[Análisis] Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] for Nintendo Switch – Nintenderos

In September of last year we got good news for all fans of fighting games and that is that Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r) confirmed its release on Nintendo Switch (and PS4). It is a title co-developed by French bread Y Arc System Works and distributed by Pqube.

Under Night In-Birth It is a 2D wrestling title whose original title was released in recreational in 2012. Subsequently this game has been updated both in recreational and in its physical format versions by adding certain pads to its name: Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (2014 ), Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (st) (2015, although it didn't arrive until 2018 in the West), and now we get its third and last update, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r), which is what I will analyze today. This title arrives in Europe on February 21, one day after the release date previously announced for America and Japan.

It may not be one of the most popular titles of the genre, but it is certainly a very interesting game in which it is worth stopping and that turns out to be much deeper than it may seem at first glance.

Are you ready for combat?

Argument

In Japan, at some point in the XXI century, a strange phenomenon called Hollow night, which occurs from time to time, has been involving different regions of the country. Each area surrounded by this phenomenon is invaded by creatures called Voids, beings that feed on an energy known as Existence or EXS. Humans cannot see or come into contact with these creatures, except for a few people who have survived their attacks and become known as In-birth. These subjects acquire the ability to control the powers of the EXS and enter a state of limbo, where they are neither alive nor dead.

The protagonist, Hyde, a student who survived a Void attack and became an In-Birth, must now investigate what mysteries are hidden behind the Hollow Night, while being persecuted by members of different organizations.

What's new in this version

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r), as I mentioned earlier, is an update of Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (st) and presents the following news:

• Considerable changes in the balance of the entire cast (almost a thousand adjustments of all kinds based on the feedback of the players).
• New scenarios, background music, sound effects and voice lines.
• New playable character: Londrekia Light.
• New story with Londrekia.

This is also the first time that this title comes to a Nintendo platform (without taking into account that some of its characters we could already see them previously in Blazblue Cross Tag Battle).

Playability

Arc System Works She is a developer known for her magnificent fighting games, which are generally more focused on the competitive field, being complex and profound as few. However, there are also proposals within the genre of the most arcade fight, that is, they are more accessible to any player, regardless of their ability.

On this occasion, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r) It's a 2D vs. 1 fighting game. 1, therefore here there is no team fighting or we will have assistance to help us. Its playability is similar to that of other titles of the Japanese company, a sample of this is that to perform the actions we have three attack buttons: weak (Y), medium (X) and strong (A) blow, and a fourth button that serves to manage the EXS bar (B), which is what allows to trigger more powerful attacks and combos (recovers by attacking or receiving damage). When it is 100% this bar is when the characters can perform their most powerful techniques.

Although the game has some autocombo, as usual for most of combos, we must combine the directions (either with the crosshead or with the left stick) and the different buttons. The most basic movements are easy for most players, but if we want to learn to perform the most complex, and let's not say how to use them at the right time, it will require many hours of practice.

But at the same time it presents its own characteristics such as bar GDR, which is located in the lower central part of the screen and which indicates the course of the battle in the form of 12 blocks. These blocks are filled while we are offensive, that is, when we attack and hit the opponent and, instead, they are lost if played conservatively, that is, if one recoils or receives damage. When a certain amount of weather, the player with the most blocks temporarily enters a state called Vorpal State, which allows you to increase in damage and defense, in addition to being able to perform special movements.

Thus It is a game that rewards being offensive by players against being defensive, although at the same time continually attacking also exposes us more and therefore can allow our opponent to make a counterattack and get into trouble. As always, it will be the most dedicated players who will be able to take advantage of this type of proposal, since knowing when to attack and when to defend oneself is essential if we want to be victorious.

As you can see, despite its apparent simplicity, we are facing a much deeper title than it seems and that requires patience and practice to be able to master it and squeeze it to the fullest. That is, anyone can play it, but playing well requires a lot of dedication.

Difficulty levels

The game has 5 difficulty levels, to be able to adapt it to all types of players depending on their ability or if they want a greater or lesser challenge. The normal mode, number 3, is the one that is activated by default.

Money

As we play the different game modes we will win money (called IP in the game). We must dedicate many hours if we want to have enough to buy all its content!

Characters

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r) has 21 characters, one of which is new. All of them are unlocked from the beginning and you can see the list of all of them (ordered from top to bottom and from left to right), as well as their images below:

Phonon, Nanase, Seth, Waldstein, Hyde, Linne, Carmine, Yuzuriha, Byakuya, Mika, Eltnum, Hilda, Merkava, Orie, Wagner, Londrekia (new), Enkidu, Gordeau, Vatican, Chaos and Akatsuki.

