UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late

AMAZING! SIMPLE GREATNESS! THIS GAME MECHANICS STANDS OUT! LOVE IT! 5*

This was a good game but is obsolete with the release of UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late[cl-r] which you should look at (instead of this one).

In short, there's no reason to get this version at all regardless of whether it goes on offer.
That is, unless you want to sample it to see if you'll like it before committing to the more expensive (later) version - since it's pretty cheap when on discount.

It's frustrating for me to see fighting game studios release a newer version of a game without offering an "upgrade" option. I like this game, but don't buy this version. Buy the newer one.

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!
There is no reason to buy this version of the game. Buy the most recent version, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late(st) instead. It is the same game but with more content

I really love this game, I have never felt happy about playing a fighting game in a long time in such a while and even tho EXE:ST is the better version, I don't regret picking this up so that should at least say something. If it were not for BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle I would have never learned about this game and I am happy to be introduced to this well made fighting game and I recommend it to everyone who loves fighters, also the intro is catchy as hell. the characters are lovable, Hyde is a really good main character and that's saying something, Chaos is pretty cool, Seth I love as a character and playing as him is fun, Akatsuki makes some really good combos and is fun to play as, and Vatista is the T pose girl. Now for waifus, there was a lot to choose from, Nanse is your tsundere, Orie is the girl makes justice to everyone, Eltnim, also known as Sion, Eltnam Altasia, who is a guest character from Melty Blood, and Yuzuriha, who is the top tier waifu in my books is really cute but her main attack however sucks but at the end of the day I love her. I recommend this game 100%.

Pros:
*It's a fighting game made by ArcSys
*Sound and Visual quality is high
*Sion Eltnum Atlasia makes a guest appearance

Cons:
*It's not Melty Blood

Gameplay : SF-esque
Aesthetic : Anime games most probably Blazblue but with better sprites.

Looks like an anime fighting game but plays like a traditional 2d fighter game.

It's probably one of the best anime fighters around but it's gotta be some kind of sick joke that we're getting BBTAG before UNIST on the PC.

UNDER NIGHT In-Birth makes up the trifecta of must-have ArcSys Fighting games on PC right now along with Guilty Gear and BlazBlue. Whereas Guilty Gear is the most stylish of the three with its stylised 3D models and animations while BlazBlue is the craziest in terms of gimmicks and mechanics, UNDER NIGHT In-Birth is the happy medium between the two sporting high quality sprite artwork, a more subdued less crazy gameplay and a soundtrack that easily rivals that of GG and BB's.

In terms of gameplay, Air-dashing which has more or less been a staple that defined anime fighting games is not in UNIEL (though a similar mechanic is still present) making this a more ground-based fighter. Motions and specials have been streamlined to be much easier to perform and learn and with the addition of a smart-combo function, UNIEL is a very easy fighter to pick up and play.

Unlike Guilty Gear and BlazBlue which had very comprehensive tutorials however, UNIEL is lacking in that department so seeking third party help via wikis, videos or a friend is the best a player can do in terms of explanations of mechanics which can be a bit discouraging. Thankfully the aforementioned streamlined controls makes it so that once you get your head around the mechanics and terminology, it's smooth sailing from then on.

While I personally got the game initially because of hype for the upcoming BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, UNIEL's well balanced cast of characters, clean artstyle and incredible soundtrack makes me excited not just for BCTB but for a potential port of UNDER NIGHT In-Birth Exe:Late[st] as well.

The best overlooked fighter. Autocombo system lets new people just pick up and play by hammering on the light attack button, but more complex combos will give veterans the edge. Easy to understand systems all based around a single utility button and a few character-universal inputs make learning the basics a breeze.

Beautiful graphics, fast but not too fast, cute story mode, and there's a denko face in the "online vs" chat program. It has everything.

I feared this game would be a impenetrable given the rather niche & very nerdy target audience of French Bread doujin games, but it's actually quite friendly for a fighting game casual baby such as myself. I'm someone who's only ever played Street Fighter semi-seriously nearly a decade ago, and who enjoys King of Fighters despite being pathetically awful at it, yet I found it quite easy to jump in. The more unique mechanical aspects of this game, such as the GRD bar that assigns mid-battle power-ups to players based on combat performance, don't create a huge inaccessibility wall - they're a "simple to understand, hard to master" kind of thing. GRD even works in conjunction with the normal special bars present in most other fighters, adding an extra layer of strategy. There is far less to take in before you can properly get started when compared to something like King of Fighters, with its many dashes and dodges; it's more akin to Street Fighter in that regard and it should be easier to get your normie friends to play.

