Fright Fight - Impressions

Have you ever thought that Nintendo’s Smash Bros. would be even better with elements of horror, steampunk and RPG thrown in? Me neither. But now that it’s happening, don’t you think it just makes sense? I know I do.

Such is the basic concept of zGames (the development studio) and APPSolute Games (co-investor, co-producer and publisher) upcoming 3D online multiplayer fighting game for release on iOS, Android, Nvidia Shield and Ouya.

See the game in action in Fright Fight’s gameplay trailer: 

As much as I’d love to tell you about the game, there is no-one better to do that than those developing it, and so I have stolen a description straight from the Kickstarter page… It’s not laziness, it’s modesty. Or something.

“Fright Fight is a multiplayer brawler infused with rich RPG system elements. On iOS and Android based devices, it will be free to play and uses a unique gesture control system (no buttons!). On OUYA, it is a fully-paid game and makes a perfect multiplayer controller party game.

Fright Fight features a bunch of characters from different realms, each with unique attack types, combos and skills. The epic battles full of special moves and fight effects will take place in several different worlds (each with 3 arenas), starting with Flotsam Islands and followed by Galactic Graveyard and a Monster Mausoleum as part of our ambitious plans.

You will have the ability to connect with up to 3 other players from around the world, and compete in 4 player action-packed matches. Play against random opponents or invite your friends to a game. The Cross-Platform functionality allows you to play against your friends even if you have an iOS device and they are playing on an Android device, OUYA, or NVIDIA Shield.”

The ‘bunch of characters’ mentioned are currently the Vampire, the Yeti, the Werewolf and the Reaper, but if stretch goals are reached there will be more characters (and arenas added) over time. There are more juicy details on these additions in the interview at the bottom of the article.

Basically, Fright Fight will be a free iOS and Android game that offers a horror twist on the fighting template put forward by Smash Bros. For me, who has spent countless hours fighting my friends on Nintendo’s beloved series, this is a good thing, and I will be awaiting Fright Fight’s estimated early-2014 release with much anticipation.

Whether you download the free game, or pay for the Nvidia Shield or Ouya versions, when we find ourselves on the mythical horror arenas, don’t hesitate to use your sharp claws, teeth or scythe to win, because I certainly won’t.

Behind the Horror

I also managed to set up an interview with David Zilberfayn, the Founder and CEO of of Appsolute Games. You can find it just below where your eyeballs are currently resting:

Where did the idea for Fright Fight come from?

The idea for Fright Fight came about a year ago when we noticed the lack of fighting games in the mobile gaming marketplace. Our idea was to create a game that would allow players to invite their friends to matches or play against random opponents for quick, on the go gameplay. There were very few games that had the real-time multiplayer capability, and we wanted to bring a new type of game that has yet to be seen on the App Store. 

What kind of response have you had so far?

The responses have been fairly positive so far. People seem to be interested in the game and the feedback has been positive for the most part. The game is still a work in progress and we have been busy correcting various bugs and stabilizing the game. We are excited to finally start getting real user feedback in the near future.  

I love Smash Bros., and love the idea of a game that takes this concept and places it into a horror setting. But in what ways would you say your game differs from Nintendo's series?

Fright Fight is inspired by Super Smash Bros, but is a completely independent game with inspirations from many different games. The Devil May Cry series served as additional inspiration for some of the battle mechanics, the Diablo series for the RPG elements, the Pokemon series for some gameplay elements and RPG mechanics, Awesomenauts for some of the gameplay elements, world/level design, and art style. A lot of other games have minor influence on the game: Marvel vs. Capcom, DOTA, Quake III, etc. The list could go on forever.

Do you have a favourite character?

I would say that my favourite character to play with is the Vampire. She is a very unique character and has abilities that separate her from the rest of the cast. Her speed and ranged attacks make her an interesting opponent in the arena.  

If your stretch goals were reached, do you have any idea what kind of extra arenas and characters might be added?

Yes we have plans to include two new Arena Worlds called the Galactic Graveyard and Monster Mausoleum. Each world has 3 arenas, in which the platforms are rearranged and new features are introduced. 

In terms of characters we have concept sketches for a Ghost, Zombie, Alien, and Cyborg characters. We hope to introduce new characters and arenas in future updates to the game.

Do you think Kickstarter has changed the way that indies like yourself approach game development?

Kickstarter is an interesting tool that indie game developers should attempt to take advantage of. It serves as a platform where developers can share their ideas with the community and see if the project piques the interest of the gaming world, before investing a lot of time and money into the project. I have also seen game studios raise funds from Kickstarter to fund the majority of their development process. 

For us we came to Kickstarter much later in our development process and are trying to utilize Kickstarter in order to add some key features to our game. 

Is there any release date for Fright Fight yet?

No concrete release date yet, but we hope to release the game before the end of the year. A more realistic release date would be in the first half of January 2014.  

And finally, as Noble Gaming is a horror-gaming blog, I have to ask, do you have a favourite horror game?

I would have to say the Resident Evil series is probably my favourite horror game series. I also enjoyed Condemned for Xbox 360.  

The Fright Fight project on Kickstarter has 16 days left to reach a goal of $50,000. If you want to check it out, and maybe pledge a little to make sure that this horror-fighter is a reality, go here. 

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Again, thank you, and welcome to Noble Gaming.