Battle for the grid (Review)

  

ethics/brevity:

I bought this game on sale; and have no affiliation to Saban or nWay. Power rangers is property of Saban and Hasbro, battle for the grid is published by nWay and Lionsgate studios. all rights reserved

you can play battle for the grid on: Xbox one, PlayStation 4, Nintendo switch, Google Stadia

Background:

So, my background with this game aside from fighting games is my love for power rangers. I grew up with the "Mighty Morphing" to "S.P.D" era. I dropped off, then came back with "Beast Morphers". I haven't read the comics that this is based off of, so I don't know how accurate this is. I also have a let's play series for this game which you can watch here

Story:

This game was made in the era of fighting games with big epic stories, and his game is no different.

The story starts off with a flashback that reveals that Drakkon is an evil universe version of Tommy who stayed with Rita. This version of Tommy is really twisted and laments that he has to kill Rita in order to “Grow up” and that he will have to continue what they have started. which is traveling dimensions and killing every ranger and stealing their morphers.

After the flash back, we start off properly with the training mode with Jason training with Kimberly and Tommy who arrives late. During the training the command center is attacked by a armor -clad villain named Lord Drakkon and a firing squad of black Mastodon foot soldiers that are akin to a stormtrooper. During the attack Drakkon attacks and kills Tommy. Drakkon was going to finish the other rangers, but a portal opens up to reveal Jen Scott aka Time Force Pink. Drakkon escapes but sadly Tommy dies

Honestly, this is a really cold and dark way to start a power rangers' game and I am for it. It feels like it wants to show that a power rangers' story can be dark without it just being a fanboy gore fest like many people have tried to do in the past. While we do see violence and bloodshed it's not the only focus. And the writers did a great job at starting this game

After a call to arms from Zordon we are introduced to the other rangers we will be playing as during the fights. The first of many rangers is Mystic Force white ranger Udonna as she is attacked by Goldar at his most confident. Before their fight continues. It is cut off by a fight between Gia aka Super Mega Force yellow who is attacked by a character called the ranger slayer, the ranger slayer makes quick work of Gia, but Gia is rescued by S.P.D operative Kat. Who is a cat themed power ranger. However, Gia is kidnapped by Lord Drakkon. Who teleports her to his lair.

In Drakkon's lair we meet the Magna Defender. While not being a power ranger is a formidable foe and is connected to the morphing grid, Lord Drakkon takes no time in defeating the Defender and brainwashes both Gia and Magna Defender to add to his army of rangers.

It then cuts to a battle between the blue power ranger from the 2017 movie and a platoon of mastodon rangers as well as the ranger slayer. Who defeats and brainwash the blue ranger however ranger slayer is stopped by Kimberly and Jason who defeats ranger slayer which reveals that she is also a Kimberly, and the defeat causes her to un-brainwash her. But subtly. Ranger slayer defeated leaves. Before Kimberly can think about what happened Jen and Red samurai ranger come to bring our heroes to the home of Power rangers RPM to save Doctor K. As they arrive on Corinth our heroes are ambushed by Goldar and the mastodon platoons. The battles aren't difficult to deal with due to Jen and Trini having really powerful tech and meta behind them. And during the fight Udonna, who thinks that the rangers are evil, attacks our heroes, they fight it out and put their differences aside to stop the greater evil.

During the fights Drakkon is being worked on by Finster Rita's monster maker wearing Alpha 5's body as a trophy of war is implementing Drakkon's armor. After powering up Drakkon is advised by the ranger slayer of the ranger's location. Utilizing this information, he descends to Corinth to personally take care of our main heroes. Our main heroes try to stall for time as Drakkon devastates them and Corinth. Our rangers with doctor k barely escape back to Zordon's layer where they are met with a surprise.

Ranger slayer reveals that she is no longer brainwashed and reveals how she was the Kimberly of her world and that Drakkon was brain washing her to fight on his side. Revealing that he will beat anyone powerful enough to stop him down into submission and brainwashing them. It's really deep stuff for a power rangers story honestly. While the notion of villains being evil and villainous is nothing new for power rangers, we don't see this level of villainy in a ranger's story.

Ranger slayer then reveals how he is gaining more power, by defeating rangers and absorbing their power within his Chaos green crystal. She also reveals that his layer is his universe' command center. Now that they have the information, they just need to come up with the plan. And that plan is pretty insane

We cut to zordn and doggy Kruger calling a meeting with the canon universe Rita Repulsa in order to form a necessary pact between them to defeat Drakkon. Rita originally is unwilling to join the quest for good until she learns that Drakkon will kill her too. Zordon in his infinite wisdom does the one thing he thought he never would have done in ten thousand plus years. Ask Rita Repulsa for help.

