Battle Fantasia -Revised Version-
Overview -
Arc System Works has really put their names on maps this past console generation with their 2D fighting games. The company is best known for their beautiful looking and deep properties, ranging from 'BlazBlue' to 'Persona 4 Arena' to 'Guilty Gear.' Between their deep gameplay, and their long story modes, Arc System Works has made a niche for itself in the last few years.
Before all that, though, they created 'Battle Fantasia', a somewhat odd fighting game with a fantasy setting for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Now, they've released an Revised Edition on Steam, allowing newer Arc System fans to try one of the developer's lesser known titles.
Video Review
'Battle Fantasia' take a 2.5D approach for its graphics—while it's a 2D fighting game, Arc System uses 3D models for its character. Of course, this was made years before 'Guilty Gear Xrd' took that to a whole new level, but 'Battle Fantasia' looks quite nice overall while in motion. Outside of battle, the Story Mode's cutscenes also look nice, using character portraits that have a distinct and storybook like look to them.
Audio Review
'Battle Fantasia' offers full voice audio for its cutscenes, although the dialogue is only available in Japanese with no English option to speak of. The various voices seem to match the typically absurd characters rather well, and Arc System cannot really be blamed for not wanting to pay for localized voice acting on a small re-release.
The character and battle themes are acceptable, but are also pretty forgettable. One of Arc System's strong points for its fighting games are its rocking soundtracks, so it is a bit disappointing that 'Battle Fantasia' is a bit lacking in this regard. (Overall, the soundtrack is middling.)
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, 'Battle Fantasia - Revised Edition' ends up being only a slightly above average fighter, marred with problems that drag the entire experience down. It's difficult to recommend this port—there is far too little in the way of improvements over the console versions, and the game itself feels slow and sluggish compared to Arc System's later releases. Only the most hardcore Arc System fans will be interested in this, but even that's a stretch, as again if they wanted to own it, they likely already picked up the console version from a bargain bin years ago.
It's not the worst way to spend your money, but be forewarned: If you're looking for another fantastic fighter along the lines of Arc System's most popular properties, you'll come away disappointed.
