Five Gods of Kung Fu

Like playing a kung fu movie. Go around fighting guys, find masters to learn the different styles from, all wrapped in a pretty silly (in a good way lol) plot about retrieving a stolen statue for your family. Any excuse to learn kung fu and use it on bad people. :D Just like in the movies!

This game is quite different from other fighting games. Of course the pixel art style is a big part, but also the controls, and the story inside th game is quite fun and filled with tons of small jokes and gags. You better interact with all the NPCs! There are many little homages to classics. In some moments the humour and the pixels took me back to the old LucasArts graphic adventures. About the controls... they can be a bit difficult to understand at first. It takes a bit of patience to get the timing right, but it is nice once you find the sweet spot, although at first it honestly drove me nuts. Definitely use a controller. There are some small details that confuse me. In some parts of the map (where there are no optional paths to choose) you need to press the interaction button in order to advance (e.g. when you reach the bridge moving towards east). I feel it would make more sense to just allow the character to continue moving directly. And I would like to be able to remap the buttons, but this is merely a personal preference. Quite a good game for and independent developer woring solo. Well done! Disclaimer: developer kindly gave me a key for this game.

Short but sweet, it has a combat style that I very much enjoyed and want to see more of. A mixture of rhythm game and classic beat-em-up that I feel like I could spend quite a bit of time getting really good at and never be bored. Music was quite good and the story had a nice mix of comedy and seriousness.

Been waiting for this game since forever, the extremely charming demo was awesome, and this is too. Great Kung Fu adventure. But. It's very rough around the edges especially for the price. It's not very responsive, things that should be smooth feel clunky. From tranitioning from stairs to walking and just poor controls to in-game actions feedback. Controls are not rebindable. Control demos frequently bug out. Some unfortunate very obvious bugs, in particular you can get softlocked in the training sections if you press continue during loading. The combat system is poorly explained, not very well UIed, and thus feels extremely inconsistent. You never know how much will something hit for, what's the point of different moves, what are the parry frames, and how much damage you will take. The combat system is as a whole a bit underdeveloped and for some reason simplified from the original demo. I kind of expected something a bit harder on the fingers, and maybe even some stance switch cancel action. Especially with so many moves being basically unusable with so much recovery. But it's just so fun still. Different stances have separate mechanics to choose from, the training sections are so pleasing, visually and through gameplay. I just feel there needed to be maybe another month in the oven to rule out some final bugs as they in particular made the experience quite a bit worse.

Greate game, those who love old kung fu movies:Snake in the eagle shadow and Drunken master, is a MUST buy!