Sadly, the lack of an in-game tutorial is definitely a flaw, especially since the online video tutorial is Japanese-only and the fan-made translation is not perfect, along with the tutorial itself leaving some thinsg out. Nonetheless, it's the best you have. Since I still recommend this game despite this glaring flaw, I will instruct you on how to get the best out of said tutorial. Simply search "Under Night In-Birth Exe Late: Basic System & Mechanics Tutorial" on Youtube and watch both videos while keeping these things in mind: "blocking hitstun" is a strange choice of words, as it simply means "in the process of being attacked while blocking". The numbered inputs such as "1/4/7" refer to numpad directions, so simply look at the right side of your keyboard. KD simply means "knockdown". "Tech" means escaping from a combo by pressing A, B or C and a direction. Force function is B+C.

Netplay is hit-or-miss. Sometimes you'll easily find people to play with, sometimes not so much. I recommend finding at least one friend willing to play with you regularly before buying. Though to be fair, there is still an aspect of online competition even when playing against the computer - in the form of time attack mode, survival mode and whatnot.

Visually, the game's definitely more good than bad. Some of the character designs have a sort of visual novel blandness to them, lacking the unique appeal of the super-iconically designed Capcom & SNK fighters (or at least strong influences; Street Fighter borrowed a lot from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure after all), but they're definitely not tasteless and the stand-out characters are super appealing; my favorites by far being Merkava, an Evangelion Unit 01-like monstrosity with shape-shifting powers and fittingly beastly attacks and animations, and the obviously Cyborg 009-influenced Akatsuki, cameo-ing from the game Akatsuki Blitzkrampf. The animations, though, are where the game shines from a visual perspective. They might not be as mind-blowing as the stuff you'll find in games like Darkstalkers or Garou: Mark of the Wolves, but they're still quite impressive. Even looking at Merkava's idle animations should be enough, with his hyper-fluid and organic breathing animation and his ethereal flowing hair both resembling something out of an anime with particularly high production values.

The Infinite Worth animations are suitably over the top, yet they go beyond mere serviceability with a really cool detail that goes a long way; they are punctuated with brief, snappy, yet fully-animated sequences taking up the entire screen vertically. It's a great way of adding cinematic flair to a game without sacrificing gameplay.

The music hasn't hugely grabbed me, but it definitely adds to the overall cool feeling of the experience.

Overall a fun game, well worth the 7,27€ I paid for it. If you're not reading this review during a sale, then just give it a shot and see if you like it.

Great animation, cool characters, very responsive controls compared to most other brawlers. If you love fighting games be sure to add this to your collection.

Super-fast, good-looking, with a varied roster and solid netcode. And all that without even installing a rootkit on your a**.

Under Night In-Birth is a fighting game that has lots of potential to become good in the future if more is put into it to improve the game (and I am already aware that UNIst fixes most of the issues I mention in this review, so calm down, take a deep breath, and brace yourselves for a comprehensive review).

First of all, the game system is one of the most outstanding I have ever seen (next to that of KOF XIII, and probably Xrd R's system after that). Incorporating a tug-of-war-like momentum gauge that physically rewards the player in favour? Genius. Now, of course, that's not to say that no other fighting game has something like it. After all, all do in the form of the classic 'super gauge', but that momentum is in the form of theoretical rewards, since the super gauge must be expended in order to be capitalised on, whereas UNIEL's Grind Grid (a.k.a. GRD) buffs automatically the player who has the momentum according to the games' rules.

Other areas in which the game excels are in its relatively less challenging skill caliber requirement for players new to anime fighting games (or even fighting games in general), and the fact that although impractical, extremely-situational high damage combos exist, the game will not restrict your combos (unlike BBCPE) yet you won't die in one combo, and nearly all of them end in a knockdown. Also, the move (not movement) animations of each character reveal their personas exceptionally, in a way that I have rarely seen in fighting games (most of the time it is revealed only in their movement or idle animations).

