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NCG Review – Guilty Gear -Strive- (PS4, PS5, and PC)

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Title: Guilty Gear™ -Strive-
Release: June 11, 2021 (Deluxe and Ultimate Editions on June 8, 2021)*
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Arc System Works
Genre: Fighting
Platforms: PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Steam® (PC)

Discover the Smell of the Game

Guilty Gear is a series known for its in depth combo system, unique heavy metal themed characters, and all around fast-pace game play. Two years after the last installment, Guilty Gear -Strive– was announced to the world and is introducing a slower-paced game play for new players to join the battle. Arc System Works showed off a trailer that stunned the Fighting Game Community back in Summer 2019 teasing the new addition to the series and fans were excited to get their hands on a new Guilty Gear title as the last game was fading out. Now, after two years, two open betas and a few delays –Strive– is finally here!

Presentation/ Visuals

Arc System Works is GODLIKE when it comes to pulling off unique visuals, simple menus, and an all around amazing presentation in the fighting game genre. Arc System work does not disappoint with Guilty Gear -Strive-. It’s simple and easy to navigate menus and lobbies in the immersive menus.

The graphics during game play are also stunning. In Battle, although there is so much going on with the character animation and battleground, it does not feel chaotic while playing a match. Despite the particle effects as well as the moving camera angles, the game looks amazing. In addition, the story mode looks like you are watching an anime with smooth frames and animation. All in all, the visuals are stunning from beginning to “EDGE”!

Story

The story of Guilty Gear -Strive- is just as incredible as the previous titles. Join Sol Badguy and the 15 unique characters to finish the story that was 20 years in the making with stunning graphics and English dubbed cut scenes. Or, in Japanese with subs if that’s more your style.

A few new characters are introduced and we have a final confrontation with The Man, the mastermind responsible for the destruction of the world. From start to finish, players will find themselves jumping into over 4 hours of straight cut scenes with no game play, and will instead be presented with a deep and unique story that will have players wanting more. The story is the usual Guilty Gear anime style plot line and doesn’t fall flat, the game also explains the plot and characters in the main menu under the GG World section, so if new players need to know what is going on . I really enjoyed the unique personalities of each character as the story progressed, and the dubbing was actually not that bad. Players will definitely enjoy the story and the -Strive-.

Audio

The OST is very different this time around. Instead of amazing metal instrumentals iconic to the Guilty Gear series, they’ve added vocal tracks to each characters theme. The tracks are not bad but they are very distracting when playing each match. I feel it lacks the creative “oomph” of previous OSTs, detracts from overall feel of the game, and deters from the heavy metal foundation Guilty Gear is known for. To an extent it does match the current title, but it’s not something I want to keep playing in the background or rock out to on car rides. The plus side? You have the ability to unlock tracks from past titles.

The audio of the story line, however, works well for the game. Both English and Japanese options are available and the dub fits each character and the overall feel of the game.

Gameplay

Ok, now to read about what really matters for the game: the mechanics and how good it feels. First, the game play is a lot slower than any Guilty Gear title that has come before it. This is both good and bad depending on how the development goes through the lifespan of the game.

Game play has taken a step backwards in order for the game to be more accessible to new players. Removing air combos and long combos altogether, the game wants players to learn how to do player match ups and to learn all of the simple mechanics to progress and get better at the game. One of the main mechanics of the game that will take new players to get use to is the Roman cancels, There are four types of Roman cancels: all are set for defensive, offensive, and recovery. The best way to learn these would be to do the mission modes where the game shows you how to do each one and when it will work best. The Roman Cancel is one of the main ways to make combos and, with the slower game play, make the player strategize how and when to use them to make combos work or to get out of sticky situations.

The next difference from other Guilty Gear titles is that the air dashes, that made older games so fast paced, does not exist in this game. The mechanic has changed to focus on neutral (players being in the state of no attack) game play. This makes the game feel more like Street Fighter but with a small twist. The game play is addicting and fun but it is missing the fast pace dodging and blocking that made Guilty Gear stand out compared to other titles.

What I can say is that the game is unique and I feel like the Fighting Game Community will make this game become more unique, as the developer intended. Both new and old players of the series will enjoy the accessibility of the game play.

