Within Brings a Competitive Fighting Game to Mobile Devices

Complex fighting games have never really found a home on mobile devices, since they require complicated inputs, usually handled by arcade stick or pad.

Complex fighting games have never really found a home on mobile devices, since they require complicated inputs, usually handled by arcade stick or pad. However, a small independent studio in Italy is not only aiming to tackle the mobile market with a deep fighting game but also wants to blend it with a seemingly incongruous addition: a trading card system.

Studio DESTINYbit recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for the mobile title, Within . Within looks like a traditional fighting game with lifebars, built on the Unreal engine. There’s dashing left and right, blocking high and low, and four dedicated attack buttons, two kicks and two punches. Conventions apply, so attacks can be mixed with lows and overheads to trip the opponent, linked, canceled, and so on. All this is done with on-screen touch controls by pressing various parts of the screen. Imagining that the screen is partitioned more or less into four parts, players can swipe directionally to jump, press a direction with one finger to duck and block, or use two and three fingers to execute various normal and special attacks.

Another large feature is character customization via a deck of cards, ensuring the same character can be played drastically differently from one player to another. The cards affect a fighter’s attacks, altering or enhancing its properties. For example, they can improve stats from the start of a fight, such as increase health by 10%, grant super-armor or life steal on some strikes, or be activated in a match, which costs the power meter in the game, called “Emotion.” Lightly inspired by Magic: The Gathering, the fighters will gain power during fights to power up the cards, divided into five kinds.

What’s more, the game will feature a story that fleshes out each of the characters, and the creators plan on some episodic content. DESTINYbit assures that all the cards in the game are obtainable, and that the game will not be “pay-to-win.”

“ Within is a very innovative game. It brings the depth of a competitive fighting game to a platform mostly known for casual games,” the Kickstarter page states. “We think we succeeded in creating a competitive fighter, now we want to prove it. Everybody will be able to experience Within for free at the pace that they want.”

Donating $15 or more nets a beta access for iOS and Android. Fans that would like to experience Within but not on a mobile device will be happy to know that the developers plan for an eventual PC and Mac release, if the game does well. Check out their Kickstarter pagefor complete details on reward tiers, the deep mechanics, and story information. If you’re looking for an endorsement from a fighting game community member, also check out this podcast interviewbetween Dacidbro and developer Gian Paolo Vernocchi.