Melty Blood: Type Lumina

Current Goal: Chain combo some vampires into pulp
Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows

The fighting game community is rightfully addicted to Street Fighter 6 right now, especially as we get closer to Rashid’s release. However, sometimes you gotta change it up and mix in a different fighting game or two between your SF6 sessions. Lucky for you, 2019’s Melty Blood: Type Lumina just hit PS Plus and is well worth your time.

I’m not gonna try to understand the Melty Blood story, nor am I ever gonna read the Tsukihime visual novel that the game is based on. However, I can tell you that I fully understand how to cross-up protection break with Dead Apostle Noel, and I’m pretty sure that’s all that matters.

I always wished Melty Blood: Type Lumina got some more love from the fighting game community, especially in the west. Dragon Ball FighterZ released the same year, pretty much burying MBTL and preventing it from gaining any traction. It doesn’t have the biggest roster, nor is it that diverse, but it’s still a pretty tightly made fighter that gets really technical once you start learning mix-up options. It’s pretty easy to pick up, and you really don’t need to know anything about the story. It also has a Fate crossover, if you’re into that.—Jeb Biggart