Sclash Review: Simple Isn’t Always Bad

The fighting game genre has always been a tough nut to crack and an even more challenging genre to get into, especially since so many are less than beginner friendly. Game after game, the FGC has always struggled a bit with inclusivity and ease of play for the newer crowd, making it hard to get more people involved and willing to play. As time went on, developers slowly started to get the hint that simplicity is the key to getting more casual players who are just here for fun and not to be mixed up with a 1000-step combo, to go ahead, pick up their sticks, and enjoy the world that hardcore players have come to embrace.  Auto-combos, simple inputs, tw0-button super specials; all of these changes paved the way for games like Divekick and Fantasy Strike, where even the most casual player can stand a fighting chance.

Adding to the wave of newer and more simplistic fighters that still manage to pack a punch, developers Bevel Bakery were kind enough to grace us with Sclash, a plug-and-play fighter that even the most novice of combatants can pick up and win with one stroke of the blade. With a dash of nostalgia mixed with a pinch of something new, this one-hit-kill fighter feels familiar while still managing to be engaging in its own right.

Some fighting game enthusiasts will still find faults with the more straightforward approach to fighters, and as a long-time fan of the genre, I can honestly say that this worried me a bit as well. However, after taking the time and understanding this more modern perspective, I think it’s safe to assume that the future of fighting games is heading in the right direction. While maintaining strong fundamentals on top of its striking similarity to Bushido Blade, I can happily report that Sclash is a wonderfully fun addition to the genre that no fight fan will want to skip out on.

The Samurai’s Journey

Our hero Jinmu becomes a true samurai.

Following the standard for most fighting games, Sclash’s story is a pretty straightforward forward tale of gods and betrayal,. While it is relatively short, it still does a great job introducing you to the characters involved in the game’s lore woven beautifully together with a heavy dose of Japanese hand-drawn art, culture, and mythology.

Following protagonist Jinmu, players journey to discover the truth behind what exactly caused the war between the Aki Clan and Natsu clan led by Susanoo and Amaterasu (warriors blessed with godly power) and discover more about his heritage and who he truly is. As you make your way to the right of the screen, Jinmu will encounter a few scrub enemies and a few bosses who play a significant role in the lore of the game, the standard fighting game story stuff. Enemies can be easy to manipulate as they tend to just attempt to either do nothing, outright kill you, or just back up a lot, and this can be exploited once you get the jist of their tendencies which can make combat kind of easy as you play your way through since you can pretty much just trap enemies in the corner or dash behind and take them out for the win.

Susanoo doesn’t deal in treachery.

The Voice acting can also be somewhat hard on the ears while playing through story mode, especially during cutscenes since it can be a bit of a mess at times. Dialogue is often cut short, characters show no real emotion during impactful moments, names are often slaughtered by the VAs, and sometimes the voices from the previous scene would leak over into the next scene. Not to say this was a significant issue for me. However, it did make watching cutscenes feel more like a daunting task rather than an enjoyable way to take in the game’s story.

After you’ve managed to battle your way through and clear the story mode, you’ll be gifted with some modifiers and more playable modes to add a little bit of replayability to Sclash’s story mode. Relax Mode lets you run through and take in the scenery without dealing with enemies, One Life gives one chance to run through the story without getting hit or its game-over, Time Attack gives you 21 minutes to clear the game as fast as possible, and Fire Wall is pretty much how its sounds, with a blazing wall of fire burning behind you forcing you to get through areas quickly. Along with the extra options, players can also use modifiers to turn off attacks, parries, pommel strikes, and dashes to give themselves more of a challenge when they play through some of these other modes. While I can’t say these were necessarily game-changing, they at least give you more interesting options to test yourself if you get tired of playing matches against the computer or friends.

One Sclash, And It’s Over!!!

A Dramatic Finish!!

The bread and butter of Bevel Bakery’s easy-to-pick-up 2-D samurai fighter is the combat. Reminiscent of games like Bushido Blade and Hellish Quart, Sclash’s battles pretty much play out the same, where one slash determines it all. As for now, players will have five uniquely designed hand-drawn sprites to choose from, each with their own attack style. Along with their attacks, players will also have a charge attack that has a huge hitbox, a parry that can return stamina if successful, a pommel strike that can interrupt charge attacks and drain stamina, and a dash to slip past opponents at their disposal to help mix things up in combat a bit. Attacks, charge attacks, parries, and dashes each consumes a stamina bar, so playing smart while finding an opening will be the key to a lot of the victories players will achieve. I often found myself having to turtle along while playing footsies in order to create space and get an opening, or using my dash to close gaps for a pommel strike or to just get behind them for the killing blow.

