Kill La Kill -IF- may just be the perfect anime video game. It almost flawlessly manages to embrace the style and energy of the original anime, and translate that into an enthralling arena fighter that is just as much fun solo as it is competitively. The art is incredible, the music is astounding, and the story mode goes above and beyond to deliver a fresh narrative that fans of the anime will eat up. Whether you're a Kill La Kill megafan or just a fighting game enthusiast, this is a must play.

KILL la KILL The Game: IF features exciting arena fighting action and silly yet engaging yarn that together form an exclusive episode for the quirky franchise. The presentation is big, bold and in-your-face, creating a handsome package you really want to dig into. The girls never miss a chance to strike a defiant pose and don’t mind how exposed they are doing so, be it in special moves, combo finishers or psyching up before matches. However, with a limited number of playable characters and ill-founded playing after completing the story with the main girls, the sixty dollar asking price might be a bit steep.

While I was probably the furthest thing from the intended audience before starting this review, I had an absolute blast with Kill la Kill: IF, and I could almost be considered a convert at this point. It probably doesn’t have much chance as a serious, tournament-worthy fighter and the supporting content is thin, but if this title can win me over, it’s well worth any fighting game fan’s time.

Kill la Kill: IF has a lot of potential, unfortunately the contents are lacking, despite a visually stunning combat system.

Kill la Kill IF is clearly designed for fans of Kill la Kill who are looking for more ways to enjoy the characters, music, and battles of the anime series. Each fighter behaves as they do in the anime, and the excellent voice actor rewards provide a nice incentive to keep playing even after you've mastered every character. However, as a fighting game, Kill la Kill IF doesn't deliver the expected harmony of offense and defense. And though campaign battles that are beyond the one-on-one formula are an awesome addition, the traditional arena fighting game mechanics aren't designed to adequately handle multiple opponents. The campaign's startling revelation is a fascinating turn of events for Kill la Kill's story, though, creating a new and intriguing interpretation of one of 2013's best anime series.

With a light and airy story, a number of insubstantial game modes and a limited roster of characters, this is a package that has about as much substance as the twin protagonist’s battle suits. It’s one for Lady Satsuki’s Elite Four, assorted devotees and few others. We’d rather be watching the series. [Issue#166, p.84]

I'm sorry Kill la Kill fans, but IF is not the game you were waiting for. The new story is disappointing, and the arena fighting is just not as deep as you want. There aren't enough modes to satisfy, and even the presentation feels like a step down from the usual Arc System Works titles. It still has that strong anime aesthetic, but other than that, it fails to impress. Once again, fans deserve better.