Fantasy Strike

 Switch
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 40
  3. Negative: 9 out of 40

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  1. 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, 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 playThis 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
  2. acrata
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    This is the fighting game I’ve been waiting years for. Tons of depth, but easy execution. When you lose, you know it’s because you made bad decisions, not because you misinputted.
  3. 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
  4. mienaikage
    Jul 27, 2019
    9
    Quite possible the only competitive game I would even consider playing online on the Switch at the moment. The netcode puts many other games to shame.
  5. tatossb4
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    Fantasy Strike is a truly innovative fighting game, not necessarily in terms of what it adds to the genre, but rather because of the barriers it removes. With an extremely low execution floor and amazing tutorials/documentation, the game feels like it's designed so that anyone can quickly become competent at it. Despite this, there's still plenty of depth, especially considering theFantasy Strike is a truly innovative fighting game, not necessarily in terms of what it adds to the genre, but rather because of the barriers it removes. With an extremely low execution floor and amazing tutorials/documentation, the game feels like it's designed so that anyone can quickly become competent at it. Despite this, there's still plenty of depth, especially considering the various unique mechanics that the characters have. Between Jaina's unique charged projectile mechanic, Grave's use of wind to supplement his zoning and reclaim stage control, Midori's auto grab, etc. the game has plenty of cool choices and interesting moves to keep veteran players entertained.… Expand
  6. Iantweed
    Jul 28, 2019
    10
    This game is perfect for Switch.

    It’s a 1v1 fighting game that’s got that classic “easy to play, hard to master” vibe. The game feels like old school Street Fighter 2, yet you can play it perfectly with a single joycon if you want.

    A must buy
  7. 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 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 fightingAn 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
  8. ScoobyGoobyDoo
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    I fondly remember lining quarters up at the arcade as I waited for my turn at Street Fighter 2. I was never very good at the game, opting to spam E. Honda's Hundred-Hand-Slap or Dhalsim's Yoga Fire until my friends' frustration got the better of them. As I got older, I began to understand that there was a lot of nuance and hidden complexity to fighting games. The complexity of that barrierI fondly remember lining quarters up at the arcade as I waited for my turn at Street Fighter 2. I was never very good at the game, opting to spam E. Honda's Hundred-Hand-Slap or Dhalsim's Yoga Fire until my friends' frustration got the better of them. As I got older, I began to understand that there was a lot of nuance and hidden complexity to fighting games. The complexity of that barrier to entry created a divide between not being good enough to play at a "serious" level but being too good to play with friends who enjoyed games casually.

    Fantasy Strike solves that divide problem with grace and excellent execution. On the casual side of things, the game's aesthetic is impressive, evoking a "living comic book" feeling. The characters all have unique personalities and abilities that are a joy to discover. The inputs are straightforward and the game's internal systems are very transparent. There are no weird input timings or hidden properties of movies, everything from increased hit-stun from being countered to move invincibility to frame advantage is visually indicated on the screen. The ease of learning these complicated systems fosters an excitement to delve deeper and tackle the nitty-gritty details of mind-games.

    Fantasy Strike is not a game of "Well that's just unfair, you're so good that I didn't even get a chance to do anything!" instead it's a game of "Ha! I knew you were gonna do what you did last time, so I did this instead!"

    Playing Fantasy Strike brings back the joy of the old arcade days while still satiating the part of us that wants to grow stronger. I highly recommend it to anybody who is considering giving fighting games a chance.    … Expand
  9. Wip
    Aug 5, 2019
    9
    I am really enjoying this game. Each character feels different and fun. First time I’ve ever felt I could play a Zangief type character due to the no nonsense controls.
  10. robertaugust
    Jul 28, 2019
    9
    A sharply cut diamond. All the depth of the best fighting games without the chaff. David Airline strikes gold again!
  11. DrSammyD
    Sep 29, 2019
    9
    1 Month review. Honestly the best net-code I've ever experienced. The simple controls enables you to perform exactly the moves you're intending to input, but maintains depth with excellent footsies and mind-games. Reminds me of Killer Instinct. Execution simplicity brings the game to a higher level, and you don't have to lab for an hour every time you come back to the game.

    Story is a    1 Month review. Honestly the best net-code I've ever experienced. The simple controls enables you to perform exactly the moves you're intending to input, but maintains depth with excellent footsies and mind-games. Reminds me of Killer Instinct. Execution simplicity brings the game to a higher level, and you don't have to lab for an hour every time you come back to the game.

    Story is a bit simplistic and campy, but intentionally so. Looking forward to DLC and seeing alternative factions who are hinted at in the story coming into play.    … Expand
  12. seanmccoy
    Oct 15, 2019
    10
    I'd never been able to get into fighting games before (other than playing Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter as a kid) but after playing Fantasy Strike, I'm an addict. I feel like I'm learning the fundamentals and actually getting to play "the real game" without having to spend 100s of hours mastering difficult to execute combos. A must buy for anyone looking to get into this awesome genre.
  13. LudicSavant
    Nov 5, 2019
    10
    Don't let the simple controls fool you; this game offers a great deal of depth for dedicated fighting game players. The difference is that in Fantasy Strike you're not distracted by rote execution like messing up your combos or missing 1-frame links, you're worried about making the right choice to outwit your opponent.

    The game epitomizes easy to learn, hard to master, and I love it.
  14. 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 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 theThis 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
  15. 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 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    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
  16. Hedgeknightmike
    Aug 17, 2019
    10
    By far my favorite fighting game on Switch, maybe period. It takes all the depth and fun of SFII and all the ease of play in Smash and puts together one of the most intuitive games I've played. While it feels simple to play, everytime I play I learn something new or notice combo opportunities I had never spotted before. Though I've been a decent player at fighters for years this is theBy far my favorite fighting game on Switch, maybe period. It takes all the depth and fun of SFII and all the ease of play in Smash and puts together one of the most intuitive games I've played. While it feels simple to play, everytime I play I learn something new or notice combo opportunities I had never spotted before. Though I've been a decent player at fighters for years this is the first one to make me feel and see noticeable progression between rounds.


    People who've never played fighters will have an easier time time catching up here, veterans players will find a tremendous amount or depth as they master reading opponents. The netcode is solid and Switch had crossplay with PC, if you're more interested in single player the boss rush is my favorite from any game to include one with a perk selection between rounds that buffs your character. I could only come up with two complaints; the roster is all top tier, but fairly small, and the music isn't the best. It isn't terrible, but it isn't the best. I just play some spotify and cut the BGM down.    … Expand
  17. Whiteout
    Oct 28, 2021
    0
    The "develpoers" should play some fighting games before developing one.
    Avoid this "game" like plague.
  18. 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
  19. GeneralW
    Jul 25, 2020
    10
    One of the best fighting games I played:
    - Rollback netcode
    - Simple characters, make easy to learn matchups
    - Very good introduciton to the genre and even for more advanced players to relax
    - Cool characters and guides
    - The community on discord is awesome
  20. SebasKnight98
    Aug 12, 2023
    6
    Es un juego entretenido para jugar con los amigos o la familia un rato, pero no se me hizo la gran cosa, tiene modos de pelea en linea, pero no se me hizo tan satisfactorio.

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. 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.
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  2. 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.
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  3. Switch Player
    Sep 9, 2019
    60
    Fantasy Strike offers an accessible, if not conflicted, take on the beloved fighting genre. Whilst it’s certainly not for those that cut their teeth on complex button inputs, the strategic elements found throughout have the potential to entice otherwise naysayers.
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