Verdict

-Strive- is not what I expected, and after beta testing to where the game is at now, I can say I can accept the game of Guilty Gear -Strive- for what it is and I can see both fighting game players and causal players enjoy where the series is at. I give Guilty Gear -Strive- a 9 out of 10. The game is fun, addicting, the presentation is amazing, and the soundtrack is what a fan would want.

Be sure to pick up the title for PS4,PS5 or PC.

Review copy was provided from Arc System Work, and was written by two NCG Staff Members

Gaming News

NCG – Review – Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] (PS4, PSVita, Steam)

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Under_Night_3

Story

Being an updated version, the game introduces 4 new characters as well as a new story mode in which players can unfold the story of the world in a Visual Novel gameplay style. When I say Visual Novel, I mean Visual Novel! There is no gameplay in this mode, but that does not mean the story is horrible. Players of the anime community will really enjoy the twists and turns in the story.Under_Night_6

Visuals

The visuals are somewhat the same from the original, and that is not a problem at all of because the game has its own distinct look and manages to keep everything pretty simple. With a 2D drawn art style that still draws me in when turning this title on, I can say a lot of gamers will like how it looks. It reminds me of Anime mixed with a dark theme such as Darkstalkers.UNIST_25

During fights the visuals of each special attack work well and look great. The menu has more of an arcade look and is simple enough where new players can navigate with ease. Even the story mode looks awesome with the visual novel art style.

Audio

The soundtrack to UNIST brings back some of the previous titles tracks as well as a few new tracks, and the new tracks still holds up to the magnificent scores for combat and story telling.UNIST_EU_Announcement_2

Gameplay

I always felt Under Night never had any spotlight in North America, and is very under rated, but with the new update I hope that changes as this title is a must have for fighting game enthusiast. The core gameplay is the same as most anime fighters, without the air dash. So, it’s sort of like The King of Fighters meets Anime! Combos are limited to one button press for standing and crouching per button, and in the air so players need to strategize what they will do in each combo. It also has an  auto combo for players that bash buttons, but this limits button mashing to execute really short combos the game wants you to learn passing and how to get in without button mashing, and this is perfect for new players wanting to join the fighting game community.UNIST_EU_Announcement_5

As I mentioned, this is a great game for new players because there is a new tutorial mode where everything is explained for fighting games in general. From executing and getting in, to how to finish combos and set up for another; this is a way to learn UNIST as wells as any other fighting essentials.UNIST_EU_Announcement_6

Of course, there is also online Ranked and Unranked play, which hold itself together pretty well but not to a perfect degree. The netcode isn’t perfect, as some matches lag even with two solid connections, but for the most part it is playable more than half of the time. And as for Ranked matches, the lobby’s will be full of veterans of the title, so I would recommend new players to not approach Ranked until you are ready to take on the best.

As mentioned, UNIST has 4 new cast members, Phonon with her whip, Mika a child with gigantic robotic hands, Wagner holding her sword and shield, and Enkidu who is pure martial arts. None of these characters feel like a rehash of previous characters or each other, and new players will be happy to see each have a different play style.

Verdict

With Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] coming out after one of the biggest fighting games this year a lot of players might miss this title. With an awesome Story mode for single player, fantastic visuals, and many more new additions, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] is a must have in my opinion. Although it lacks in online play at the moment, this is a great title for any one who is a fighting game fan our even a competitive fighting game player. I rate Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] an 8 out of 10.Score

Gaming News

NCG Reviews: BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle ( PS4, Switch, PC)

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Arc System Works is known for making some top-notch fighting games such as Guilty Gear, BlazBlue,  Person 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] , and Dragon Ball FighterZ, the company is ready to introduce a new title. Although the game has BlazBlue in the title, it is not exactly a new addition to the BlazBlue Franchise. Rather, it places characters from BlazBlue,  Person 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth and RWBY in a tag team battle frenzy. blazblue-cross-tag-battle-screenshot-5

 

Visuals

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle brings back assets from all of the older titles,such as the sprite animation, backgrounds, and music. The game also brings in characters of RWBY into the same art style which, I have to say, looks fantastic. But not everything takes from the old titles.

