{"rewrite":{"id":"r_971713d6b0c003e698de31eb","clusterId":"c_c8e40238b0c1dc3f94d27df1","slug":"gigabash-review-ultraman-dlc-satisfies-a-different-hunger-for-fighting-evolution-fans","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"GigaBash Review: Ultraman DLC Satisfies a Different Hunger for Fighting Evolution Fans","summary":"Nearly 20 years after the last entry in the Ultraman Fighting Evolution series, a veteran fan of the franchise has taken a deep dive into GigaBash, the arena brawler from Malaysian developer Passion Republic Games that features Ultraman characters as DLC. The article, published on July 15, 2026, compares the two games across multiple dimensions: gameplay philosophy, camera perspective, music, and single-player content. While GigaBash offers a party-oriented, balanced brawler experience inspired by Power Stone and War of the Monsters, the Ultraman Fighting Evolution series prioritized character authenticity over competitive balance. The review notes that GigaBash now includes seven Ultraman characters across three DLC packs, including a notable first: a playable female character, Carmeara. The article concludes that GigaBash is an enjoyable game that does not fully replace the desire for a new Fighting Evolution title, though it praises the developer's evident passion for tokusatsu and the excellent story mode for the original character Gigaman.","whyItMatters":"The review clarifies that while GigaBash's licensed Ultraman DLC fills a gap in the market for a modern Ultraman action game, its design philosophy-balanced party brawler versus character-authenticity fighter-means it cannot serve as a direct substitute for a new Ultraman Fighting Evolution title.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eGigaBash launched in August 2022. Developer Passion Republic Games cited Power Stone and War of the Monsters as influences, alongside tokusatsu inspiration from Godzilla and Ultraman. The game\u0026#39;s Arcade mode pits the player in nine consecutive 1v1 matches, with a final S-class enemy and up to three continues. The Fate mode offers solo or two-player co-op survival across 50 (Classic) or 30 (Mutant) waves, with random power-ups between rounds and special character skins as rewards for clearing certain waves. The Donchan Battle mode is a collection of party mini-games including sudden death, ring-out, crown theft, and item-based combat.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story mode contains five independent scenarios (four from the base game, one from the Final Ascension DLC). The Gigaman story, which the reviewer called the highlight of the entire game, follows a hero clearly inspired by Ultraman and culminates in the upgraded form Gaya Gigaman using a move called Giga Bash, a direct callback to the game\u0026#39;s title. The Final Ascension DLC costs 1,380 yen and includes two original characters alongside the story.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBase-game characters have individual leveling systems that unlock gallery content and skins, but the Ultraman and other DLC characters do not. The Ultraman Zero DLC launched on July 10, 2026, the 60th anniversary of the Ultraman franchise. The Ultraman 4 Characters Pack was initially unavailable for purchase in Japan but has since been unlocked. The game is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and Epic Games Store, with a mobile version announced. The developer has expressed interest in future collaborations with King Kong and Pacific Rim.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"A longtime Ultraman Fighting Evolution fan dove into GigaBash hoping for a fix. The verdict: fun, but a different appetite. The game shines as a party brawler, but the craving for a proper FE return remains unsatisfied.","twitterPost":"Ultraman Zero and Belial are finally playable at full scale in a console action game via GigaBash's new DLC, but the game's design philosophy is more Power Stone than Fighting Evolution. A worthwhile diversion, not a replacement.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Nearly 20 years after the last Ultraman Fighting Evolution game, a fan dives into GigaBash's Ultraman DLC to see if it fills the void. The review finds that while GigaBash is a well-crafted party brawler with a growing roster of kaiju and heroes, its gameplay priorities are distinctly different from the classic FE series.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GameSpark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/15/169291.html\",\"title\":\"『ウルトラマン FE』新作が20年来ない。だから「ウルトラマン」のいる『GigaBash』に飛びついた-巨大特撮スターもDLCで駆け付けた乱闘ACT、遊んでみたその結果は\"},{\"source\":\"Inside\",\"url\":\"https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2026/07/15/184602.html\",\"title\":\"『ウルトラマン FE』新作が20年来ない。だから「ウルトラマン」のいる『GigaBash』に飛びついた-巨大特撮スターもDLCで駆け付けた乱闘ACT、遊んでみたその結果は\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":31171,"outputTokens":3885,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1784126623,"createdAt":"2026-07-15T14:40:03.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-15T14:42:28.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-15T14:40:03.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_c8e40238b0c1dc3f94d27df1","canonicalTitle":"『ウルトラマン FE』新作が20年来ない。だから「ウルトラマン」のいる『GigaBash』に飛びついた―巨大特撮スターもDLCで駆け付けた乱闘ACT、遊んでみたその結果は","representativeArticleId":"a_dcf5e936e239277982da66f8","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"GigaBash\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"review\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-15T09:30:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-15T12:30:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-15T14:42:28.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Inside","url":"https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2026/07/15/184602.html","title":"『ウルトラマン FE』新作が20年来ない。だから「ウルトラマン」のいる『GigaBash』に飛びついた―巨大特撮スターもDLCで駆け付けた乱闘ACT、遊んでみたその結果は"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/15/169291.html","title":"『ウルトラマン FE』新作が20年来ない。だから「ウルトラマン」のいる『GigaBash』に飛びついた―巨大特撮スターもDLCで駆け付けた乱闘ACT、遊んでみたその結果は"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["GigaBash"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"review","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["GigaBash was released in August 2022 by Malaysian developer Passion Republic Games.","The Ultraman DLC pack launched in 2023, with an Ultraman: Rising DLC and an Ultraman Zero DLC released on July 10, 2026.","The Ultraman Fighting Evolution series last entry, Ultraman Fighting Evolution 0, was released on July 20, 2006, nearly 20 years before this article.","The article states that GigaBash features 30 total characters, including 7 from the Ultraman series.","The reviewer found that GigaBash's design philosophy (balanced party brawler) differs from Ultraman Fighting Evolution's (character authenticity over balance)."]}