Channel your inner Fist of the North Star in combo-obsessed beat 'em up, Spirit X Strike
Spare me those slow-moving, sluggish, canned action set pieces that are more cutscene than conflict. I'm trying to punch a guy hundreds of times in a matter of seconds! Spirit X Strike has the right idea—and in a new trailer rolled out at today's PC Gaming Show 2025, its free flowing combo system is looking as flashy as it is frantic.
The game, now slated to release in early access on June 20, gets all its vibes from "classic anime and manga" like Fist of the North Star and Dragon Ball Z, according to a press release. Expect to teleport behind your enemies, parry their attacks with twitchy split-second precision, and learn how many times you can yell "ora" in a row before your neighbors call in a noise complaint.
The same release invokes the "playful energy of God Hand" as an inspiration, as well as four combat styles to swap between, so I'm curious to see how far the absurdity goes. In the age of patient, tactical action games inspired by Dark Souls and such, it's always nice to see a full-on spectacle fighter eager to move at a mile a minute.
And "spectacle" is Spirit X Strike in a word, really. The Steam page promises air juggling aplenty and a unique "spirit mimicry" system that lets you tie together moves in a custom combo and pummel enemies with it on demand. It sounds like it's all about delivering that feeling of pulling off a huge flurry of attacks, even if you're not a practice mode obsessive.
If you're eager to lay the smack down, Spirit X Strike has a demo available on Steam, where you can also pop it on your wishlist ahead of its June 20 Early Access arrival.
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