The menu is now an overworld hub where players move their avatars around the “arena” of the game in third person view. This is somewhat similar to Dragon Ball FighterZ, but with its own distinct visuals.BLAZBLUE CROSS TAG BATTLE_20180605221208.png

Audio

All of Arc System Works games always have a great sound tracks, and BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle reuses tracks from each franchise except for the new tracks that were made specifically for the RWBY characters. The soundtrack is enjoyable, but I did want to hear new arrangement of older tracks for  this title, which I feel like this title lacks. Sure, there are a few menu tracks and video tracks that are new, but that is all you get.

Gameplay

If you came to this game expecting each character to play like the franchise they came from, you are in for a surprise. The core gameplay of BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle revolves around using and switching characters as the main mechanic. This is a different approach for a fighting game and most players will not see what the developers were going for if they don’t jump into the Tactical mode, which does a fantastic job breaking everything down. Don’t let this give you doubt though.2610-4

Combos are still in the game but now have a different purpose. Instead of a long one character combo with an assist to reset combos like other tag titles, the combos are more of a universal set for all characters like Dragon Ball FighterZ, and are more of a set up for your next character to jump in while assisting. This will give the player the option to switch while their second character is attacking, or keep both characters for a short period of time, or even just use the other character to do a reversal counter to swap the other character out with very little punishment. And its gets more complex than just that.

Players will notice 3 different meters on the bottom of the screen. There is the: Skill gauge, which lets you do Extra Sills/EXs and Distortion Skills/specials; Cross gauge, which is consumed when using cooperative actions, such as Active Partner Skills, and Cross Combos; and Resonance Blaze meter, which is leveled up upon how much you use both characters. This can be activated when one character is left standing on your team, and recovers red health, increases chip damage, fills the Skill gauge, and allows you to cancel skills to a distortion skill during a combo. After you get to know all of this you might be ready for the story mode or even the online.E2

The story mode is broken down into chapters that are represented by each franchise with a visual novel form like usual. Players will find the story enjoyable….until you get to the other franchise stories. Players will fall out of the story not caring much to know what happens because when entering another franchises story for this game, it is soon realized that it’s just the same as the first story they finished. Online, on the other hand, feels great and on all the systems it feels perfect. I haven’t felt any lag as of yet on the Nintendo Switch version as well as the Playstation 4 version. You’ll also be pleasantly surprised playing the lack of lag when wi-fi on the Switch.  This might be because of the lack of 3D aspects built into the game or maybe it just has some really good net code.

Port Conversion

I had the opportunity to try the PS4 version and the Switch version when doing this review, and I can say the Switch port does everything perfect.  You’ll find that on the Switch there is no frame loss and as I mentioned, no lag.  Of course, you are likely to find more players on the PlayStation version of the game. Players will find a lot of enjoyment on what ever console they play on, now all we need is some sort of “CROSS PLAY”. Don’t forget to get your DLC packs which will be free for the first two weeks.  The DLC pack will give you 4 extra characters.

Verdict

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle reuses a lot of assets from the older games it took characters from, maintaining the look and sound of an Arc System Works title. Even though the story lacks depth, the gameplay is addicting and brings a different approach to the fighting game genre. The amount of depth will have players finding out more unique ways to play for the titles life span.PREVIEW_SCREENSHOT4_164885

I can say I didn’t enjoy the game much when I went in blind; I thought it was a normal fighting game. But after taking the time to do the Tactical mode it brought the game to life and made me appreciate the title as a whole. I highly recommend going though the tutorial before jumping into competitive matches. That being said, I give BlazeBlue Cross Tag Battle a 7/10.

Score

 

 

Gaming News

Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2 “Game Balance Re-Finement Update” will launch on March 1 for PS4 and PS3

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Arc System Works has announced that they will release the previous teased “Game Balance Re-Finement Update” for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 versions of Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2 on March 1.

The company has also announced that the PC port will be released on a later date.

The patch will available for the following editions of the title:

  • Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2 owners – Version 1.07 patch
  • Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator for PlayStation 4 Upgrade DLC “Rev 2 Upgrade Pack” owners – Version 1.12 patch
  • Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator for PlayStation 3 Upgrade DLC “Rev 2 Upgrade Pack” owners – Version 1.11 patch

Here are the main changes of the title.

