PlayStation Magazine UK - 12.2019

PREVIEW

GUILTY GEAR

Let those without sin cast the first combo

Currently just a working title, the

nice, clean original name of the latest

Guilty Gear game is revealing. In some

ways, it’s going back to basics, but it

also signifies a fresh start. Despite the success

of Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, directors Daisuke

Ishiwatari (the series’ creator) and Akira Katano

are keen to make it clear this is not part of the

Xrd series. This is a brand-new Guilty Gear.

That said, the fighter’s signature devotion to style is

very much present, even in the small glimpses of the

game we’ve had. It’s scored to hype rock music, and

the 3D visuals look just like anime, as you’d expect.

Close-ups reveal an extra level of detail, especially in

the facial animations – during their special moves,

lead characters Ky Kiske and Sol Badguy emote like

we’ve never seen before.

GEAR SHIFT

Most of your favourite fighters are returning, with

many of the classic moves you’ll recognise. But

mechanically the devs are trying to step back and

look at the series with a fresh pair of eyes. Recent

iterations in the series have had some excellent

modes for beginners (as did Dragon Ball FighterZ

from the same team), but accessibility

is really coming under the microscope

for this release. The directors aim for

the game to be as mechanically deep

as its predecessors (Arc System Works’

hardcore fighters are some of the most

complex around), but the positive

response to the likes of FighterZ has

made introducing a broader audience

to Guilty Gear a must.

Which doesn’t mean veterans

should worry. The hallmarks of the

series are all here, cancels and dusts

alike. While there may be more focus

on decisions in match-ups versus

executing dauntingly lengthy combos,

there’s still going to be a lot of breadth

in how that plays out. New elements,

such as stage transitions, will come to

the series too. So far we’ve seen Ky,

Sol, and May in action with Axl also

joining the fray – and a mysterious

dreadlocked robo-samurai. There’s

still much to learn about this one,

but when it comes to stylish fighters,

always bet Guilty Gear.

FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2020 / PUB ARC SYSTEM WORKS / DEV ARC SYSTEM WORKS

Above Heavy hits can lead

to stage transitions, a series

first. The game moves

between the stages as

slickly as you’d expect.

This new take still looks

like anime in motion –

with more detail than

we’ve seen before.

“CLOSE-UPS REVEAL AN

EXTRA LEVEL OF DETAIL,

ESPECIALLY IN THE

FACIAL ANIMATIONS.”