BlazBlue is the new fighting game developed by Arc System Works, the developers behind the Guilty Gear franchise. First in arcades now in your homes.
From purchasing the Limited Edition (Purchased on the Sony Playstation 3 Computer Entertainment System) I knew this was going to be a wild ride. Provided in the LE is the two disc original soundtrack of 42 tracks composed by the great Daisuke Ishiwatari of the Guilty Gear franchise. It also comes with an extra Blu-Ray disc containing tutorials, strategies and much more. Unlike most releases BlazBlue has gotten a different release cycle. First it came out
on June 30th as the Limited Edition on both Xbox 360 and the Sony Playstation 3 meanwhile, the Standard Edition will be released July 28th. For the same price as the SE the LE of BlazBlue already looks to be a great purchase. While it may be a Limited Edition, the packaging doesn't necessarily stick out as a collectors item.
While the extra stuff is nice and all, what about the game itself? Well, let's just say that BlazBlue is an overall great game, just with a few slip ups. Let's begin with the presentation of the game. This is one of the most well thought out fighters in the past decade. From the characters to the story to the animations. Everything seems crisp and clean except for a minor set back. From the moment that the game starts up you are presented with a Full Animated Opening with theme by Kotoko.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnhKjp1HRpI
This is the most animation that you will see when it comes to video or cutscene. The story, while thought out and very compelling, is told through static pictures and archaic text boxes, which you'll have to read through all of them if you choose to select Japanese Voices over the English in the options like I have. While the artwork of the characters and settings are wonderfully drawn it just feels like you aren't playing a fighter at all but an interactive manga/drama of sorts, which could work for BlazBlue, since the story of the game is very intriguing. Though this is all just a rant on just one part of the overall presentation of BlazBlue, it's about time we've moved on to something more of what you are looking for in this review.
The in game action of BlazBlue is what you would expect from the creators of Guilty Gear. And it doesn't disappoint. With a higher resolution than previous fighters that Arc has made, they have made the best looking 2D fighter out there. The animations are clean, the colors are extrodinary, and the settings are beautiful. And above all the great visuals and sounds the controls of the game feel natural. Aside from all the good that BlazBlue has already shown it already feels a bit off with only twelve playable characters. Though downloadable characters may be in the future seeing as the game auto detects for downloadable content from start up. While 12 characters is a low number for a fighter all the characters bring their own flavor to the game. Not one character is the same. Albeit most of them are just classic Guilty Gear characters with different names and faces (same colors though). And while the game is easy to pick up for most players, it is hard to get advanced in it, though that's what the extra disc of videos is for.
Now this brings us to the multiplayer. From the online experience that I have had with the game so far it has been nothing but positive. Supporting up to 6 player lobbies with the ability to spectate matches and even an option to save replays from matches that either you have spectated participated in is a great option. In addition, when you find a match it tells you the opponents skill level, favorite character, and other information before the match even begins. All of this adds up to some of the best online support for a fighter that I have seen in awhile. Though there is one thing that I wish it did have which is the Fight Request Ability like the one from Street Fighter IV where you can play arcade mode and get matched up to someone who is looking for a match. The network coding done in the game is also very nice. Only when the match is synchronizing does it lag and after a few seconds it's like playing next to someone on the couch.
Now, if fighters aren't your thing I don't think this is a buy for you. But, if you enjoy a great fighter with great online support and one of the best stories for a fighter, or even you just like to lady Trophies/Achievements (you know who you are), then this is a game for you.
Gameplay: 9./10
Presentation: 9.5/10
Online: 10/10
Replayability: 8.5/10
Overall: 92.5%
http://www.blazblue.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blazblue
From purchasing the Limited Edition (Purchased on the Sony Playstation 3 Computer Entertainment System) I knew this was going to be a wild ride. Provided in the LE is the two disc original soundtrack of 42 tracks composed by the great Daisuke Ishiwatari of the Guilty Gear franchise. It also comes with an extra Blu-Ray disc containing tutorials, strategies and much more. Unlike most releases BlazBlue has gotten a different release cycle. First it came out
on June 30th as the Limited Edition on both Xbox 360 and the Sony Playstation 3 meanwhile, the Standard Edition will be released July 28th. For the same price as the SE the LE of BlazBlue already looks to be a great purchase. While it may be a Limited Edition, the packaging doesn't necessarily stick out as a collectors item.
While the extra stuff is nice and all, what about the game itself? Well, let's just say that BlazBlue is an overall great game, just with a few slip ups. Let's begin with the presentation of the game. This is one of the most well thought out fighters in the past decade. From the characters to the story to the animations. Everything seems crisp and clean except for a minor set back. From the moment that the game starts up you are presented with a Full Animated Opening with theme by Kotoko.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnhKjp1HRpI
This is the most animation that you will see when it comes to video or cutscene. The story, while thought out and very compelling, is told through static pictures and archaic text boxes, which you'll have to read through all of them if you choose to select Japanese Voices over the English in the options like I have. While the artwork of the characters and settings are wonderfully drawn it just feels like you aren't playing a fighter at all but an interactive manga/drama of sorts, which could work for BlazBlue, since the story of the game is very intriguing. Though this is all just a rant on just one part of the overall presentation of BlazBlue, it's about time we've moved on to something more of what you are looking for in this review.
The in game action of BlazBlue is what you would expect from the creators of Guilty Gear. And it doesn't disappoint. With a higher resolution than previous fighters that Arc has made, they have made the best looking 2D fighter out there. The animations are clean, the colors are extrodinary, and the settings are beautiful. And above all the great visuals and sounds the controls of the game feel natural. Aside from all the good that BlazBlue has already shown it already feels a bit off with only twelve playable characters. Though downloadable characters may be in the future seeing as the game auto detects for downloadable content from start up. While 12 characters is a low number for a fighter all the characters bring their own flavor to the game. Not one character is the same. Albeit most of them are just classic Guilty Gear characters with different names and faces (same colors though). And while the game is easy to pick up for most players, it is hard to get advanced in it, though that's what the extra disc of videos is for.
Now this brings us to the multiplayer. From the online experience that I have had with the game so far it has been nothing but positive. Supporting up to 6 player lobbies with the ability to spectate matches and even an option to save replays from matches that either you have spectated participated in is a great option. In addition, when you find a match it tells you the opponents skill level, favorite character, and other information before the match even begins. All of this adds up to some of the best online support for a fighter that I have seen in awhile. Though there is one thing that I wish it did have which is the Fight Request Ability like the one from Street Fighter IV where you can play arcade mode and get matched up to someone who is looking for a match. The network coding done in the game is also very nice. Only when the match is synchronizing does it lag and after a few seconds it's like playing next to someone on the couch.
Now, if fighters aren't your thing I don't think this is a buy for you. But, if you enjoy a great fighter with great online support and one of the best stories for a fighter, or even you just like to lady Trophies/Achievements (you know who you are), then this is a game for you.
Gameplay: 9./10
Presentation: 9.5/10
Online: 10/10
Replayability: 8.5/10
Overall: 92.5%
http://www.blazblue.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blazblue