Main Changes

Mode Content
Combos and Missions In addition to balance changes, some problem content has been revised.
Training Fixed a bug that unnaturally listed the names for some skills when using the Combo Recipe display function.
Fishing (Overall) Fixed a bug that has occurred since the previous update where non-held items were sometimes not obtained even after catching more than 10 fish.
Online (Overall) Improved the delay value variation processing in network battles.

Main Changes (PlayStation 3 version-only)

Mode Content
Battles (Overall) Fixed a bug where Zato-1’s injury expression was not properly displayed.
Story Fixed a bug that has occurred since the previous update where the direction of Chapter 1 became unnatural.

 

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NCG Review – Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] (PS4, PS3, and PSVITA)

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Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st]

Platform: Playstation 4, Playstation 3, PSVita

Release date: February 9, 2018

Under_Night_3

Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] is the an updated version of the previous title that came out back in 2015. Although the title has a very long name that really needs to be abbreviated (UNIST can be the short way of saying it), it has just that much content loaded into the game this time around! Developed by Arc System Works, who is known for their top of the line fighting game titles such as, the Guilty Gear Series, BlazBlue, and the newly released Dragonball FighterZ, this title is what you would expect.

Story

Being an updated version, the game introduces 4 new characters as well as a new story mode in which players can unfold the story of the world in a Visual Novel gameplay style. When I say Visual Novel, I mean Visual Novel! There is no gameplay in this mode, but that does not mean the story is horrible. Players of the anime community will really enjoy the twists and turns in the story.Under_Night_6

Visuals

The visuals are somewhat the same from the original, and that is not a problem at all of because the game has its own distinct look and manages to keep everything pretty simple. With a 2D drawn art style that still draws me in when turning this title on, I can say a lot of gamers will like how it looks. It reminds me of Anime mixed with a dark theme such as Darkstalkers.UNIST_25

During fights the visuals of each special attack work well and look great. The menu has more of an arcade look and is simple enough where new players can navigate with ease. Even the story mode looks awesome with the visual novel art style.

Audio

The soundtrack to UNIST brings back some of the previous titles tracks as well as a few new tracks, and the new tracks still holds up to the magnificent scores for combat and story telling.UNIST_EU_Announcement_2

Gameplay

I always felt Under Night never had any spotlight in North America, and is very under rated, but with the new update I hope that changes as this title is a must have for fighting game enthusiast. The core gameplay is the same as most anime fighters, without the air dash. So, it’s sort of like The King of Fighters meets Anime! Combos are limited to one button press for standing and crouching per button, and in the air so players need to strategize what they will do in each combo. It also has an  auto combo for players that bash buttons, but this limits button mashing to execute really short combos -the game wants you to learn passing and how to get in without button mashing, and this is perfect for new players wanting to join the fighting game community.UNIST_EU_Announcement_5

As I mentioned, this is a great game for new players because there is a new tutorial mode where everything is explained for fighting games in general. From executing and getting in, to how to finish combos and set up for another; this is a way to learn UNIST as wells as any other fighting essentials.UNIST_EU_Announcement_6

Of course, there is also online Ranked and Unranked play, which hold itself together pretty well but not to a perfect degree. The netcode isn’t perfect, as some matches lag even with two solid connections, but for the most part it is playable more than half of the time. And as for Ranked matches, the lobby’s will be full of veterans of the title, so I would recommend new players to not approach Ranked until you are ready to take on the best.

As mentioned, UNIST has 4 new cast members, Phonon with her whip, Mika a child with gigantic robotic hands, Wagner holding her sword and shield, and Enkidu who is pure martial arts. None of these characters feel like a rehash of previous characters or each other, and new players will be happy to see each have a different play style.

Verdict

With Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] coming out after one of the biggest fighting games this year a lot of players might miss this title. With an awesome Story mode for single player, fantastic visuals, and many more new additions, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] is a must have in my opinion. Although it lacks in online play at the moment, this is a great title for any one who is a fighting game fan our even a competitive fighting game player. I rate Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] an 8 out of 10.Score