Fighting games’ biggest barrier to entry is of course the requirement to do specific motions to do a special move. Several games have tried to shake things up by offering simpler inputs as the default controls like Divekick, Rising Thunder (which will return next year) and Fantasy Strike, while games like Marvel VS Capcom Infinite offers simpler button inputs as an option. Fighting EX Layer falls into the later category.
Based on the current beta (only available in NA, EU and Japan regions unfortunately), Fighting EX Layer offers two different control types: Classic, where you do the standard quarter-circle motions and dragon punch inputs like most fighting games have traditionally done, and Progressive, where the inputs are reduced to Smash Bros.-style tilts: one direction and one punch/kick button. Supers, usually done by doing double quarter-circle motions, are replaced by quickly pushing forward and backward. In the beta, the inputs are defaulted to progressive, but can easily be switched from the menu.
(the full movelist can be found on Shoryuken)
It’s interesting to see the game offers options for casual players, though it still needs work if it is going to satisfy the hardcore fighting game crowd. The controls feel a bit floaty and it really feels like a small game from a small team of developers. They are hard at work discovering unintentional infinite combos and imbalance, as chronicled on their Facebook page here.
Fighting EX Layer will be out sometime next year on the PS4.