Combo Devils preview: Why This Platform Fighter Could Be a Breakout Hit

Our Combo Devils preview examines the hybrid combat, four-character snapshot, rollback netcode, co-op roguelite, and early-build caveats.

Combo Devils preview: the elevator pitch in practice

Platform fighters often make players choose between free-form movement and the deliberate systems of a traditional fighter; Combo Devils is designed to challenge that trade-off. This Combo Devils preview matters because PunkZilla’s project combines platform-fighter mobility with directional shielding, gatling combos, EX specials, and motion-input supers. A second look at this Combo Devils preview also needs a clear caveat: the available build is promising, but its four-character snapshot, work-in-progress co-op roguelite, and incomplete training tools make this an early assessment rather than a final review.

Combo Devils is presented as both a PvP fighting game and a PvE co-op extraction roguelite. The official Combo Devils Steam page describes the broader mode package, while IGN’s hands-on Combo Devils preview provides the most detailed player experience of the combat and online play. This article separates those official plans from what the preview build actually demonstrated.

The practical question is not whether every mode is finished. It is whether the fighting has enough identity to make the project worth following—and the available evidence says yes, with important qualifications.

At a glance: what this Combo Devils preview covers

Area	Current evidence	Reader takeaway
Game identity	A PunkZilla fighter blending traditional and platform fighting, plus a PvE co-op extraction roguelite	Versus combat is the foundation
Playable roster	Jingo, Ikani, Achilles, and Shai are identified as playable	The current selection is compact
Combat tools	Directional shields, gatling combos, air-dash cancels, EX specials, and supers	The game has a high technical ceiling
Online play	Rollback netcode is highlighted, with strong results in the cited player experience	Online matches are a major strength
PvE content	Solo or co-op runs include perks, items, platforming, mini-games, and bosses	The mode is ambitious but marked as work-in-progress
Extra modes	Party modifiers, casual stages, mini-games, and leaderboards are described	There is more than standard versus play

The central takeaway from this Combo Devils preview is that the combat currently has a clearer identity than the surrounding content. The official Steam listing outlines an unusually broad package, but the published player experience concentrates its strongest praise on versus play, online stability, and combo design. Read the table as a snapshot, not a promise that every listed feature has reached its final balance or content level.

Why this Combo Devils preview sees real potential in the combat

At a glance, the pitch sounds familiar: combine platform-fighter movement with the attacks, resources, and execution demands of a modern 2D fighter. Combo Devils adds several systems that make that combination more than a simple genre mashup.

Mechanic	How it works in the referenced build	Why it matters
Directional shield	The shield must face the incoming attack, including attacks from above or behind	Defense becomes a positioning and reaction test
Gatling combos	Neutral light attacks can lead into directional lights, heavies, or special moves	New players have a practical starting route
Air-dash cancel	The hands-on preview described one free air-dash cancel after an opponent is airborne	Successful aerial hits can become longer combos
Super meter	One bar can enhance an EX special; three bars enable a motion-input super	Players must choose between utility and a finisher
Advanced movement	The official listing names wavedashing, wavelanding, fast falling, DI, parries, ledge options, and more	Experienced platform-fighter players have room to optimize

The directional shield is the clearest mechanical twist. Instead of relying on a single universal blocking direction, players must aim their defense toward the threat. A jump-in may require an upward shield, while an opponent moving behind you demands a quick adjustment. The cited player experience also described using an air dash to pass through an expected front-facing guard and attack from the opposite side.

That system makes defense an information test as much as a reaction test. Players need to read the opponent’s approach, identify where the hit is coming from, and keep their character facing the right way. It also gives cross-up attacks a particularly important role without abandoning the platform-fighter structure.

Combo Devils is more approachable on offense than its full mechanics list might suggest. The preview described a general route from neutral lights into directional lights, followed by a heavy attack or special move. That does not replace character-specific knowledge, but it gives new players a useful foundation before they learn more elaborate launchers, cancels, and matchup-specific routes.

The meter adds another layer of decision-making. Spending one bar on an EX special can improve speed, damage, knockback, or move properties, while three bars unlock a super using traditional fighting-game motion inputs. In practice, that creates a choice between improving the current exchange and saving resources for a more powerful combo-ending attack.

A practical first-session checklist

In this Combo Devils preview, the most useful beginner approach is to learn one repeatable route before chasing every advanced movement option.

Start with the neutral-light-to-directional-light sequence as a baseline, then test where a heavy or special move fits.
Treat the shield as directional: practice responding differently to frontal, aerial, and rear attacks.
Compare the value of a one-bar EX special with saving meter for a three-bar super.
Use the air-dash cancel to extend a confirmed aerial hit instead of spending it automatically.
Add wavedashing, fast falls, parries, and ledge techniques after the basic offense and defense feel consistent.

Roster, modes, and stages in the current snapshot

The roster is small in the referenced build, but the available fighters have distinct concepts. The following details come from the supplied player experience and campaign material; they should not be treated as a complete character guide.