Some notably good things about the game that aren't necessarily exceptional is the fact that there is a story that is not difficult to follow (and has its dedicated mode, too) and that there are more modes than just Training, Arcade, and Versus modes. I don't like that there isn't a depthful tutorial for this great game so that new entries into the FG scene can be enlightened and encouraged from square one. However, at least there are brief yet comprehensive official tutorials (that are in Japanese! D'x ) for each character on YouTube (and one YouTuber has even subbed most of them for English speakers) and should help with at least learning a character of the player's choice, though the system is not explained well enough in those tutorials, so third-party wikis are almost necessary to fully grasp the game mechanics.

Now, the reason why this game won't be earning the highest mark overall has most to do with both the balancing of the characters (i.e., the meta). I am very fond of games that have a small meta, since it makes it easier to learn all of the matchups (and Xrd R has done this perfectly), but in this case the curve is insanely skewed. Really the only characters seen in the competitive scene on a regular basis are Merkava, Gordeau, Eltnum, Waldstein, Linne (and the occasional troll Akatsuki), all five of which are the top five best characters in the game by overall favourable matchups (according to EventHubs; though my opinion closely matches theirs). Merkava, Gordeau, and Waldstein all have ridiculously long reach, which requires extreme patience, composure, and discipline to work around. This, and the fact that consoles/PC haven't yet received a port for the newest version, are some of the reasons why this game has not received its deserved acclaim in the competitive FGC.

There is also the overpowered-ness of some characters over others (yes, and I am legitimised in using this word, even though OP is overused, typically by novice players). The rule of thumb in this game is that characters with absolutely poor range (like Nanase and Orie) are almost 92% guaranteed to be bodied by characters who either are zoners (like Hilda or Vatista) or have stupid reach (like Gordeau and Merkava). Some trolls online will abuse this rule to keep you out and frustrate you; if you don't enjoy this idea, then either don't play online or reconsider whether this is a good buy (or if you're looking at your computer reading this review and see that I am enjoying this abuse of parentheses, you can either endure through it to the end or I suppose you can downvote this review; though I'm sure that if you've been reading this far you have found it to be at least a little helpful c; ). Fixing this, however, is as simple as resizing the hurtboxes of moves that make this rule law and releasing another version, which I'm sure the company will do if there is enough support. Either way, this is one of the main reasons that the curve is so skewed. And also: putting a shoto-clone character in an anime fighting game? That's like a day-one no-no (this is a note to French Bread to buff Akatsuki, which I hear has already happened in UNIst; please port this game to console/PC).

TL;DR (yeah, I had to use this for once)

Pros:
- Unique and exceptional game system
- Easy-to-follow storyline with an arcade mode in visual-novel format
- More offline content than just the classic three (Training, Arcade, and Versus)
- Intricate character-defining move animations (something I rarely see in fighting games)
- Great entryway for novice fighting gamers looking to have their first exposure to one (Smart Steer auto combo by pressing A seven times, freeflow gatlings, etc.)
- Has a combo system that allows for freedom without having the traditionally long combos of most anime FGs
- Low skill ceiling compared to mainstream FGs (SF, GG, etc.)
- Small meta

Cons:
- Unbalanced
- No tutorial mode
- Some anime fluff (i.e., fanservice)
- So-so netcode
- Small meta

Overall: 8.8/10 (I'm rating it higher than I would otherwise because of UNIst's improvements from this version, UNIEL)

*EDIT* (20.04.17; time 20:04) - after posting this review, I was looking through UNIEL's discussion forums here on Steam and saw the discussion about UNIst's confirmed forthcoming port to consoles (along with a tutorial mode 0_0). If this excites you, you can brace yourself for the new release along with its proposed improvements, and delay buying this version. Otherwise...well, I don't know what else to say...this is a great game nevertheless.

