Chaos Code -New Sign of Catastrophe- review for PS4, PC

Platform: PS4
Also On: PC
Publisher: Arc System Works
Developer: FK Digital
Medium: Digital
Players: 1-4
Online: Yes
ESRB: T

In 2013, the original Chaos Code hit PlayStation 3 and unfortunately went largely overlooked. It was a great game, but with it’s bare bones presentation, failed to impress. Enter New Sign of Catastrophe, a re-release that adds far more content, giving both fans of the original, as well as new players, a great 2D fighting game experience. While the story line and core game play remain largely unchanged, FK Digital worked hard re balancing the characters and adding more game play modes to make this the definitive version of Chaos Code. Check out our review of the original Chaos Code here.

You have more modes offered than the original. Arcade mode has you playing through a single characters story. Versus Mode allows you to fight against the CPU or another friend. Survival mode lets you see how many opponents you can beat with one energy bar and Practice mode lets you master characters moves and combos. Newly added are the Mission mode, where you complete a variety of tasks to earn in game currency so you can buy artwork and other extra items. Score Attack mode where you try to accumulate the highest score for a leader board, and finally we have Online Play. Online was missing from the original release, and to see it here is a welcome addition.

I had no issue getting games to connect and run, but since this is a largely unknown fighter, opponents were scarce. Like before you can select 2 extra moves to best suit your play style, and select whether your character will dash or run during the fight. Some of these moves seem to have changed from the original, most likely in an effort to re-balance the game since there were some glaring balance issues that plagued the original. Most of the extra moves are the same while some minor tweaks, so you may want to experiment with different combinations to suit your personal preference.

Like its predecessor, graphics look great and are very well animated, some backgrounds received more animation and it looks as though more frames of animation were added to the fighters. Everything still resembles a late SNK fighter but this not a bad thing by any means. The soundtrack is once again largely forgettable, with the same standard fighting from the original release. Pretty sure most tracks were not changed or updated at all. One notable change is that the game can be played in Widescreen, but this mode merely extends the background and not the fighting space, so it looks like there are invisible walls surrounding you and your opponent.

Chaos Code -New Sign of Catastrophe- is basically a re-master of the original 2013 release on the PlayStation 3. FK Digital spent some time on the balancing issues that plagued the previous version along with adding some nice play modes to keep you entertained. The inclusion of the Online Mode is fantastic, and I hope it gets continued support from the developer and fans alike! If you liked The original on PS3, then you may want to upgrade to this edition if you have a PS4! It’s still not a groundbreaking fighter, but it can hold it’s own with the best 2D fighters out there!

Grade: B+