What UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late is
This is a 2D anime-style fighting game from FRENCH-BREAD. You pick a character and fight through the Hollow Night, a place that appears on the night of the full moon with the Crimson Fog. Inside it lies the Abyss, the fountain of a power called EXS, and power-wielders gather there to fight for their own reasons. The controls follow the classic anime fighter feel, with long combos and fast back-and-forth exchanges. Expect a demanding game: learning your character's moves and reading the opponent takes real practice.
The story behind the fights
The tale centers on Linne, the Princess of the Night Blade, an organization that has guarded the Hollow Night for ages. While resting in an ordinary town she meets Hyde, a young boy carrying the fabled sword of destiny she has been searching for. In the Hollow Night, monsters called Voids feed on the power that manifests there, while In-births — humans whose souls were consumed by a Void and who awoke with supernatural EXS power — use that same power for their own ends. Linne investigates why both Voids and In-births are suddenly increasing, and hears of a plot by someone calling themselves "Paradox", revealed to be Hilda, leader of the shadowy organization "Amnesia". Linne sets out to stop her, and Hyde follows, desperate to know who and what she is. The story is presented in a fantasy light-novel style.
Playing together
The game supports Online PvP through NETWORK MODE. There you get RANK MATCH for climbing the ladder and PLAYER MATCH for set games against other players over the internet, plus a ranking leaderboard for players who want to reach the hall of fame. Local Multiplayer is listed as a feature, so a group sitting around one setup can pass the controller and play matches directly. Remote Play Together is also supported, which lets friends join in over a connection. Either way, the core loop is the same: choose a character, learn their tools, and take rounds off each other.
Before you start
Bring a controller if you have one — it is a listed feature and the genre suits it. Go in expecting a difficult fighter: the tag list includes "Difficult", and the game rewards time spent in matches and practice rather than quick button mashing. A fight is more than pressing buttons, so plan on learning combos and matchups before you start winning consistently. The soundtrack is a highlight worth turning up while you play.