[SHORT]
UNDERRATED... to an extent.
Yes if you play local. Best fighting game gameplay I've played for amateurs and pros! (But get it on discount)
No if you want content/progression/Online players. The typical Fighting Games problem...
Also, thanks for gate-keeping some extra stuffs, Square Enix... Not! (I will buy them if they're available forever, and yes I freaking like MAAB)
3/5 - Recommend: Apart from the gate-keep and lack of stuffs to do, I don't know.
[LONG]
In a genre that's hard to even pick-up and play, with many, including veteran FGCs, not seeing the REAL issues with many devs trying to make them accessible but failed for many reasons (and I consider myself an amateur who played and struggled those "easy" FGs like DNF Duel and BlazBlue), MAAB might be one of THE best FGs that combines the best of accessible approach and professional satisfaction!
And that's impressive considering this is a Fast-Pace Fighter, the one sub-genre I typically recommend avoiding for amateurs.
Gameplay wise you look at it and say "This looks hard", but it isn't as bad as you think, and I'm telling you as an amateur. Choose a playable Character, 3 Assists, pay attention to the Element System and... go have fun! As simple as it sounds. Even motion inputs attacks aren't gruesome,typically it's just v->, Z and v-< for Assists, with some few <-v-> and 360 Motion inputs. (although v-v is more superior then Z motion input, I just hate to try to use a projectile only to somehow get a Z attack...)
MAAB (or more precisely: Team Arcana) understands the issues of FGs even I didn't saw it coming. To picture an example: Combos and Damage Scaling.
In many Fast-Pace FGs, you make a decent 10-ish combo you make moderate damage, but not good enough. 15-ish isn't even competitively viable while damage scaling "commence" and 20-ish is now competitive while damage scaling still isn't feeling like it's screwing you over until you make an absurd amount. It feels "reward the good players, gate-keep the n00bs" -or scrubs. Also, doing combos is typically hard, like VERY hard...
In MAAB, 10-ish is considered very acceptable. 15-ish is actually competitive while feeling the damage scaling is really kicking in, and 20-ish is, I mean yeah, it's objectively good, but also have you seen the damage scaling??? It's literally saying "Woah, hey buddy that's cool, but I must do my job." Damage and damage scaling just feels right as how it should be without being to weirdly easy as GG Strive. Oh, and the combos are fun, not "impossible."
"But practicing a Character and Assists to find its combo and all is boring..." NO. No it isn't for MAAB. Somehow, the sandbox is as fun and customizable as... Call of Duty! I'm serious.
Choosing your Character is like choosing your weapon. Choosing the Assists is like choosing equipments/attachments, and yes they're easy to use even in combos. It can even help cover a Character weakness like lack of projectile. And the Elements are like Perks!
So the Elements comes as follows: Fire is the "I wanna do more damage by just contact" (Note: In Training it doesn't read the Fire damage, so if you thinks it's useless it's actually working), Ice makes your foe longer to move to make more Combos and Wind heals you (my favorite!). (Oh and there's a fourth one: N/A, which of course does nothing)
Then there's Element Combo, which if attack again with the same Element it adds a multiplier of that attack, kinda countering the Damage Scaling (and even if you use a different Element it'll not cancel that other Element bonus, only if you drop the Combo) and Element Counter -Note: thankfully you're not at a disadvantage for choosing an Element Character and being attacked by the "strong versus this" Elements, a la RPG, but instead if you use an attack/Assist Elements after using a specific Element the foe will "freeze" longer (nice RPG reference!).
The Characters are so cool and fun, and yes there's attractive ones but here's the thing: it's not just limited to Womans (Team Arcana are more inclusive then the Wokes???). There's even SE Crossovers, MA Protagonist outside of the main game (including a cancelled MA game), a unique, unplayable boss and SNK Legendary KoF Fighter: Iori Yagami (so make some noise!).
Aaannnd then there's the negative.
No content or progrresion. You can beat it in a couple of hours. What isn't new other then this outdated content? (I feel I got scam, like rather then having a full game I bought a demo!).
No players Online plus uses the ol' delay-base netcode.
That may look small, but look how many time I put. I want to play more but the game doesn't offer me that... How it isn't a small issue in the end?
Now typically I would not recommend it, but this is the only Fighting Game so far that captured my heart, something many have failed or where close.
Wait, I almost forgot: somehow doing a diagonal input (like doing a quarter forward circle) is hard to do because it's more strict/bugged? It's not impossible and can be understand, but that's weird.
To my Brain it's a 4/5, to my Heart a 5/5 gameplay wise, but an 3/5 in the end...
Also some gatekeep it because of an censorship to an assist? (And a character butt) Really? Like, don't get me wrong the end result is stupid, but also SE has nothing to do, apparently (It's not censored in Japan INCLUDING the PS4 version).
Don't let Million Arthur Arcana Blood be underrated!
