Rainbows, clothing, and fan service.
What the heck am I playing? These were some of the first words to come out of my mouth upon booting up Kill la Kill The Game: IF. Sure, it is one of those anime 3D fighters, but the characters and cut scenes are so outlandish I thought it was a joke I wasn’t privy to. It is incoherent and all over the place at all times, and I am not sure I ever figured out what in the world was going on. Strip that away and it is a pretty by-the-numbers fighter without much flair, so anyone that has no idea what Kill la Kill is should likely just keep on walking.
Much like other titles in this genre, Kill la Kill puts the wacky anime story at the forefront. It is required to unlock characters and it is the main option on the title screen. There are plenty of animated cut scenes; all voice acted, and all of them completely bonkers. Something about clothing and taking over schools for power, lots of scantily clad women and large chests abound. This game is the definition of fan service on all accounts. I honestly could not follow half of what was going on, rainbows and sunglasses, swords and whips…oh my!
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Switch (reviewed), PS4
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
This is a fighting game, albeit an overly simplified one. It is 3D and takes place on some of the blandest stages I have ever encountered. They are small and flat and lack much character at all. The camera is also all over the place. Instead of being stationary it attempts to move around and follow the action. Most of the time it fails and it ends up pushing my character into awkward positions. I lost track of them more often than not, it just doesn’t work.
Thankfully the fighting is simple enough that strategy matters little. Every character has the same basic attacks. One close strike, one distant strike, and a guard break. There are also flashy special moves, which are certainly something to spectacle at, but they are sometimes a bit much. A lot of matches divulge into one-sided affairs where button mashing can certainly win more often than not. There is a comeback mechanic called Bloody Valor but it never works out the way it should. The fighting is simple, but once I got past its surface there is simply nothing here to keep me coming back.
Kill la Kill ticks all the boxes of a fighting game at least. In addition to the story mode there are also single fights, training modes, and multiplayer galore. The online works when you can find a match, but there really isn’t a stable community to find matches. The character roster is paltry, with only six available at start and ten total after unlocking them all. There is a gallery chock full of stuff and it really feels like a showpiece for Kill la Kill fans, but nothing else. There are two more free characters coming as DLC this summer, but considering the anime is packed with faces it feels sparse.
I also really like the look of the game. Most anime fighters look great thanks to today’s technology. Kill la Kill also benefits from some just obscure character design. Everything is bright and weird and I enjoy it. Everything feels polished, yet empty.
Kill la Kill The Game: IF is a unique title for sure. It lacks depth and breadth but makes up for it in wackiness and style. Fans of the anime will likely enjoy it, but fighting game fans in general will most likely pass this one by. There just isn’t enough here to make it stand out among the crowd. One thing I can say about it though is that nothing is ever likely to be as bonkers as far as fighting games go…oh who am I kidding?
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
