Fighter Within

Overview -

Filling out the shooter-heavy launch library on the Xbox One is the 'Fighter Within.' It's likely that the initial concept for Ubisoft's 'Fighter Within' was designed to showcase the Kinect's ability to track motion in games using enhanced sensors. Developed by Dakota, the game puts the player in control of Matt Gilford, a street fighter that's attempting to improve his repertoire of fighting moves. So not only is the 'Fighter Within' one of the few fighting games for the new console, but it's also a test of the new Kinect as well as game with an included promise of active, exercising play.

OVERALL:

Rating Breakdown

VIDEO

AUDIO

Tech Specs & Release Details

Release Date:
November 19th, 2013

Video Review

Ranking:

One of the best aspects of the 'Fighter Within' (by default), the visuals are competitive to what you would find on the Xbox 360. Colors are vibrant, player models are detailed and the animations are relatively fluid. In addition, the framerate was usually solid and the on-screen character did a good job of keeping up when the Kinect actually registered my movements. There's also a large quantity of in-game cutscenes to break up the action, but those seem to detract from the overall experience in regards to immersion. Basically, you have to perform a special move to build up a charge attack, then are forced into a short break while the cutscene shows off the move.

Audio Review

Ranking:

I realize the developer was going for the cheesy style of marital arts movies in the late 70's, but the voice work is abysmal. First off, it's not funny. Secondly, it's melds so many stereotypes together that it feels insulting at times. Lastly, half the lines don't make any sense. The music is perfectly fine for the subject matter, but there aren't any particularly catchy tracks. The sound effects are typical of a fighting game, again nothing too exciting.

Simply put, this game is a total disaster. It's incredibly frustrating to play, the narrative is horrific, gesture control is broken and the menu system will make you pull your hair out within 5 minutes. If there's any glimmer of positive praise for the game, it's that you will probably lose weight while attempting to play the game. Flailing my arms and legs around during each match just to register a single movement on the screen has been more intense than any Xbox Fitness workout. If you have any love for fighting games, you should avoid the 'Fighter Within' at all costs.