UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II SYS:CELES Reviews
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is a cracking sequel that brings meaningful change to the series' core combat, adds rollback netcode and three strong new characters to an already enthralling roster, and all looks, sounds, and plays every bit as good as its dazzling predecessor. Chronicle mode has been axed, and it's a shame it hasn't been replaced with something else, but this remains a top-notch effort, a deep and addictive anime fighter that should please long-time fans and interested newbies alike.
UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys Celes is a strong fighter with gorgeous visuals that challenges players to learn, adapt, and take risks.
Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes is a great addition to what we had that improves upon previous games in pretty much all the right ways. The new characters are fun, the new attacks for existing characters make new gameplans fun to learn, and there is a nice variety of online and offline modes in which to explore them and hone your game. I wish the music, story, and online lobbies gave me more, but UNI2 hits the right notes where it counts and delivers as a fantastic bastion of 2D animated fighting game goodness.
UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is without a doubt the funnest fighting game of the year. An already smooth and satisfying fighter has been improved and expanded on so many levels with the new systems, mechanics, and moves this sequel adds. If you're gonna play any 2D fighting game right now, make it this one.
It’s really quite a shame because at its core, Uni 2 is a wonderful fighter with incredible depth and plenty of style to spare. The sheer amount of freedom in how I can control my character is second to none in all the fighters I’ve played but the awful PC port and the numerous game breaking issues on launch that have resulted in a dwindling player base makes it harder to recommend than it should be.
Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] does not reinvent the wheel so much as it refines it to its most effective form yet. That takes more effort than you'd expect – UNI2 is the culmination of a decade's worth of thoughtful design and carefully considered changes. Despite this, it effortlessly demonstrates why it's one of the strongest competitors on the fighting game market right now.
For what it's worth, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II does well by being a high-level technical play fighting game that requires patience to truly make the difference. There are several layers to "git gud", which is robust thanks to the GRD system's effect on the roster in different ways. Even though Arcade Mode holds plenty of dialogue, it still feels as if there is a novel packed into this game. It's just not the dominant thing to hold the genre. UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II is still a worthy opponent in the anime fighter division for those seeking a serious contender.
Under Night In-Birth II Sys: Celes is a compelling fighting game, despite feeling old and way-too classic in many of its choices. It's really hard to understand why Arc System Works chose the same release window as Tekken 8, considering that it didn't help the game at all in getting the attention it deserved.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It may not be quite the leap forward that some would expect from a fully-fledged sequel, but it can’t be denied that Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes is still an accomplished fighting game. With its expanded roster, new mechanics and implementation of valued features such as rollback netcode, this is an enticing offer for series fans. And while newcomers might have a hard time when dipping their toes into its online offerings, it at least offers a myriad of ways for them to improve their skills.
Although lacking single-player content, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is still a deeply rewarding fighter with a lot of mechanics to learn. Multiplayer fans will have an absolute blast with this one!
While the Steam version still has some bugs that need to be ironed out, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes provides a number of great reasons to visit the Hollow Night in what is the most robust roster to date.
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is a sequel that builds even further on the foundation that the original established with its unique fighting dynamics and pace, and manages to bring some interesting novelties to the genre. It takes a very important step for the future of the series and French-Bread, and the visual improvements, accessibility and netcode rollback are very welcome.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is a fun and learnable fighting game that may attract beginners to this popular gaming genre. The addition of Uziki provides a welcoming change to the original game's character options that already offers an array of archetypes and fighting styles for everyone to enjoy. Fans of fighting games and Japan's anime-styled games will definitely want to pick up this title.
Sys: Celes successfully marries its engaging narrative with polished gameplay, creating an experience that appeals to both fans of the series and newcomers alike. The final chapter of the Hollow Night saga delivers not only the promise of a dramatic conclusion but also the commitment to providing a satisfying and well-crafted fighting game experience.
Under Night In-Birth II is a fantastic fighting game experience when you focus solely on the core mechanics and how enjoyable it is to immerse yourself in the depths of its more intricate systems. Examining the package as a whole presents it as one that is perhaps a bit lacking on the content side, with there being a real absence of meaningful offline single-player modes to dive into, which in turn leads to a world that’s difficult to comprehend if you’re coming to this with no prior knowledge of the series. That being said, if you’re a fighting game purist who just wants a new fighting game to master that will offer hours upon hours of fun as you master its many interlocking systems, or you want something simple enough that you can enjoy a few casual rounds with friends here and there, then Under Night In-Birth II fits the bill almost perfectly.
For better or worse, Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] preserves the series identity with subtle upgrades that impact the gameplay positively. It's little for a wait of over a decade but there's no denying it's an excellent 2D fighter in the market.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fighting games aren’t always the same, and UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is no exception. As a fighting game, it has its own unique rhythm and combo roots that you must master. It’s a challenging game, but the rewards are worth the effort. Ranking the levels was a blast. I like the challenge, and UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes features unusual characters for fighting games. Getting the most out of it requires some work and patience. If you enjoy fighting games, you should give it a go, but before we buy it, we need to figure out which platform is best.
I want it on the record that I love UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys: Celes. That said, I think to try and recommend picking it up at full price to anyone but hardcore fans is too much of a hard ask. Yes, if you pick the game up now you get access to Season 1 with three new DLC characters incoming, but it just doesn’t have the weight of a game released this side of titles like Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1 where they had a lot of worth to their offline portions. The gameplay is solid and the visual style is somewhat love or hate, but there is a lot here to love. It doesn’t feel like a major sequel so I would suggest that you either pick this one up on sale or pick an earlier one up first to see if you're new to the series and not convinced. If you’re a fan of the series this feels like a half sequel, but the rollback netcode and extra characters alone should be enough to entice you in.
The awfully-named Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is a pretty good sequel to what was already a really deep, but surprisingly accessible 2D fighter. In terms of content and mechanics, this game is still excellent, worthy of being put right next to other Arc System Works fighters. In terms of presentation, it didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but it’s not like the other games in the series were ugly to begin with. Sadly, in terms of how well this particular PC port was crafted, well, I was a bit disappointed. With a handful of glitches and an overall sensation this port was treated like an afterthought, you are better off playing it on a console.