The original PlayStation release received mostly mixed reviews. Critics overwhelmingly commented that the game has a satisfyingly large amount of interactive scenery to destroy or collect weapons from, but agreed that despite the transition to 3D, the gameplay was not meaningfully different from the 2D beat 'em ups of earlier console generations. "GameSpot" summed it up as "basically a 3D version of Capcom's classic, "Final Fight", except the characters and enemies lack the personality that made "Final Fight" exciting". Some, however, looked on the game's lack of innovation as a virtue rather than a liability; Shawn Smith commented in "Electronic Gaming Monthly": "What's cool about "Fighting Force" is that it plays like the old side-scrolling games of the same nature. Then you might ask, why not just make a 2-D one. Well, when the 3-D works, why not go with it?" "Next Generation" took more of a middle ground, stating that "despite its derivative nature, "Fighting Force" is a very fun game. Yet, it's just not the same huge leap forward for the "Final Fight" genre that we might have expected from the creators of "Tomb Raider"".