Official PlayStation Magazine - 04.2020

069

GUILTY GEAR STRIVE

COMEBACKGRAPPLER/TYPEPOWER/EASEOFUSE3.5/5/RANGESPECIALITYSHORT

O

neofthefloatingislandcountryZepp’seliteguards,Potemkininvestigatesthreats

acrosstheworldonitsbehalf.Despitehishulkingframe,he’sactuallya patient

soulwhodislikesfightingexceptforwhenit’sabsolutelynecessary.Unfortunatelyfor

him,hisimmenselydestructivepowersareoftenrequiredin thelineofduty.

Potemkinis soheavyhe’slackingin speed,butis abletodestroyanything

thatgetstooclose.Manyofhiscombos,suchasthePotemkinBuster,endin

grabsthatcrushfoes,andhisGiganterKaiis anenergyattackthatcanstun

foessotheycan’tescapehisslow-movingonslaughtofmetalpain.

special attacks

Potemkin Buster 632146 + P near opponent

Heat Knuckle 623 + HS

Mega Fist (Forward) 236 + P

Mega Fist (Backward) 214 + P

Slide Head 236 + S

Hammer Fall 4 (hold) 6 + HS

Hammer Fall Break P during Hammer Fall

F.D.B. 63214 + S (hold okay)

Special Attack (Guard Crush) 214 + HS

Overdrives

Heavenly Potemkin Buster – 236236 + S

Giganter Kai – 632146 + HS (air okay)

P – PUNCH K – KICK S – SLASH HS – HARD SLASH

POTEMKIN – MOVING FORTRESS

combo in and just endlessly trapping
someone in the corner. In previous
editions of Guilty Gear, there were
times when the player on defence had
no options. One of the goals for the
new title is to break those kinds of
deadlocks faster while preserving the
concepts of superior execution and
challenging gameplay.”
The stage transitions
are part of the way
Strive is evolving
Guilty Gear visually
too. Knock your
opponent back
and the camera
zooms in,
spins around,
and follows
the action.
The series has gone
from having some
of the best pixel art
around on PS1 and PS2 to 3D anime-
in-motion style in Xrd. “[In Xrd] the
focus was to recreate the feeling
and visual impact of Japanese
anime,” says Ishiwatari. “For Guilty
Gear Strive, we’ve implemented
new camera movements not
present in the previous version.
We’ve also added visual weight
to all the characters so they

appear more substantial on the screen

and expanded the backgrounds to

allow the camera more freedom of

movement.” There’s more of a sense

of impact than the sometimes floaty

last game had (though many of the

characters still dash around at high

speed). Pull off a good counter and the

camera will zoom in to highlight the

clash, while a special move will see it

come close to a character, showing off

all the detail in their faces.

The rockin’ song that introduced the

new game was Smell Of The Game

(hear it for yourself at bit.ly/opm-

strive). Heavy guitar sounds have

always gone hand-in-hand with the

series. It’s just a part of its nature.

That energy is now carrying through

everything. “What we were aiming for

by creating this song was to describe

the wild atmosphere of the series,”

says Ishiwatari, “[the] excitement of a

beginning of a new world, and [to] set

our mind not to lose the essential

qualities of the game.” We look

forward to seeing what the new Guilty

Gear brings, and we’re sure other

fighting games should be taking note.

That’s nothing to feel guilty about.

DEADLY DISTANT STRIKES / TYPE TRICKY / EASE OF USE 3.5/5 / RANGE SPECIALITY LONG

AXL LOW – LONG-RANGE DUELLIST

D

espite wielding a kusarigama – a classic Japanese weapon – Axl is

actually a British punk... and comes from 1998. Somehow transported to

the 22nd century, this quick-witted former gang leader must fight for a way

toreturnhomeandbereunitedwithhisbelovedMegumi.

special attacks

Sickle Flash 4 (hold) 6 + S

Arcing Chain Strike 8 during Sickle Flash

Spinning Chain Strike 2 during Sickle Flash

(hold okay)

Special Attack (Explosion) S during Sickle Flash

Spindle Spinner 41236 + HS

Special Attack (Diversion) 214 + HS (air okay)

Special Attack (Evasion) 214 + S

Axl Bomber 623 + HS in mid-air

Overdrives

Sickle Storm 236236 + HS

P – PUNCH K – KICK S – SLASH HS – HARD SLASH

Most of his moves revolve around using the chains of his double-sickle-

ended kusarigama to grab opponents from a distance. His Sickle Flash can

reach across most of the screen to strike, and from there you can end the

move in different ways to mix it up. The Spindle Spinner chains enemies up

completely, and can be hit mid-air with a fiery Axl Bomber explosion.