Brawler with style marred by an obligatory grading system -> 3.5 stars
Midnight Fight Express reminds me of the free-flow fights from Batman, only in isometric perspective. The gameplay is fluid and fun. You can literally feel the power of every punch you land. The levels are short and action-packed. And the game runs absolutely smoothly. Unfortunately, at the end of each level, your personal "performance" is rubbed in your face according to a school grading system. I understand that the developers wanted to ensure replay value with this, but I don't like the fact that this system cannot be switched off at all. It's not that the game has much story, but being constantly graded disturbs the immersion for me -> 3.5 stars
What’s good about Midnight Fight Express? Well, what ISN’T good? It has everything you’d want from it: many enemy types that each need to be handled in different ways, powerful melee attacks and guns, and controls that are simple to get into while also allowing for elaborate combos and stylish action. A new ability can be chosen and trained for after each one of its 40 levels, letting you learn the ropes of the combat and figure out your own style step-by-step, while also insuring that the gameplay remains fresh for the whole campaign. Each fight encourages you to improvise and go all out, and ends up a brutal ballet of broken bones and splattered blood straight out of a martial arts flick.
A lot of what makes MFE satisfying comes from its great sense of detail. The mo-capped animations, stylized visuals, sound effects and soundtrack are top notch and a big part of what makes the combat so punchy, the levels are set in varied and detailed urban environments... and there are plenty of cool extra features. Character customization, a training room to practice your moves, a photo mode, and even a function to record gameplay .gifs! The writing is also commendable: it’s pretty wacky in tone, featuring quite a bit of dark humor and pop-culture references, and I was genuinely curious to see where the story was going... which is more than I can say for most action games I play.
Frankly, the production values are surprisingly high for an indie brawler, with the fluidity and complexity of the combat surpassing some AAA productions. I only found two or three sequences to be frustrating (those damn motorcycles in the Fight Club), and they all involved gimmicks that weren’t seen again after.
While it seemingly didn’t make much of a splash, MFE is an indie beat’em’up gem made with love, talent and commitment by someone with a vision. It’s a fun romp throughout, one of the best things I played this year, and a game I will definitely revisit from time to time. Give it a go.
Enjoy beat em ups? Liked the Rocksteady Batman games? Then try MFE out!
Easy to learn combat. Suprisngly bloody. This is a fast paced, FUN fight game.
I prefer "better" graphics only in the sense I am not a huge fan of the more cartoon like visuals here. But the gameplay is so good, it doesn't affect my enjoyment at all.
Oh, and the music is friggin DOPE. Within 20 mins you'll be kicking the $hit out of bad guys, parrying, dodging, using weapons, shooting enemies only to then beat their ass with the pistol or throwing it at a distant enemy to then close the distance and beat them down more. OMG this game is fun.
Bravo to the dev, this game rocks.
Midnigh Fight Express brings back memories of the old days side-scrolling beat 'em ups. I dare say it's a modern day Double Dragon, Streets Of Rage or Final Fight. The concept is the same but, instead of side-scrolling, we have an isometric 3D view, way more different enemies and weapon, and a more complex story.
Fun, straightforward, unpretentious!
