character, called Londrekia, uses ice as a skill (is it just me that reminds me of Jin Kisaragi from the BlazBlue series?). Certainly, this is yet another member of the Licht Kreis group joining the fight. And we also have a new arena called “Art Museum of Light and Water”.

    Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] has new moves and has undergone immense adjustments when it comes to balancing the characters. For those who have the [st] version, don't worry, because it received a patch with these new movements and balances. In addition, we have more color schemes for the characters and the gallery has been expanded with new content such as conceptual art and Special Voices.

    Being a 2D fighting game that uses sprites, it is unsurprisingly graphically inferior to Dragon Ball FighterZ, but they are still good overall. If the Under Night soundtrack was already very good, with the addition of Icefield White Night (Londrekia theme) and Incompatible Relation (Londrekia vs. Wagner theme), it was phenomenal. In terms of game modes, Under Night In-Birth Exe_Late [cl-r] has no news, featuring the usual Arcade, Chronicles (story mode), Versus, Network, Score Attack, Time Attack, Survival, Training, Tutorial and the Mission. The Chronicles mode should have added a story about Londrekia, even though this mode has exaggeratedly long dialogues (although in my opinion it has a good story).

    I know that anyone who read my review for the version Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] knows this, but for those who are just now learning about the existence of this game, Under Night uses a four button system, namely “A - Light attacks ”,“ B - Medium attacks ”,“ C - Strong attack ”and“ D - Universal mechanic ”. The latter has the function of reloading the GRD gauge (middle bar) and waiting 7 seconds (if our GRD gauge is greater than the opponent's) until it starts to flash (Vorpal). With that, we can fill our EXS gauge using the Chain Shift technique.

    We can also perform moves like the Grab (A + D), extra attack (B + C) or a very powerful move, called Infinite Worth EXS (A + B + C + D), which can only be done if the character has the EXS bar at 200 and the life bar at 30%. This EXS bar if it's 100 or more, can also be used for a kind of “Awakening” (Veil Off or Cross-Cast Veil Off), which makes attacks slightly more powerful. There is a huge variety of combos, some of which are complicated to execute (but not as complicated as those in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax), which can alienate some players new to the genre. The matches (1 vs 1) as in the previous version of the game, are super fluid and balanced.

    Fortunately the Network, the multiplayer mode here, doesn't have a system as complicated and unnecessary as the one in BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle and Dragon Ball FighterZ when it comes to wanting to play with a friend of ours. Basically, this is: Start Player Match> Create Room> Send Room Invitation. Nothing simpler than this and much more practical than the two games previously mentioned.

    Overall, although I think they could also add one or more characters, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] is a superb fighting game. But having the [st] version, is it worth purchasing the [cl-r] version? No, as the upgrade price is too high for the new content added. However, it is undoubtedly recommended for all fighting game fans who have passed the [st] version.    … Full Review »
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