Author’s note: Some players have reported that the Steam version of Melty Blood uses the original PC version’s unreliable netcode. If you find that to be the case, you can try using this fan-made patch to add rollback-based netcode, though it is currently unknown if this patch works on Steam versions of the game.
To most outsiders, the fighting game genre was ‘dead’ during the middle of the last decade. Among other reasons, the once-bustling arcade scene seemed to be slowly giving way to home consoles. But beneath the surface, new fighting games were indeed being made and discovered, and a vibrant arcade scene was still bustling. Among these titles was Melty Blood: a Japanese doujin soft (indie, basically) visual novel/fighting game co-developed by Type-Moon and French-Bread for home computers, which featured characters from Type-Moon’s visual novels (with perhaps the most well-known among these being the Fate/ series).
Since its original reveal at Comiket in 2002, Melty Blood has received numerous updates and remakes on PC, PlayStation 2, and arcade hardware, each featuring increasingly convoluted names. The series’ newest title, Melty Blood: Actress Again Current Code, was released in 2008.
It’s puzzling how this popular fighting game series never made its way onto Valve’s Steam platform. But as of yesterday, Melty Blood has finally found its way to Steam, thanks to Japanese developer and publisher Arc System Works.
Watch the trailer below:
Melty Blood: Actress Again was originally announced for Steam last December, alongside a number of other Arc System Works titles. The game features myriad sub-systems and esoteric game mechanics that players must master to best their human opponents, and is sure to delight fighting game players who enjoy experimenting with complex game mechanics.
For example, 31 characters are available for play in Actress Again. Players can choose from one of three “Moons” when selecting their character; these Moons represent three unique fighting styles for each character that alters their move properties and meter usage. This means that there are essentially 93 characters for players to choose from and fight.
You can purchase Melty Blood: Actress Again Current Code on Steam here. For those wishing to delve into the world of Melty Blood and learn its game mechanics, the Mizuumi wiki (as well as YouTube) boasts a library of knowledge for players of all skill levels.