Game modes

This title has a main menu with various game modes, which I will briefly comment on what they consist of:

• Arcadian: In this mode we will follow the story decade character. We will erect one of and we will not face the enemies that appear to us. We must gain 10 levels to complete it.
• Chronicles: Here we will enjoy the prologue scenarios. We must complete the first scenarios to gain access to others later in the game. It is basically a visual novel of each character.
• Versus: In this mode we can play against the AI ​​and other players. We can choose our character, stage and BGM for combat, in addition to the number of rounds.
• Network: This is the online mode of the game (allows between 2 and 8 players) and requires to be subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online to use it. Unfortunately I could not prove it, since the game has not yet been released at the time of writing this analysis.
• Score Attack: Here we will earn points fighting in battles. We must select our first opponent from a predefined list and once exceeded we can record our score in a ranking.
• Time attack: We must win several fights as fast as we can. We must select again our first opponent from a predefined list and once exceeded we can record our score in a ranking. We must gain 10 levels to complete it.
• Survival: We must fight against waves of opponents until our life bar runs out. Depending on our results we can regenerate a small amount of life and record our winning streak in a ranking.
• Training: Here we can practice different movements and techniques, as well as make various training adjustments to adapt it to our needs.
• Tutorial: In this section we will learn the rules and tactics of combat divided into different levels of difficulty (novice, beginner, intermediate, expert and veteran). It is essential to start in the game, especially for players who have never played this saga.
• Mission: Here we must test ourselves in different missions where we must perform combos with different characters. Difficulty levels are set for each combo challenge and we can also access and learn basic techniques.
• Customization: In this section we can buy icons, titles and more. We can also equip our favorite color and change it in the character menu.
• Replay: Here we can see and manage saved battle reps, so we can see combos, mix-ups and special techniques of previous battles.
• Gallery: In this section we can enjoy illustrations of the game, watch the introductory video, illustrations of the end, guest illustrations and more.
• Options: Here we can change the configuration settings within the game. We can adjust and change various settings, such as game difficulty, time, number of rounds and more.
• Return to the Title: To exit the main menu and return to the title screen.

Finally, it should be noted that, like most Switch games, Can be played in portable mode, desktop mode and TV mode. In addition it is also compatible with the Nintendo Switch Pro remote.

Graphics and sound

On a graphic level, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r) stands out above all for its magnificent artistic design, which shows the characters through sprites, with good house brand animations. Visually it is very frantic and fluid and stands out for presenting good effects and run very organically. Unfortunately the scenarios are not at the same level, and although they are made in 3D they are quite improvable since they look very static and lifeless, the majority passing without penalty or glory. It should be noted that the title looks good both in TV mode and in portable mode, although it looks better in the latter, since on the TV screen, being larger, saw teeth are more appreciated, which «shave» a Little the final aspect of the game.

As for its sound, the title has a great soundtrack to set the fighting, which perfectly accompanies the action. Special mention deserves the introduction sequence with the musical theme «Itsuwari no Mugen Heiretsu (Parareal)», song composed by Raito and sung by Sakura Ishadou. A true delight for the senses. On the other hand, the sound effects are also very careful.

Finally regarding the texts, the title only has two languages: english and japanese. Although, like any fighting title, the language is not too important, it can be inconvenient for players who want to understand the story well and enter their lore.

Duration

As in any arcade fighting game, it is very complicated to establish a specific duration for this game, since although completing the main modes can take us a few hours, thanks to its online mode its useful life can be extended incalculably , being a game practically infinite.

If we also intend to get all the icons, titles, illustrations and colors for the characters, we have hours and hours of entertainment ahead of us, since in order to buy everything we will need a lot of money and play a multitude of battles.

Curiosities

• The game will feature a special edition. It includes a 96-page full-color art book, a soundtrack CD with themes for each character and an exclusive Londrekia keychain. It costs $ 59.99 and can be booked here.
• Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r) will be one of the games that will be present at the EVO 2020, the biggest fighting video game event, which will take place from July 31 to August 2 this year in Las Vegas (United States).

conclusion

Although there are more well-known titles within its genre, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r) is undoubtedly a great 2D fighting game, much deeper than it may seem a priori. All its novelties, together with its various game modes, its large amount of content and its online mode make it a very important title. So if you are lovers of the genre and your proposal attracts you, do not hesitate to give it a try.

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late (cl-r) is available in physical and digital format, through the eShop, from February 21 at a price of € 39.99. You must have a free space on your 3.2 GB console to download it.