Japanese game developer Arika revealed the title for their “Mysterious fighting game”, called Fighting EX Layer. The game was originally teased earlier this year as an April Fool’s joke, but it turns out Fighting EX Layer is real and has an all new trailer revealing some of its mechanics. Arika’s first games were Fighting Layer and the Street Fighter EX series, spin-offs of the original Street Fighter games. Street Fighter EX was playable on PlayStation consoles, and a game for the series has not been released since 2000.

Fighting EX Layer brings in some Street Fighter’s classic combat set-up, with one on one matches featuring unique characters dueling in beautiful arenas. Characters can punch, kick and use special moves, weapons or powers in addition to their own sets of combos to utilize during battle. Characters that were in previously in Fighting Layer and Street Fighter EX titles were revealed in the trailer: Kairi, Garuda, Skullo Mania, Darun Mister, Allen Snider and Shirase (awakened from Hokuto). Kairi and Shirase have an intense battle with Shirase utilizing the new Gougi system for quick and flashy attacks. Arika “wants players to have different ways to play depending on their Gougi and wants to change the flow of matches” with this new feature. He states

“For example, in most other fighting games, aside from times where you think, “I can win in one more combo,” “I can win if I chip him out,” and “I’m in the corner,” your battle strategy doesn’t really change that much, right? I wanted to change this on a system level and make a game where matches get crazier and more exciting as they go on.”

Nishitani believes the Gougi system will create more exciting and unexpected moments in otherwise predictable matches, by giving characters power-ups and special abilities. Players must “meet certain conditions mid-match and Gougi will activate,” and some of these abilities include ” increased movement speed or attack power, or abilities like Hades, which grants super armor, and Rage, which gives a fighter infinite super meter.”

A closed Beta for Fighting EX Layer will begin after Arika showcases a demo version of the game at PlayStation Experience on December 11. The game will be released for PlayStation 4 consoles.