Ok, so this game may be almost dead (I hope not), but regardless, I'm loving the shit out of this game. This game somewhat seems like a standard anime fighter, with just a smaller cast than some of the bigger titles like Guilty Gear or BlazBlue, but it's definitely unique. This game's unique feature is the "Grind Grid" system, or GRD for short. It's a mechanic in which both players have access to, but will give an advantage to those who play more offensively, or whose defense outperforms the one on the offensive. It also discourages overtly unsafe or campy play, so having your throw attempts rejected, backdashing constantly, and having your blockstrings blocked with the barrier lowers your GRD meter. In short, the GRD system is basically a carry/comeback mechanic, as it can benefit honest, safe offense or defense.

Moving from the gameplay for a bit, the art is amazing, as is with most ASW games, with the usual cast of characters in most anime fighting games: you have your sword-wielding edgy main protagonist, your battle loli who's actually a couple hundred years old, your giant-fist sporting behemoth of a character that moves and hits like a bag of bricks, your bishie-looking a$$hole, and you have your genki-as-fuck female character with the annoying voice. The game even has two guest characters from two other games made by French Bread (the developers of this game): Sion Eltnam from Melty Blood (some say its a different character entirely cuz the name is spelled Eltnum, but you ain't fooling me, French Bread), and Akatsuki from Akatsuki Blitzkampf. While you have your usual tropes, there are some characters that definitely break the usual mold, such as a mage teen with a giant ass lizard at his disposal and a giant being that to me looks like a fusion between Susaan'o from BlazBlue and Twelve from Street Fighter. There are also some characters that definitely have movesets similar to characters from other ASW games, such as the blood-controlling Carmine, who has some fullscreen bullcrap that he uses to space much like Yuki Terumi, and Orie, who looks like Mitsuru and literally has a Persona/Stand (which ever you prefer lol). The roster is small, but fortunately, there's no two characters that have similar properties to another.

As for my impressions when playing, the game plays wonderfully. A new player can feel safe knowing that mashing standing weak can literally do an auto-combo, but veterans can feel good knowing that there are more options beyond standing weak for combos lol. The combo system is similar to BlazBlue, allowing for OTG resets that, from what I've played so far, most characters can do, like Hyde (the main protagonist) when using 3C, and relies on a combo meter that, upon depletion, allows the combo victim to ukemi, or 'tech,' out of the combo state. Each character has their own unique command normals, some can double jump, some can't, and only a few (Eltnum and Akatsuki, from what I remember) can air grab. As such, you won't have to worry about anyone being a clone of another character in the roster, and can find a variety of playstyles to choose from.

However, I do have a couple of discrepancies. For one, this game has a very small, but dedicated and helpful community, but if you want to find matches, I'd suggest going to the UNiEL discord server. You'll find a lot of resources and helpful people on your journey to advance your skill. Secondly, the price tag of this game is a bit much, so unless you really want a change of pace, I'd wait for it to go on sale. Finally, the game lacks a tutorial mode, so if you want to learn the game, again, check out the UNiEL discord or go to the Mizuumi Wiki to check on the game's mechanics.

All in all, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late is a great game, good for newcomers and veterans alike, and is definitely worth a look. 9.25/10

Beautiful sprite work accompanied with some of the smoothest 2D animations and crunchy special effects I've seen makes this game a truly visual marvel. Sound effects and music are some of the most catchy and pumped I've heard in a long time, you can see there was a lot of love and care put into this. The game is easy to pick up for any newcomer and it also has enough depth to keep a veteran of the genre happy. I would definitely reccomend anyone who loves fighting games and wants something really fun to pick up and smash combos and see all the explosions and chain combos than they can pull of. It's also a fantastic game to play with friends and the PC version runs super smooth with no problems!

Pros (Ranked in terms of strength):

#1. The game's art style and aesthetics are amazing. One of French Bread's main goals with UNIB was definitely style, and they succeeded undoubtedly. Compared to most anime fighters, it's simple, yet very sleek. As the title suggests, UNIB's world is in a state of seemingly perpetual nighttime, yet the designers kept the lighting strong with bright moonlight and cool color tones, all contrasted with hard strikes of red throughout. UNIB also aims for a "modern fantasy" look, which it does very well, making its universe fit snug into the look of the new millennium. It may not be as beautiful as Guilty Gear Xrd's spot-on anime cell shading, nor as complex and excruciatingly detailed as BlazBlue, but its looks send a strong message regardless, so maybe it doesn't need it in the end.

