Guilty
Gear -STRIVE-
PREVIEW:
At EVO 2019,
legendary series designer and composer Daisuke Ishiwatari announced a brand new
installment of Guilty Gear is on its way in 2020. In November
'19, the official title for the project was announced. Guilty Gear -STRIVE- is
described by Ishiwatari as neither an evolution nor a return
to roots... but a "brand new experience" for fans of Guilty Gear and a
"full-frontal confrontation with the essence of the Fighting Game
genre".
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Guilty Gear -STRIVE- Beta version character select screen (April 2020).
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In 2020, Arc System Works and Bandai Namco formed a partnership, with Guilty Gear -STRIVE- being the first ASW fighting game to be published by Bandai Namco. Here's a few words from Director Daisuke Ishiwatari on the partnership: "We are pleased to announce that Bandai Namco Entertainment will be distributing the latest title in the Guilty Gear
series, Guilty Gear -Strive-. I'm surprised the chit-chat I have exchanged with Harada-san a few years ago has come to fruition. I hope our partnership will bring new joy to more users in Europe and Asia. We are working hard with Bandai Namco Entertainment to get people in Europe & Asia to play Guilty Gear more than ever before. Please look
forward to it!"
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All
returning characters have vibrant new redesigns & reworked movesets!
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Guilty Gear -STRIVE- will retain the same traditional button layout
from past installments (Punch, Kick, Slash, Heavy Slash, and Dust), but new inputs will be used for Throws and Dashing. The Roman Cancel system will
also be different and "simplified". However,
some old style of inputs for certain techniques will still work as
they did in previous installments. -STRIVE- also features a new
"Stage Transition" feature, where a player can break their opponent
through an invisible wall into a new area.
The cleverly-hidden "IV" within Guilty Gear STRIVE's logo implies Arc System Works considers this game to be the
fourth X series installment (after X, XX, and Xrd) and/or fourth main series game
(after 1, 2, and
3). A PS4 closed beta took place in April 2020. The current release window for Guilty Gear -STRIVE- is "Late 2020".
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Chipp's ninja otter is pretty awesome.
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Guilty Gear STRIVE Offline Modes / Details:
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Arcade Mode - Core mode of the game, where players fight against CPU-controlled characters. Depending on player skill, opponents will change, and in some cases a third character might jump into the fray to help turn the tide of battle. And at the end of the line the boss
character awaits. And as the fully voiced dialog* changes depending on which story route is chosen, players can experience a number of different scenarios.
■ Versus Mode - Mode where players can fight against each other either locally or online or test their skills against CPU-controlled opponents. Players can also choose the skill
level of computer-controlled characters. Graphs with analytics will be displayed on the result screen to help players understand their strengths and weaknesses after each battle.
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Tutorial Mode - This is where those new to the series can learn the fundamental mechanics found in the game while enjoying the friendly banter between Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske, the two main characters of Guilty Gear -Strive-. In a change from previous games, instead of completing
individual trials, players can get appropriate advice from the characters on the screen depending on the skill level of each player.
■ Mission Mode - This is the mode for players who want to dive in deeper into the game systems and combos found in Guilty Gear -Strive-. By completing the challenges found in Mission
Mode, players can develop skills that can be taken into battles against offline and online foes. As players earn points, the game will suggest what they should try next, such as practicing against CPU-controlled characters or facing off against other players.
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Training Mode - The mode where players can practice moves without worrying about time or HP constraints. There are a number of features available to help players improve such as command lists complete with example videos and descriptions for newcomers, and recording and automatic
counterattack settings for advanced players. In addition, there is the new “combo recipe” function that allows players to save and share custom combos.
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Survival Mode - Mode where players will face never-ending waves of CPU-controlled opponents until their character runs out of HP. Managing health is the key to excelling in this mode as HP is only sparingly replenished and CPU enemies will increase in difficulty. By keeping a
winning streak alive, players can reach the highest levels of the online leaderboard.
(More information about other modes, including Story Mode and Gallery Mode, will be available shortly for the Guilty Gear -Strive-, the latest entry in the groundbreaking fighting game series scheduled to release April 9, 2021 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, and Steam®.)
