Kill la Kill IF is a surprisingly excellent game that got pooh poohed at launch for two reasons. One, it's yet another anime arena fighter that we've seen a million of. And, two, people get really uncomfortable about Kill la Kill because of fanservice, which just proves they've never actually watched the show. So, the game was kind of doomed from the start. It's great, though. Read more and watch gameplay here.
I really like the "Kill la Kill" anime. I watched it in Japanese when it first came out and then watched the English dub much later and it was great both times. Yeah, the dub is fine. Of course, I think most dubs are fine, because I'm not a stupid idiot weeb manchild who wants to gatekeep anime from the unwashed masses. Yeah, fuck you "Sub vs. Dub" morons. That was harsh.
Anyway, I mentioned above Kill la Kill IF got a lukewarm reception because it looks like it's just another 3D anime arena brawler like we've seen from Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball Z, and surely loads more I can't think of. On one hand, it's kind of hard to figure out what other types of games these primarily battle focused anime can really be. A normal fighting game is too predictable and wouldn't really work as well. An RPG or something wouldn't really capture the same feel. So you pump out a 3D arena brawler with simple controls that let the characters still have distinct moves but everyone plays the same.
I wouldn't say Kill la Kill IF plays any better than the rest, but it's still a lot of fun and the format works well here. Each of the characters has distinct powers and fighting styles, so you have to change up your tactics to beat different opponents. The gameplay also scales nicely so you can go from one-on-one fights to an endless brawl against dozens of COVERS at a time without a hiccup. I had a lot of fun with it. More than most of the other games I mentioned, but I'm a lot more familiar with Kill la Kill than I am with the others, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it.
The other thing that makes people give Kill la Kill the side-eye is that it has a lot of fanservice. Ryuko and Satsuki are damn near naked while in their battle modes, after all, but the show doesn't actually have any nudity. Just lots and lots of near-nudity with both males and females. The thing about it, though, is that the whole story is about how clothes are actually evil and taking over the world, so it makes sense in context for most of the cast to be freaking nude by the end. People are all "Ugh, it's fanservice and objectification" but the women in Kill la Kill are ridiculously strong and don't give a shit about any of it, so some woke dude on the Internet feeling like he should white knight them is totally missing the point (and obviously hasn't ever actually watched the show). I suppose people also get upset about some pervy / creepy stuff that happens now and then, but Ragyo is a disgusting psychopath so, while shocking, what she does is totally in character. Context matters, people!
So, yeah, Kill la Kill IF Is a surprisingly excellent game and fans of the anime will love it. Non-fans will continue to be confused and upset about it out of context, but screw them.