We get a really beautiful scene of different rangers from different series and seasons standing together as Jason gives a really deep and inspiring speech. Stating that it doesn't matter if they win or lose, that they have to stop Drakkon because

and honestly, it's clips like this that make Jason one of the best red rangers, he knows his duty, he knows what needs to be done even If it's from a non-canon game, this sends Jason to the top of the red rangers list for me.

We enter the final chapter as our heroes have to stop Drakkon and his command center if any means necessary. We get the first of many final battles as Kat, Trini and Udonna have to stop Magna Defender and Gia, during the fight Magna Defender gets many calls to stop from his good side as the spirit of the Magna Defender calls out to hm to stop fighting for Drakkon and to break free. It almost seems as if it is all for not as Defender keeps fighting when Defender is broken free from the shackles of evil as he turns on Gia and Goldar, defeating them with ease with the help from Trini.

While this is happening Rita and Kruger sneak into Drakkon's lair to set up the green candle to destroy his power. The ranger continues to stall for time but it's no use as Drakkon teleports to his layer to find the green candle waiting for him. The candle does what it needs to do, and drains some of Drakkons power, the rangers do what needs to be done and destroy Drakkons tower destroying the green chaos crystal as well causing more of Drakkon's power to falter, 

but alas Drakkon is still to powerful and defeats ranger slayer. Rita, confused on why the rangers haven't just killed Drakkon tries to kill him herself, but is distracted by Zordon saying not to, giving Finster uses Drakkon's Rita's wand to stop her.

Using the time given to them from said power, Drakkon demands Finster to take him to his secret chamber covered in morphers. Utilizing this he demands to be given more powers. And we also get another deep moment as Drakkon apologizes to Finster saying he was a good friend but he needs the power to end it. Snapping his neck and starting the process of gaining more power. But is interrupted by Tommy who reveals he is not dead and was waiting for the moment. And that his chaos crystal sent him into time and space!

Tommy and Drakkon have a heart-to-heart talk. Stating things like that he knows that Drakkon is broken, and nothing will fix him. However, Drakkon won't hear it as he flips the switch becoming super Drakkon. The fight between them is long and brutal. Drakkon is a strong hitter with a thirty-two or more-wall trap that will drain an entire bar of health. But in the end Tommy wins, and Drakkon is defeated.

Tommy deals the last blow, telling Drakkon that he needs to demorph or he will die. Begging him to join the heroes and that He's not alone. But it falls upon deaf ears as alpha teleports the rangers to safety barely escaping Dakkon's death.

It ends on a pretty sour note as Tommy laments on the events that happened and wonders if what happened to Drakkon could happen to him. Ranger slayer appears to inform him that the reason for Drakkon's turn to evil was that he didn't get a chance to have people who care for him. As the other Mighty Morphing team comes to console him.

The story is a really deep and dark tale, with many twists and turns. Showing us that a power rangers' story can be dark. Showing us that these teenagers with attitude can in fact be people with fears, with urges to want more. And to know what their duty is that they have lives, and that they can tell stories like this. And it makes me want to read the “Shattered Grid” comics to see if these kinds of stories can happen

Mechanics:

basic combat:

For a fighting game made by Marvel Vs Capcom veterans and does have some mechanics similar to Marvel Vs Capcom like character swapping and forcing your opponents to swap with powerful hits, but its closer to super smash brothers so every move is an arrow and a button, though unlike smash brother you hold back to block.

Much like every other fighting game, if you have enough meter, you can do a powerful super move, or your hyper move.

Zord calls:

Unlike marvel vs capcom or smash brothers this game has a mechanic entirely unique to it. If you can gain enough of its meter, you can summon either a mega Zord or Goldar to either do a reversal or to attack. If you have enough meters, you can call the Zord to do small tasks such as punching or kicking your enemy, or if you have the S.P.D Zord heals you a small amount.

Good:

The story itself is a deep tale of a dark universe and fighting for justice even if you have to die trying. The characters feel like 

other fighting game ones in a good way, for example. Some of Kat's moveset feels like wolverine, or Trini feels like a mixture of Ironman and Juggernaut with pulsar rays and unstoppable hits.

For having smash-like fighting mechanics, the mechanics are very solid and fluid. 

Bad

the enemy A.i gets really spam happy especially with the mastodon foot soldiers and the final battle with Drakkon

In the story some characters will be forced to stop for plot parts, and it takes a second to be able to move or play again which if you're too close will screw you over

Overall:

Overall, the game is a very good fighting game with a well written deep story. And I hope nWay continues to thrive