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| Page
Updated: |
January 14th, 2021
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| Developer(s): |
Arc System Works,
Team Red |
| Publisher(s): |
Bandai Namco |
| Designer(s): |
Daisuke
Ishiwatari Lead
Director
Takeshi Yamanaka Producer
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| Artwork
By: |
Daisuke
Ishiwatari
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| Platform(s): |
Arcade, PS4, PS5, PC (Steam)
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| Release Date(s): |
April 6th, 2021 Ultimate / Deluxe Editions
April 9th, 2021 Standard Edition
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| Characters: |
Sol-Badguy, Ky Kiske, May, Axl
Low, Chipp Zanuff, Potemkin,
Faust,
Millia Rage,
Zato-1,
Ramlethal Valentine,
Leo Whitefang,
Nagoriyuki,
Giovanna,
Anji Mito |
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| Featured
Video: |
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| Related Games: |
GGXrd REV 2, GGXrd -REVELATOR-, Guilty
Gear Xrd -SIGN-, Guilty
Gear, Guilty Gear X, Guilty
Gear X Advance, Guilty Gear XX, Guilty
Gear X2 #Reload,
Guilty Gear XX Slash,
Guilty Gear Isuka, Guilty
Gear Judgment, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, Guilty
Gear XX Accent Core Plus R, BlazBlue: Central Fiction,
SFV: Champion Edition, Dragon Ball FighterZ, BlazBlue
Cross Tag Battle,
Samurai Shodown (2019),
UNIST-CLR,
Granblue Fantasy Versus |
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Gameplay Engine
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Story / Theme
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Overall Graphics
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Animation
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Music / Sound Effects
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Innovation
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Art Direction
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Customization
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Options / Extras
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Intro / Presentation
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Replayability / Fun
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"Ouch" Factor
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Characters
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BOTTOM LINE
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| First
Impression: |
Visually, Guilty Gear -STRIVE- is another groundbreakingly beautiful 2.5D title from Arc System Works... no
surprises there. ASW fighting games are so pretty, that with every new 2D fighter announced
by another developer,
there are approximately 5 to 200 comments along the lines of: "Why can't
ArcSys make (*insert game title here*) in their graphics engine instead?"  There's no denying Arc System Works continues to revolutionize the idea of a "2D fighting
game" with advancements to their incredible 2.5D graphics style... and STRIVE is pulling no punches in the visuals department. It's already one of the best-looking fighting games ever made!
BETA IMPRESSIONS: First of all, thanks to Arc System Works for inviting me to the first beta! Gameplay-wise, GGStrive is an intriguing step backwards in terms of complexity and speed. As a lover of traditional 2D fighters, I invite the slower pace (and simplified mechanics, in Guilty Gear's case) with open arms. I feel like I can
actually "play" this game competitively... unlike some of the "hyper-air-dash, corner-trap death juggle" installments of the past. I enjoyed GGStrive's wall break system aesthetically and mechanically (reminds me of TEKKEN 7's), but I think being
able to continue a combo after a wall break would make the system more fun.
So far, I love GGST's redesigned characters and vastly updated movesets. I quickly fell in love with Chipp Zanuff's speedy play-style and badass new ninja tech. I can see GGStrive is going to be a fun game when it's finished... but Guilty Gear seems to be looking for a new "identity" with this installment.
With the less emphasis on air juggles and toned down mechanics, pro-level GG players may feel that GGStrive doesn't "feel like" Guilty Gear. In this case, I think simplifying the classic formula slightly is inviting for
returning players, new and old. The air-combos do seem a bit too short for comfort, so I hope they add to that system in particular.
It's pretty cool that STRIVE seems like a reboot, with the roster from the first game intact. Even so, the drastic redesigns of the original cast makes STRIVE look and feel like a brand new game (with a superb art direction)... as opposed to Xrd's "upgraded / fleshed out" GGXX roster. If ASW can find their groove with GGST's gameplay,
this game could be one of the headliners of the genre in 2021 / 2022.
~TFG Webmaster |
@FIGHTERS_GEN
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