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I've only scratched the surface of some basic gameplay features, but suffice it to say, the combat system is so extensive, it's unlikely that you'll become a badass overnight, unless you're already familiar with Guilty Gear's style of play. Following the trend of catering to mainstream players that lack the technical expertise, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger includes an "easy special" option, à la Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO, where players can map specific commands to a button or directional input. This is bound to create a few headaches I am sure, especially when SF IV players are disturbed by the fact "simple" Dragon Punch and Spinning Pile Driver motions exist.
Fortunately, not every aspect will work in favor of the amateurs. In an effort to discourage mash-happy players, throws have been altered so that you get punished with recovery for whiffing throws - nor can you accidentally execute a throw since the input is so unique to throwing. The same also goes for command throws. Players can also tech moves (your cue will appear in the form of an exclamation point), but unlike Third Strike, which is much more generous with escaping throws, you must input the commands accurately or else a "pause" icon will appear on the screen as an indicator that you failed to tech at the right time. Epic fail = more punishment for you.
With all these tools at your disposal, one has to wonder how many will actually be regularly used in competitive play. Take the Astral Heat for example, a powerful feature that's more or less the BlazBlue equivalent of a "finishing move". Good luck if you're able to successfully pull these off in a match, especially with such strict conditions: get the opponent under 20% health, you must have a full Tension bar, and it needs to be the last round. Say what? I had an extremely difficult time pulling these off and can't imagine these coming up often in casual or high-level tournament play.
But I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert in Guilty Gear, so I can only imagine how long it would take an actual newcomer. It goes without saying that you should spend a lot of time in training mode or practicing with a friend before you step into the ring with more experienced competition. Many gamers will undoubtedly be spending a lot of time online, and to make the multiplayer experience complete, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger features a robust suite of options. Yes, that includes a lobby mode, supporting six players (two active players, four spectators). It almost sounds too good to be true. Needless to say, this is a huge achievement that will certainly get a ton of props. The host will also be offered options to adjust player rotations (useful for high-capacity rooms), connection quality, skill level, voice chat, unlimited characters, Astral Heat, or toenable/disable "easy specials".
Many of us come to expect games to run at a snail's pace when it comes to playing online. BlazBlue surprisingly runs well despite the fact it isn't supported by innovative networking tools like GGPO. Don't read too far into that, expecting every match will be flawless (let's face it, they rarely are), but the probability is much lower than what you'll find in SSF2T: HD Remix or SF IV. Matchmaking is a lot more user-friendly, featuring a wide range of information including personalized lobby names, number of players, spectator slots, time limits, etc. Many competitors will undoubtedly fare better than others and you might want to analyze their tactics for further study. BlazBlue has got you covered in that department. That's right -- local replay support is in full effect for ranked as well as player matches. The best part is, you don't need to fulfill any special conditions like SFIV's CE Mode that requires being amongst the top 5,000 players or exceeding your previous tournament "high score". Sweet.
During those rare occasions you might just want to enjoy some single-player action, BlazBlue features three distinct game modes: Story, Arcade and Score Attack. The Story Mode allows you to go deeper into the narrative, which seems just as convoluted as the Guilty Gear storyline. The only exception is players are given the option at certain points in the adventure to choose the character's path that will determine whether you experience their true ending.
I'd be remiss if I didn't give some mention to the story, set in the 13th Hierachial City, a mystical world where mankind has been infused with a powerful magic known as Armagus. A civil war erupted between those who possessed the ability to wield the magic and those that could not, and -- wait! Where's the instant kickass button? There was a time when I would stand and applaud a company for going to such great lengths to craft such an extensive narrative, but those days are long gone. Now I prefer to just keep things simple. If you're looking for instant thrills, spend time in the Arcade Mode. If that's not enough, the Score Attack mode challenges players to obtain the highest score as they advance throughout the campaign. Personally, I would have loved to see a survival mode thrown in the mix, since I gave up being a high-score junkie some time ago.
Arc System Works has delivered a solid new addition that should equally resonate with fans and the rest of the fighting game community. Some of you might feel a bit conflicted by the reality that there's so many exceptional fighters to indulge within the same time frame, but would you have it any other way? The wheel of fun is turning. Bring them on I say.
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