Simple beat-em-up games were the “in-thing” back in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. It wasn’t until gaming became 3D did these games were eventually phase out from the mainstream. Thanks to the digital distribution era, these types of games are making a comeback. Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior’s Way is one such game that will please old-school gamers alike thanks to its simplistic approach. However, new-school gamers should watch out as this game is very hard.
Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior’s Rise is fun at times, but is its difficulty something that will turn off most gamers? Find out as we take a look at what’s HOT or NOT in our review of the game.
Hot
Simple Beat-em-up Gameplay
If you’re a fan of old-school style beat-em-up games like Double Dragon and Final Fight, you’ll love the gameplay offered here in Kung Fu Strike. But unlike those aforementioned games, Kung Fu Strike allows you to upgrade and purchase new skills and abilities the further you progress into the game. It’s quite fun beating up an arena full of baddies while showing off some of the new skills you have just learnt.
Another great thing about Kung Fu Strike is that you can call in mates for a temporary time to help you out. This includes monks and even a large statue-like character that can mow down enemies with ease. They’re helpful for a little while, but don’t depend on them too much. Their lifebars are relatively small and are unlikely to survive encounters for too long.
2 Player Co-Op
Kung Fu Strike also offers a really helpful 2 player co-op mode. Bear in mind, there’s only offline 2 player options available so you cannot play this game with a mate online. Still, playing through the game’s main campaign mode is arguably better with a mate. I will get into more detail about this game’s insane difficulty later, but I must say the game was a lot less unforgiving while playing with a mate during co-op.
This is because Kung Fu Strike’s levels are arena-based and isn’t a side-scroller like other beat-em-up games. This works as a disadvantage if you’re playing the game by yourself because this can easily set you up so the enemy can attack you from all sides. You won’t have a problem like this playing in co-op mode because your enemies will split up. Although this does not mean it makes the game any easier as the game is still pretty hard even while playing with a mate…
Not
Steep Difficulty Curve
The first two levels in Kung Fu Strike are a little misleading in my opinion. The tutorial level is obviously easy because it teaches the player the basics of the game’s mechanics and controls. Following onto the second level, it seemed like Kung Fu Strike was going to be an enjoyable experience. But by the time you get to the third level and beyond, the insane difficulty of the game sets in and will sure to annoy and frustrate a lot of inexperienced gamers.
