Accessible fighting game Fantasy Strike hits Steam Early Access
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Fantasy Strike, the accessible fighting game from Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix lead designer David Sirlin, has entered Steam Early Access after an unsuccessful crowdfunding drive.
Fantasy Strike asked for $500,000 on Fig, but the crowdfunder ended in August after just $147,000 was pledged.
Now, Fantasy Strike turns to Steam Early Access on PC and Mac. A PlayStation 4 version is planned to launch alongside the PC version when the game leaves Early Access in 2018.
The Steam Early Access version includes graphical tweaks to the cel-shaded visuals and adds a new "Friend Match" feature. This lets you play a friend online without having to create a lobby.
Sirlin designed Fantasy Strike to be for everyone, with a genuine accessibility that retains the heart and soul of the fighting game genre. There's a button to move right, a button to move left, a button to jump and four attack buttons. One of these is for a normal attack, two are for special moves, and another is for a super attack. There are no complex input commands.
"Whether you're an expert at fighting games or new to the genre, there's a big hump you have to get over in any new fighting game before you can 'play for real'," said Sirlin. "Before you get to the juicy part where it's all about your decisions, you have to be able to actually do all the moves, do the basic combos, know your entire move list, and so on. From its inception, Fantasy Strike has been about launching experts and new players past the usual training mode drudgery as fast as possible. We want you enjoying the intricate dance of fighting games in minutes, not in weeks or months."