#2: The fighting system is very solid, appearing quite accessible and easy to learn at first, but it masks much deeper systems for more hardcore players to sink their teeth into, as any good fighter does. While things like long, hard-to-execute combos and deceptive mixups and setups are apparent, UNIB's main focus seems to be poured into the neutral game, encouraging the player to get better at being patient, finding openings, and making the opponent respect you. No fighting game is ever easy, and those who say they are are lying to your face, but UNIB is likely one of the more accessible fighters out on the market.

#3. The game's unique "GRID" system is something I haven't encountered before, but it offers a new level of gameplay to the table, and enforces the points I made in Pro #2. Put very simply, it's a tug-of-war mechanic between you and your opponent, plainly telling you who has the advantage and disadvantage in the fight, and rewarding the one who can keep up the advantage. It rewards and punishes you for doing various actions both offensively and defensively, playing into UNIB's encouragement of learning the neutral game. You are free to ignore the GRID system and play how you like, but considering it can give you buffs such as a straight damage increase, as well as the ability to instantly cancel practically anything for both offensive and defensive reasons, you might as well learn it.

#4. What UNIB lacks in character quantity, it makes up for in quality. Everyone in the cast plays differently and has their own systems to learn. Of course some characters are easier to learn than others, but that doesn't make trying out the more complicated ones any less fun. The characters' looks and personalities are also diverse, while simultaneously fitting into the game's world. Want to feel like a boss? Pick up Gordeau or Linne. Prefer the edgier types? Try Seth or Carmine. Don't like being human? Merkava's right there. Not interested in UNIB's main cast at all? Mess with Eltnum or Akatsuki, the guest characters.

#5. The soundtrack is pretty good. Excluding a few tracks, I have heard better, but all the songs fit the game's universe and characters quite well. If you like rock, electronica, piano tunes, and/or a mixture of the three, you'll enjoy this soundtrack. If you like anime soundtracks in general, you might just have to add this one to your collection. I can see the potential of the game's music really coming into its own in future installments, especially from what I'm hearing in the series' latest iteration, Late[st].

Cons (Ranked in terms of woe):

#1. The online netcode can be choppy and inconsistent. While actual matches rarely ever lag, I've had trouble connecting to some player lobbies, as well as instances where everyone would suddenly disconnect from the lobby, leaving the host alone. It's certainly not the worst netcode out there, and you can chalk up most of the netcode problems to usual stuff like distance lag or computer performance, but the game could use a few more patches to refine it and make things more stable.

#2. UNIB is an anime fighter, and not the most popular anime fighter out there, so don't expect a 24/7 steady flow of player lobbies and ranked matches. The game is ~4 years old if you count arcade releases, but only ~2 years old in terms of mainstream console releases. UNIB as a whole is still a budding flower in a land of old, experienced veterans, so the population surrounding the game is still gaining traction. Some people are fine with that and like growing along with a series, but for those who want a large community to jump into, you'll struggle a bit. You can take comfort in the fact that what community is here is largely friendly and helpful, however.

#3. There is no in-game formal tutorial to teach you the in-and-outs of the game's mechanics. The available practice mode is rather extensive and customizable, but there's nothing to directly tell you how something works, something that BlazBlue and Guilty Gear Xrd have an edge over UNIB about. A bit of Googling and reading/watching, or consulting someone who's knowledgeable of the game, will fix that issue pretty fast, but for those spoiled by the recent inclusion of extensive tutorials in more popular fighters nowadays, this might prove as a minor annoyance for them.

#4. It's not immediately obvious, but the game's character balance in this edition of the UNIB series is a bit polarized. Nothing broken by any means, but some characters struggle to be a huge threat in a match, and others dominate the tiers with an iron fist. Characters like Gordeau, Merkava, and Waldstein will have players rubbing their temples in frustration trying to figure out how to get past their amazing tools, and characters like Seth, Chaos, and Akatsuki are a game in of themselves in optimizing their effectiveness. It's not the worst and most confusing balancing out there, though, and you can learn how to handle anyone with time and effort. It's just more of a struggle compared to the balance of UNIB's latest edition, Late[st], which is arcade-exclusive currently.