Fighter	Details supported by the available material	Safe takeaway
Shai	A gamer delivery boy who uses a skateboard, power glove, and Beyblade-style top; his neutral special includes an active-reload timing mechanic	His kit includes a distinctive timing challenge
Jingo	A fast ninja dog with projectiles and a butterfly ability that enables immediate teleportation	Mobility and setup are central to his appeal
Ikani	Confirmed as one of the four fully playable characters	The supplied sources do not detail the moveset
Achilles	Confirmed as one of the four fully playable characters	The supplied sources do not detail the moveset

The hands-on player experience singled out Shai and Jingo as especially memorable. Shai’s active reload rewards precise timing, while Jingo’s butterfly ability can help him continue or begin a combo from an unexpected position. The broader impression was that the available fighters offered varied playstyles without simply replicating familiar platform-fighter characters.

Roster numbers should be read carefully. The IGN preview described four available fighters and observed additional locked slots that suggested a larger planned roster. Kickstarter material separately stated that a fifth character was being developed. Those details describe a development snapshot rather than a guaranteed final character count.

Mode	What the official or campaign material describes	Current qualification
PvP versus	A primary mode focused on learning each character’s nuanced fighting style	This is the strongest part of the cited player experience
PvE co-op extraction roguelite	Solo or cooperative survival, escalating challenges, perks, items, platforming, mini-games, and bosses	The Steam listing marks it as work-in-progress
Party and special versus	Modifiers such as Giant, Slowmo, Ice, Metal, gravity changes, and scale changes	Designed for experimentation and chaotic matches
Mini-games	Soccer with a chicken as the ball, Destroy the Statue, Target Test, Racing, and more	Online leaderboards are also described
Stages	Competitive-style layouts plus hazards, disappearing platforms, shifting layouts, walls, and ceilings	Campaign material presents substantial stage variety

The PvE mode deserves careful wording. The official Steam listing marks the co-op extraction roguelite as a work in progress, and the hands-on player experience found the preview build’s runs repetitive. Encounters were described as rooms with basic enemies, power-ups, stat increases, and bosses that did not yet force much adaptation.

That criticism does not invalidate the design. It indicates that the extraction structure and encounter variety were not yet demonstrating the mode’s full potential. Players primarily interested in a polished solo progression experience should watch future development rather than treat the preview build as a finished campaign.

The party modes and mini-games offer a different kind of value. Modifiers can change the feel of a match, while activities such as racing and target testing provide alternatives to standard combat. These features could help Combo Devils appeal to groups that want casual variety alongside competitive practice.

Online play and the unfinished edges in this Combo Devils preview

Online play is where the cited player experience is most persuasive. The Steam page prominently highlights rollback netcode, while campaign material says the engine was built around deterministic GGPO networking. In the published player experience, rollback held up well enough that Shai’s timing-sensitive active reload reportedly felt close to its offline behavior.

That is an encouraging signal for a fighting game built around precise inputs. It is not a guarantee that every player will receive identical results, since connection quality and distance still matter. However, strong rollback performance gives Combo Devils a credible foundation for online versus play.

Signal	What the material supports	How to interpret it
Netcode	Rollback is a highlighted feature, and the cited player experience praised its performance	A promising foundation, not a universal latency guarantee
Core combat	Directional defense, combo routing, air-dash cancels, and meter management work together	The competitive system has a clear identity
Training tools	The preview reported missing basic training functionality	Learning advanced mechanics may be less convenient in the early build
Roster size	Four characters were available in the referenced preview, with more apparently planned	Current variety is limited compared with the long-term goal
PvE development	The mode is officially marked work-in-progress and felt repetitive in the cited player experience	Do not judge the entire game by the unfinished roguelite

Taken together, the Combo Devils preview has a clean recommendation: watch it for the fighting, not for a finished all-in-one package. Players who enjoy platform-fighter movement, 2D fighter execution, and online competition have a concrete reason to follow it. Players seeking a polished solo roguelite or a complete training suite should wait for more development evidence.

Before forming your own opinion, use this simple checklist:

Check the latest information on the official Steam page rather than relying only on an early preview.
Test the basic light-attack route before attempting advanced movement techniques.
Pay attention to whether directional shielding feels intuitive or frustrating.
Try online matches if available, since rollback quality is central to the game’s appeal.
Treat the roguelite as an evolving feature until its work-in-progress status changes.

Combo Devils preview FAQ

What is Combo Devils?

Combo Devils is a fighting game from PunkZilla that combines traditional 2D-fighter systems with platform-fighter movement. It also includes a planned PvE co-op extraction roguelite, along with party modes and mini-games.

How many characters are playable?

The referenced materials identify four fully playable characters: Jingo, Ikani, Achilles, and Shai. The preview also indicated that additional characters were planned, but the final roster size should not be assumed from the early development snapshot.

Is the co-op roguelite finished?

No. The official Steam listing labels the PvE co-op extraction roguelite as work-in-progress. The cited player experience also found the early runs repetitive, although the planned mode includes perks, items, platforming sections, mini-games, and bosses.

What is the main conclusion of this Combo Devils preview?

The strongest reason to follow Combo Devils is its competitive fighting core. Directional shielding, gatling combos, air-dash cancels, EX specials, motion-input supers, and promising rollback netcode give the game a distinctive foundation. The roster, training tools, and roguelite mode still need more development before the full package can be judged.