[H1]Hidden Dragon, Crouching Gamer[/H1] A few weeks ago, I had the chance to preview Five Gods of Kung Fu, and I must say, it left quite an impression on me. Imagine a world where pixel-perfect punches meet the grace of classic Kung Fu cinema and where each press of a button unleashes a flurry of meticulously animated martial arts moves. That's the thrilling reality of this gem from Gregor Bestelmeyer. It's not just a game but a time machine that catapults you back to the golden age of martial arts films, while introducing a fresh twist on fighting game mechanics. So, prepare to be swept off your feet by a title that proves that sometimes the most powerful kicks come in small, pixelated packages. [h2]Wax On, Pixels Off[/h2] You can always tell that a martial arts movie is going to be good just by the title. For instance, classics like Masters of the Flying Guillotine, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, and Drunken Master were among those that caught my attention back in the day. Anything produced by the Shaw Brothers or Golden Harvest Production ensured top-notch and over-the-top fighting. Now, comes Five Gods of Kung Fu, a game that pays loving tribute to the martial arts of yesteryear. The story starts with Li, a humble young man aspiring to become a martial artist. However, reality has him washing dishes at his grandfather's restaurant instead. One day, a group of thugs steal several jade statues from the restaurant. Li and his grandfather confront the thugs but are simply overpowered. Bruised and humiliated, Li goes on a quest to find a master to teach him the various ways of martial arts, and to bring honor, and the statues, back to his grandfather. [h2]Mantis, Snake, and Keyboard Style[/h2] An interesting feature is the variety of martial arts disciplines you can attempt to master. These range from Snake, Mantis, Drunken, to Cobra style, each appearing unique in both style and animation. Mantis style, for example, allows you to strike with arms raised like a mantis grasping its prey. Snake style has more of a low-to-high assault attacking vulnerable points of the body. While many fighting games assume that fighters hate each other, martial arts is more about exhibiting skill, art, and technique to show off their powers. While each fighting discipline is unique, the feature that sells the game is the control scheme. Unlike other fighting games that require constant button smashing, this one requires subtle sweeps and motions. Now, to be clear, this isn't the first game to offer this feature, but it is the first to do so while incorporating different fighting styles. It's like customizing your Honda; sure, everyone has one, but yours is unique in its own particular way. The fighting mechanics follow the unwritten rule of most martial arts movies: bad guys attack one at a time, even when they outnumber you ten to one. This lets you methodically work through the crowd, building a neat pile of unconscious bodies while the others wait their turn. Each fallen foe drops coins, turning your martial arts prowess into a lucrative business, like a piggy bank that fights back - the more you punch, the more you can spend on useful items. [h2]Fists of Fury, Enter the 8-Bit[/h2] On the graphical side, the game looks like you traveled back in time. In fact, it is so old school that you would probably be looking to see if someone stuffed an SNES inside your PC. The characters are pixel-based, so they all have that blocky appearance as if Minecraft suddenly held an online fighting tournament. The backdrops, compromising simple brushstrokes of color or pixels, transition seamlessly from bamboo forest to town to a village in such a subtle way that you often miss when it starts and where it ends. Thankfully, the sound effects, precisely the water flow, help create more immersion. [h2]Relive the Glory Days of Kung-Fu Cinema[/h2] If it isn't already apparent, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Five Gods of Kung Fu. The game nicely blends nostalgia and innovation, capturing the spirit of classic martial arts films while delivering a fresh, modern gameplay experience. The pixel art style evokes the charm of retro gaming, while the unique control scheme adds depth and strategy to each fight and encounter. The various fighting styles keep the combat interesting, allowing players to experiment and find their preferred approach to making origami on their foes. This is a must-play for long-time fans of martial arts games or films. It hits all the right notes and proves that the most potent chi sometimes comes from the smallest dojos. So whether you're looking to relive the golden age of Kung-Fu cinema or looking for a fighting game with a unique twist, Five Gods of Kung Fu delivers on all fronts. Pro's [list] [*]Unique Control Scheme: The game encourages skillful input rather than button mashing, making each fight feel more strategic. [*]Variety of Fighting Styles: Players can master multiple Kung-Fu disciplines, each with unique button mechanics and animations. [*]Nostalgic Graphics: The pixel art style brings back a sense of nostalgia while maintaining fluid animations. [/list] Cons [list] [*]Slow Start: The game begins slowly, which may frustrate some players from fully engaging with the story line. [*]Limited Visibility: Because this is an indie title, it may not attract as much attention as it deserves, making it harder for potential players to discover it. [/list] Who's the game for? [list] [*]Martial Arts Enthusiasts: Fans of kung fu films or martial arts in general will appreciate the tribute to classic styles. [*]Fighting Game Fans: Players looking for a unique take on the fighting genre will find a refreshing experience. [*]Casual Gamers: Those who enjoy narrative-driven stories with a blend of action and strategy will likely enjoy the storyline and gameplay mechanics. [/list] If you found this review helpful, hop on over to [url=https://www.walawala.gg/] WalaWalaGames [/url] for more game insights and the occasional chuckle. We're serving up fresh content faster than you can say 'lHiyaaa!'!"

