Drakkon is an evil version of the Green
Ranger from an alternate reality, who
served as a central antagonist in the
comic book series.
So, in other words, it’s fanservice
for all ages, clearly put together with
a real love and reverence for the
franchise that should please any
diehard Ranger-heads. But the realquestion is: is it actually going to be
any fun to play?Power play
The fighting game genre is, more often
than not, unfriendly to newcomers,
demanding that players learn
complicated inputs and memorise
lengthy combos to avoid getting
kicked into a thin paste in multiplayer.
Battle For The Grid is taking a different
tack, aiming for simplified controls and
streamlined action that should make
its brawls super accessible.
The obvious worry is that, with so
much streamlining, the game may
struggle to have the tactical depth it
needs to last, though the involvement
of legendary fighting game pro Justin
Wong as a consultant does give us
some hope. Each player chooses
a team of three for matches, with
characters able to tag in and out
mid-bout – it’s a formula reminiscent
of the Marvel Vs Capcom series, and
could help add nuance and variety.
And it certainly all looks the part,
with bright, colourful visuals, chunky,
impactful combos and flashy, screen-
filling special moves.
A story mode is included, in addition
to ranked and casual competitive
multiplayer, and the developers plan
to keep adding to the game for a
long time to come. New characters
and stories are promised, as well as
special online events, missions and
tournaments to keep things lively.
It’s an impressive goal, but nWay’s
history leaves us a little apprehensive.
To date, the studio’s only ever worked
on free-to-play mobile titles – it’s
going to need more than nostalgia to
pull off a full console fighting game
worthy of Xbox. QColoured spandex. Rubber monster
suits. Plastic swords. For children of
the ’90s, these were the ingredients
of a perfect Saturday morning in front
of the television. Now, over 25 years
later (apologies to our millennial
readers for any existential crisis this
may cause), developer nWay hopes
to tug on some nostalgic heartstrings
with an all-encompassing Power
Rangers fighting game.
It’s set to launch with 15 characters
from throughout the franchise,
and while that includes classics
such as the original Red and Green
Rangers, more recent incarnations
are represented too. Gia Moran is the
Yellow Ranger from Super Megaforce,
a series where everyone looked like
a pirate for some reason, while LordThe game’s trailer features Jason David Frank, the actor who played Tommy the Green Ranger, taking names in online multiplayerBELOW There have
been 25 series
of the TV show,
with a 26th,
Beast Morphers,
due this year.
Power
Rangers: Battle
For The Grid
Those who live by the Zord,
die by the Zord
Robin Valentine
PUBLISHER LIONSGATE GAMES DEVELOPER NWAY
ETA APRIL“The game may
struggle to have
the tactical
depth it needs
to last”
PREVIEW
More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 031