Melty Blood is a beautifully designed sequel to the 2002 hit 2-D fighter arriving on consoles this month. Melty Blood: Type Lumina revolves around its quick 99 second matches which keep players engaged and on their feet. Very similarly, the game maintains its two dimensional gameplay like other Melty Blood titles.
Developed by French Bread, a developing group well known for stunning games like “Under Night In-Birth,” this game creates beautiful stages and intriguing finishes to keep each match unique.
Something really enjoyable about this fifth installment is that game developers did not change the characters’ looks or their pixelated designs; rather, they only made needed updates to help it run smoother and look cleaner.
Melty Blood was made with the assistance of the animation studio Type-Moon, which is famous for the astoundingly well-animated show “Fate.” This show was known for its incredible fights and animation in the anime community. Needless to say, this game does not disappoint.
Along with Type Lumina’s 13 fighters, rooster Type Moon added their own character into the mix from “Fate Stay Night.” Gamers can finally play as the invisible sword-wielding champion, Saber, this fall. There are still no release dates for any new characters or downloadable content players but “Fate” enthusiasts await more crossover champions.
Along with the game’s beautiful graphics and maps, it plays surprisingly well. Unlike other hit online fighting games on the market like “Dragon Ball Fighterz” and “Jump Force,” it runs fast; players can be immersed in matches in less than three minutes from starting the software, and it is remarkably fast on any console.
Beautiful music pairs the fights and players can choose from over 10 different songs, all portraying different moods. One song called “Glowing Mansion” adds a powerful and ancient melody to matches that fans adore.
Even though the roster is quite limited for now with only 14 slots, all the champions bring something to the table. There is a champion for everybody and all playing styles. Quick and reactive players can truly immerse themselves with Miyako Arima’s quick kicks and challenging combos.
Players who enjoy projectiles and heavy weapons will fall in love with Vlov and Ciel. Each character has unique attributes that keep the matches exciting as players challenge different player types.
Unfortunately the small roster hasn’t been without critics who were hoping for a more diverse roster. Alumni Gabe Smith stated, “I feel the lack of character variety brings the game down, however the fast paced fighting combined with the animation makes for a charming game.”
The gameplay itself is quite unique compared to other fighting games as it runs on an extra bar of power being granted to the losing player. The three-win matches keep it quick and engaging, but these handicaps for the losing player can change the tide of battle at any moment.
Most traditional fighting games rely on a special meter bar to perform combos and special attacks. For example in “Mortal Kombat,” the world famous fatalities are a result of a special meter bar.
These bars allow for powerful combos in video games and allow players to do an assortment of heavy attacks and power-ups. Even games like “Super Smash Bros” and “Injustice” integrate some form of power up and special meter system.
Unlike these games, Melty Blood actually has two available special meter bars. They have a traditional meter bar which allows for powerful combos and special bar usage attacks, but they also integrate a moon meter.
This magical Moon Meter allows players to do a variety of unique additions compared to normal fighting games. Players can use this bar to actually stop time and give themselves a few frames to adjust and react to combos. Along with this frame assist, players can also use the meter to input basic combos but actually make them invincible for a short period of time. This invincibility allows players to power through attacks to gain the upper hand.
This actually allows players to change up gameplay and power through certain opponents’ attacks. This ability makes quick openings in opponents defenses and can switch up the tide of battle.
Along with damaging combos, there are also a few buffs and boosts applied in the game as well. Players can awaken their character using moons bars and do various moves like auto-healing, an extra jump and even an additional counterstep.
These extra movements allow fighters to make better usage of the stage and move into and away from combos with ease. Finally, if characters have gained an additional bar from being on the losing side, you can actually unleash a cinematic “Arc Finisher.”
This powerful and unblockable move is triggered when an opponent hits you in your awakened state. This special move is engaging and cinematic as it completely takes over your screen in a small movie clip. The cinematic varies from Red Arcueid sending you to a pocket dimension and Roa eating you alive with Shadow snakes. These moves quickly change the tide of matches and create an engaging and unique experience for your final round.
Thousands of gamers are coming into the world of Melty Blood. Its unique fighting system keeps players on edge and allows for fun matches with professionals and newbies alike. It is unlike any fighting game on the market right now and is definitely worth the purchase.