Note: Ignore the fact that this review says "product refunded." I purchased the game again after the developer fixed some progress-halting bugs I experienced at launch. If you are a fan of beat 'em ups, I urge you to give this hidden gem a try. It is one of the freshest takes on the genre I've seen in a long time. It all centers around a unique control scheme, which utilizes sweeping motions across the face buttons to mimic the motions of your character. It may feel unintuitive at first, but stick with it and it won't be long before you feel like a kung fu god. The game rewards timing and precision, and button-mashing will net you a hilarious animation of your character flailing his arms in reckless abandon. There are four (possibly five?) kung fu styles to master, which you can switch between on the fly by tapping a direction on the d-pad. Each style feels truly distinct. And while you can mostly use them interchangeably, they each have their strengths and weaknesses depending on the situation. There are blocks, parries, counters. It all feels very fluid and is a joy to play around with (you know it's good when you can have fun just practicing the moves without actually fighting anyone). I estimate I'm about halfway through the game, and the story thus far has been very lighthearted, leaning towards comedic. The majority of townsfolk offer little guidance to aid you on your statue-retrieving mission but are always at the ready with a cheeky one-liner or a 'so-bad-it's-good' dad joke. The training montages are like something straight out of a Karate Kid movie and are easily some of the best moments in the game. And, not to spoil anything, but there is one scene early on that will subvert your expectations in a clever and funny way. Rounding out the package is a fantastic visual presentation, looking like a PC-Engine game on steroids. The game has a very pleasing, bright but muted, color palette. The backgrounds are detailed and have a good sense of depth, while the pixelated characters are well-animated and surprisingly expressive. The soundtrack, while not breaking any new ground, fits the theme perfectly and is reminiscent of something you might hear in an old kung fu movie. With all that said, the game is a little rough around the edges. At the time of this review, my graphics and audio settings are not being saved between sessions. The game freezes whenever I head in the 'wrong' direction after learning the Tiger style (I managed to replicate this bug every time I tried). There is one recurring enemy who appears to lose some clothing during his attack animation. And there are a handful of typos/grammatical errors. Glitches aside, I have only a few minor nitpicks. Since many of the NPCs and backgrounds look so similar, I often find myself interacting with someone I've already spoken with. It would be nice to have a dedicated button to quickly skip this dialogue. Speaking of buttons, there is no button remapping. Understandably, the control scheme is central to the gameplay mechanics, but at least let us swap the shoulder buttons and triggers. And finally, there are no Steam achievements, which may be a dealbreaker to some. All of these things could be easily rectified with a few QoL updates. Sadly, this game appears to have flown under the radar of beat 'em up fans, of which there aren't that many nowadays. Any future work the developer puts into this would clearly be a labor of love. Still, I can't help but imagine all the ways in which this already solid foundation could be expanded upon. It's absolutely criminal that Five Gods of Kung Fu didn't get more attention, but I am on board for whatever Gregor Bestelmeyer dreams up next.

Alright, so I've come back to this here in 2025 and the issues I had with the controller are no longer present. Mostly. There are a few times I'd run into something similar when I'd enter a building during a conversation, but that wasn't too big of a problem. I made it to the end-ish, but didn't finish the game because I absolutely cannot figure out what path I'm supposed to take to get to the final boss. There's a path in the field next to my town! Ok! General direction. Can't find it. That led to frustration and nearly rage quitting. But, it was more of a casually disappointed quitting. Looking past how things ended for me, I think this has some rather fantastic pixel art and one of the more unique fighting styles of any game released in years. It reminds me a bit of SIFU and its combat style, though it's obviously a bit more simplistic here. It is truly a very unique Kung Fu experience though, and I had a good time playing it even if I gave up due to the lack of discernable direction for me. ---------------------------- Original review I quite enjoyed the demo, and received a free key from the developer because I had covered the demo on my youtube channel. I finally had the chance to sit down and play. I'm not sure if there's an incompatibility with my XBox controller or what the deal is - but I have been able to make zero progress in the game due to consistently reaching random points in the game where controller inputs do nothing. It's a shame because the combat in the game is truly unique, and the pixel art is fantastic. This'll get tossed on the back burner to play sometime in the future.. No idea when, but I'll get there eventually. I do think the game is really cool, and it's easily one of the most unique beat'em ups on Steam.