#5. For those wishing to seek good stories in fighting games, well... 1. You're a trooper, and 2. UNIB's story can be hard to get into without a wiki handy. There isn't really a gradual introduction into the game's universe and terminology, and while playing through every character's arcade path can give you a better idea of what's going on, you might be left wondering what the heck you're reading initially. When you do understand, though, the story is actually pretty interesting, and has a lot of potential. What's currently here in UNIEL offers more of an establishment of setting and characters, and leaves a lot of the bigger plot points, backstories, and developments in mystery.

There's some other minors things I could praise or gripe about, but this should cover the main points of interest. Plus I believe I've gone on long enough, lol. Personally, I'm making this game one of my main fighters along with Tekken, just because there's so much this game has that appeals to me. I highly recommend that you at least give this a try, whether you do or don't like fighters, and I'm very eager to see the future developments of this series.

A very good FG i hope you all support it

Pros
- Has a diverse roster
- Netcode is decent which says a lot cause of how other games are
- Music is all around great
- Stages look beautiful
- Additional colors are free (No DLC)
- Universal Mechanics favor defense over offense (yes thats a good thing)

Cons
- Some player are way ahead of the game (been out in PS3 for a long time)
- If you don't practice you will not have as much fun
- Finding players is hard because many don't want to lose so make friends
- Some characters naturally have a hard time (Chaos)

Overall: i think this game is great and you should try it out of you are into FGs. If you are not try to make some friends IRL that want to get into it and start with them and play with them. It will make the experience that much more enjoyable.

We live in a world where MKX is actively giving the finger to PC players by restricting content to console ports, and SFV is a full gaming package the same way a chicken bone and warm beer is a good lunch. As someone who's been thirsty for a good PC anime fighter since Touhou 12.3, I'm thrilled to see Under Night get ported onto Steam in good condition. Could use some mouse-driven menus and less wonky keyboard controls for said menus (this game works best with a controller, if it needs to be said). Other than that, it's a solid PC port running at 60 FPS at 1080p. You'd be hard pressed to find a machine it doesn't run well on.

For the uninitiated, this is a 2D fighter featuring 16 different characters, half of whom are in high school as per anime fighter tradition. Don't bother with the story; you don't need to know it. You just want to see gigantic lizards being summoned out of books by a glasses-wearing hipster, whirling blood scythes of doom controlled by a maniac who forgot to take out his Tokyo Ghoul contacts, and of course, very large swords being wielded by very pretty ladies with very large...erm...assets. Controls are tight and responsive for the most part (although F,D,DF is not an easy input for anybody), combat is satisfying and tense, and so far I've had a blast playing this game.

If you have a thing for flashy and engaging combat, but also don't want to put up with any of the recent AAA fighters' shenanigans, give this game a bash. If you are an MKX or SFV fan, pick this up anyways. A very solid investment at $30

Better than I remember it on PS3. Before I lost my game disc, that is.

Fighting is extremely fluid. The game is easy to learn, but hard to master. Complex system mechanics and lots of meter management await for those who want to dive deep.

The cast is varied. No two characters play alike. Or look alike. No clones in this fighting game.

The game is easy on the eyes. Buttery-smooth 60FPS spritework, hand-drawn goodness. Of course, that comes with a downside. Anything above 1080p is scaled; nobody is going to re-draw complex sprite-based animations for every resolution under the sun.

Colors and effects are nice and popping, interface is pretty clean, and the game lets you know if you performed a combo that isn't a true combo - great for newbies to know what's techable and what could potentially be punished if their opponent catches on.

If this is your first fighting game, it's not a bad choice, but the games Arc System Works actually developed (not just published like this one) and Skullgirls all have very in-depth tutorials for complete fighting game newbies to learn basics that are not only useful in the game they're in, but in every fighting game.

Finally, if you want a community, check out the discord chat. https://discord.gg/tEbWk3Z

This port seems well done as I played around with it for a little while. The menu is smooth and responsive. While fighting in matches, there is no delay, lag or input lag. I played a few matches online to test the netplay and it was pretty good. This game easily detects keyboard and controller with no flaws (seamlessly even). It also easily alt-tabs while in full screen mode and allows resolutions of up to 1920x1080 like most standard games.