Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Climax Heroes W knows what returning fans want first: more people to use. Eight new playable characters is a meaningful expansion for a fighting game built around a TV property, and the unlockables add a little extra reason to keep playing rather than treating the roster as fully exhausted on day one.

The stronger change is the inclusion of non-Rider antagonists. That matters because Kamen Rider fights are not only about matching one hero against another; villains are part of the fantasy, too. Their presence should make the selection screen feel closer to the W-era world the game is adapting and gives versus sessions a broader set of matchups to consider.

Climax Mode is the clearest attempt to give solo play some direction. Its mission-based structure places your battles within the Kamen Rider W world, which is more inviting than a bare sequence of unrelated fights. Go in expecting an action fighter whose main strength is the chance to play with a larger slice of its license, not a ground-up redesign of the earlier game.

Graphics

The action is framed as a side-view fighter, keeping both combatants in view during matches. That straightforward perspective suits quick character-versus-character battles and lets the enlarged roster remain the center of attention.

Story

Climax Mode supplies the game’s story-facing material, and its setting in the Kamen Rider W world is the important distinction here. Rather than merely borrowing the show’s newest title character for the box, the mode is built around that corner of the franchise.

The mission format suggests a practical, fight-led route through the material. That is a sensible fit for a licensed fighting game: you are here to take control of the cast, and the mode gives those encounters a shared context.

Fans invested in Kamen Rider W will naturally get more from that framing, especially with antagonists joining the roster. If you only want a deep narrative, the game’s stated story focus is narrower: it uses missions to carry you through battles in W’s world.

Overall Experience

This is a focused update rather than a mysterious reinvention, and that is not a knock. More playable characters, unlockables, non-Rider foes, and a dedicated W-based mission mode add up to a clearer reason to own it than a minor tune-up would.

The payoff is strongest if you already have affection for Kamen Rider W or want a larger roster than the prior Climax Heroes offered. The franchise connection does a lot of the heavy lifting, but the additions are concrete enough to make this more than a simple repeat performance.

Give it a chance if a side-view Kamen Rider fighter with a W-centered solo mode sounds like your kind of fan service. If the license leaves you cold, there is little here to change your mind; if it clicks, the expanded cast is exactly where the value is.

Retro Replay Score

7.1/10