Written by Alexander O. Cuaycong and Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Guilty Gear ~Strive~
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Arc System Works
Genre: Fighting
Price: $59.99
Guilty Gear is a series that has run for more than two decades, first seeing the light of day on the original Sony PlayStation way back in 1998. Back then, Guilty Gear was not the beloved series it is now; it was a nobody, and as a newcomer to the fighting game genre, it had to compete against much more popular, already established video games series like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. Nevertheless, even with the odds stacked against it, Arc System Works managed to create something special with its unique spin on an anime fighter, wowing its players with its stylish combos, outstanding sprites, and fast-paced gameplay.
Now, 23 years after its initial release, the Guilty Gear series seeks to channel the same energy with Guilty Gear ~Strive~. Released on Steam, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and the arcades, it brings to the table a marked focus on fast-paced combat, flashy graphics and solid gameplay mechanics, promising an exciting, competitive experience that few other games can compete with.
The premise in Guilty Gear ~Strive~ is simple. Fight your way to the top and conquer the opposition using both style and skill. Enjoy its deep, intricate combat system, and challenge others in multiplayer mode, or lose yourself in its extensive single player storyline. Learn the combos of your favorite characters, fall in love with their gorgeous animations, and bring down your opponent’s life bar through combos, feints and hits. It’s a prime example of an outstanding two-dimensional fighting game, with Arc System Works pulling out all the stops to make sure all the bells and whistles you’d expect from the series are present.
True to the identity of the Guilty Gear series, Guilty Gear ~Strive~ retains the flashy, entertaining combos. These will be your bread and butter when dealing with your opponents, although, for longtime followers of the genre, these combos appear to be much more accessible and easier to perform, allowing for a seamless string of fancy hits and juggles. Previously, hits came with leniency, but only some could be chained, with the moves typically being slower to perform. As they were much more telegraphed, the development balances out the consistent damage output you could do. As a result, the latest iteration, gets a very nice change of pace, relying on pokes and tactics to land hits that can eventually transition to a solid combo.
Guilty Gear ~Strive~’s new system may take some getting used to, especially if you’re used to the pace of the older games, but the change lets both newcomers and veterans spar on a fairly even level, while still retaining much of the combat’s depth. Now, fancy combos are much easier to perform but much harder to land in general, relying on mind-gaming, feints, and reading your opponent’s moves and thought process. It’s surprisingly addictive when you’re facing a human player because of it, and it gives the game its solid combat flow that anyone can appreciate. With 15 fighters to play with, and all unique and different in their moves, personality, and design, it’s hard not to appreciate what Guilty Gear ~Strive~ does when it can hold your attention so well.
Guilty Gear ~Strive~ isn’t perfect, however. Notably, its single-player offering lacks the mechanical depth of player-versus-player combat. True, the Artificial Intelligence is pretty solid on its own accord, but fighting a computer won’t give you as much satisfaction as fighting a player does. While the game features some handy single player content in the form of missions and a story mode, it pales in comparison to its online multiplayer component. Its single player mode feels more like mere training ground to get used to its new mechanics.
This is the key defining factor that sets Guilty Gear ~Strive~ apart from other fighting games. It’s not just an accessible title; it’s one that excels at its primary job of bringing in some good old fashioned 2D fighting. Even for those dabbling in other titles like, say, Soul Calibur, and for those partial to the moves of such notables as Ryougi Shiki and Akiha Tohno, Guilty Gear ~Strive~ manages to captivate due to its fluid online service. Melty Blood may be fun to play with people located in the same room, but Guilty Gear ~Strive~ is fun to play with everyone, allowing you to connect with players in other countries without a trace of lag or delay.
THE GOOD
- Great artstyle and designs all around
- Fast and fluid combat, paired with a strong emphasis on online competition
- Accessible and easy to learn, while still giving enough room for experimentation and mastery
THE BAD
- Relatively low number of characters to choose from
- Single Player mode is nowhere near as strong as its online mode
- Series veterans may feel put off to the slight change in pacing that Guilty Gear ~Strive~ takes on
RATING: 9.5/10
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