Unfortunately, during my time with Sclash, online PvP matches were unavailable, so I was unable to test my mettle against some of the finest swordsmen around the world. Although this was a bit of a bummer, I was still able to get plenty of great matches in against the computer as well as getting some battles in with a friend in local PvP. Hopefully, once PvP comes out, there will still be enough interest in the game, since I’m sure there’s nothing players want more than to be able to clash steel against the best warriors from all over.

Pure Artistry

The mighty Ryujin rises above all!

In terms of visuals, Bevel Bakery’s art style is one of its absolute best features, and while it may not be a graphical masterpiece like the aforementioned Street Fighter 6 or Guilty Gear -Strive-, Sclash’s presentation is still beautifully done and carries all the cutscenes during the story. While the audio may have been a bit easy to want to skip through, the hand-painted imagery heavily influenced by Japan’s rich culture and unique art style was really striking, and it was hard to not want to see what else was in store. Ranging from lush fields of wheat to a snow-topped dojo in the mountains, each landscape and stage looks somewhat like an old samurai Ukiyo-e painting come to life.

The well-done hand-painted style brings Sclash to life.

Developer Bevel Bakery did a marvelous job with the hand-drawn designs used for the five cast members. I loved the raw, rough draft look for each warrior; their flare and aesthetics really come to life during combat, almost like watching a sketch board for a samurai epic springing into action as fights progress. From Amaterasu’s double attack and cocky demeanor to Izanagi’s master samurai poise, each character’s personality shines through during and after their brutal battles. Additionally, as you go to war in versus matches or complete achievements during the story, players will also unlock cosmetics such as masks and sword skins to help dazzle up your combatants, giving you more incentive to want to keep the blood flowing.

The music was pretty much what you’d expect from a heavily culturally influenced game, with loads of flutes, shamisen, drums, and other assorted instruments from the Land of the Rising Sun. While it may not be the pulse-pounding modernized bells and whistles we’ve grown accustomed to, the soothing sounds of serenity as you pass through the well-designed backdrops or the intense drums of war as you clash blades with your foes all flow well with everything that is Sclash.

A Sclashin’ Good Time

With fighting games coming out in full swing this year and doing a great job of getting more casual players interested in the genre by making things easier to pick up with basic controls, it’s no wonder Capcom’s smash hit Street Fighter 6 sold so well. While it is not as technical of a fighting game as its battle-hardened cohort, I was honestly pleased with just how easy Sclash made it to dive right into its deadly duels while still managing to provide a quality fighting game experience. Matches can get intense, and I often found myself wanting to rematch again and again. Its simplicity was a breath of fresh air, and I honestly hope more fighting games start taking developers Bevel Bakery’s simplistic pick-up-and-play approach. Although it’s a bit of a disappointment that online PvP matches weren’t available during my experience, I still enjoyed my time battling it out against the computer as well as the intense back-and-forths I had with friends, and look forward to when I finally get to cut down the strongest sword fighters across the lands.

Although the story mode may have been relatively short and the voice acting a bit lackluster, the modifiers and extra modes at least help give Sclash some replayability while we all patiently await for the online functionality to become available. Another minor drawback is the inability to customize your button settings. Sure, this omission wasn’t the end of the world for me, but it was a bit of a damper while trying out matches since I like my setup a certain way, and I’m sure other players will as well, so hopefully, we get some kind of update down the road to address this issue.

Despite some nagging issues, Sclash mostly succeeds in delivering a streamlined yet challenging combat experience that any fighting game purist will enjoy, and any newbie can too, without much hassle. So if fast-paced, strategic, samurai swordfights are your cup of tea, don’t hesitate to pick up Sclash and lay waste to your foes.

Final Verdict: 3/5

Available on: PC  (reviewed; Publisher: Just For Games, Abiding Bridge; Developer: Bevel Bakery; Players: 1-2; Released: August 4, 2023; ESRB: N/A; MSRP: $8.99

Full disclosure: This review is based on a review copy of Sclash given to HeyPoorPlayer by the publisher.