Guilty Gear -Strive- | PS4 Review

Guilty Gear returns in a big way with revamped mechanics, a robust behind-the-scenes backstory, a new story going forward, and new characters as well as an already established collection of known fighters. New to the series is a re-established offline gaming experience, and an indie inspired online lobby experience with a complete visual and functional overhaul. Upgraded, updated, and made to be played in an ease-of-access kind of way by all who give it a try this latest series offering is not one to wag your finger at. Despite it coming in three different bundles at day one with bonus content, and at increasingly higher prices it's the base game that you'll want to keep in mind as I give you the lowdown on it's features. The rest of the package deal is mainly for those looking to splurge on the usual DLC that comes with this particular franchise, but at a discounted price point.

Arc System works and it's staff of developers have, in this latest installment, tried to please two different fighting game player demographics. The seasoned veterans, and the newcomers. In that endeavor I think they may have succeeded. Through offline play alone they set the learning curve high, but manageably so. Within the offline DOJO menu you will effectively gain access to a basic introductory run-of-the-mill tutorial featuring key characters Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske. A brief intro to an otherwise more complex gaming experience. From these basic beginnings you'll find a fully fledged mission menu consisting of map focused areas that each house a star rated list of mechanics that grow increasingly more involved, and difficult to complete the further you go down. 

Each map area in the mission mode listing is named for a specific region of the given game's world, and has a set number of mechanics trials you must master to move forward in the mode. Every mission at hand gives you five chances at successfully performing the given task. Whether it be basic movement options, character specific attacks, roster wide mechanics, character specific match-up tips, or combos you must successfully repeat the required action correctly at least three out of the five given chances. Between each try is a brief pause followed by a player activated countdown timer which leads to the players' next attempt at the mechanics trial completion. As you complete the set missions per area you will earn profile experience points, and a ranked badge accordingly. Mostly to let others know how skilled, or under skilled you are supposing you can complete them all. As you continue to play Strive you can access any area in the mission mode at any time, and in any order. It is not mandatory for enjoying the other modes of play, and as the developer has said it's best done in stages when the player is ready to advance to the next step of gameplay comprehension.

Speaking of, "training" the game contains a training mode where you can setup the CPU, it's actions, the meters, and other parameters for a freely done training session without the usual online, or offline mode dead ends. Anything, and everything needed to hone your skills is included, and for the most part it is reserved for only the serious who really want to go pro. Outside of the DOJO, offline mode affords the players the usual Arcade playthrough experience. A series of random, but sequential battles against CPU opponents leading to a final boss fight. The Arcade mode this time around though is dynamic in build. It first pits you against a starter character at a top tier difficulty setting to test how good you are as a player. Win or lose the rest of the matches that follow will be given according to your skill level, and in some instances a tag team partner will enter the fight to fight alongside you against a character that is more difficult for you to deal with. Combos can be done in unison with this computer controlled partner. 

Newer to this collection of offline experiences is a mode that hasn't been seen in the modern GG series in years. That mode is "Survival". In survival you are pitted against a never ending series of enemy characters from the main roster. Match by match you earn a score by defeating the current match's CPU opponent. Depleted health carries over, but can be restored by not taking damage in following fights. As most of you might expect the matches do get increasingly more difficult. The edge only lightened every ten rounds when you can make a full health recovery if you manage to defeat the shadow version of a character. If and when you do defeat every 10th character you will be awarded profile XP, and prompted to choose to either continue on or save and quit. The latter choice enabling the ability to pick up where you left off.  Also with an element of versus CPU action is GGStrive's 'CPU VS' mode. A mode in which you can fight offline against CPU opponents of your choosing. The usual stage, and BGM selection applied. Lastly, in this realm of offline options, is the couch-cop focused 2-Player mode. Here two at home players can enjoy combat with set match parameters in the comfort of their own residence. 

Beyond offline the game also houses a collection, and glossary menu within the game's main "Story" menu. The glossary, or "GG Story" is the game's one stop shop for information on all things Guilty Gear. It is broken down into menus, and sub-sections that house everything from character backgrounds, to plot pieces, and terms found within the game. New to this informational hub though is a "Correlation" menu which is an interactive branch diagram where players can find out how characters, and events fit together over the entire given timeline of events within the Guilty Gear Lore. You can click on character portraits, and the gear inclusive lines that link them to find out about their relationships. That and how they collectively tie-in to the Guilty Gear universe. 

The collection which is also a bonus offline feature contains replays, a gallery, and fishing option. The replays are your matches saved from offline, and online play sessions. This replay save/playback feature, as usual, can be turned on or off in the settings menu. Within the gallery you'll find unlocked trailers, videos, BGMs, and art. All of which is obtained through either playing the game or fishing in the game's new fishing mode. Fishing itself is not a new thing, and actually returns from one of the previous modern Guilty Gear Xrd games. The different is it is accessed, and done much like the new lobby system. It is basically an expanded area of the lobby system where you can spend earned currency to literally fish for various in-game items. These items include avatar customization options, gallery content, and rare fish which up the chance at 10 collected to obtain rarer items. Any veteran Arc System Works fighting game fan will be familiar with this type of setup.

When it comes to personal profiles they too return, but in a more simplistic sort of way. At the main Profile menu under the R-CODE listing you can view each character's bounty status (the price for their capture which goes up the more you win), and your records/stats pertaining to using those characters. Additionally you can set a profile name, and add a custom comment for others to view when matchmaking online. The biggest difference to the R-CODE though comes from the new badge system. A players' profile contains slots for three badges. The badges are essentially feat trackers pertaining to things like time spent in-game, specific character rankings, and other things tied to competitive gameplay. 

The Roster ...

In comparison to some of the older Guilty Gear games Strive doesn't have as big a roster to begin with. That being said there is a diverse cast of characters with distinct fighting game gimmicks all their own. Someone to fit most everyone's fighting style preference. Fifteen characters in total to choose from. Each character is given a star ranking letting the player know which characters are best suited for beginner play, and which are more suited for advanced play. Staple characters return with a noticeable visual upgrade. Faust, and May being originals that saw the biggest physical change. Additionally new characters Giovanna, and Nagoriyuki make their debut. Nagoriyuki being what I consider a proper character of color. Meaning that he stands out in his race as something more than a simple racial add-in. He is a character anyone can get behind, and will likely be the main for a lot of players. Personally, I picked Giovanna though which seems to be of either Asian or Indian descent. 

One other thing to note in regards to the characters, besides their diverse backgrounds, is their intro dialogue. Most of it does not coincide with the opposing characters' quote. It's an odd disconnect that does not make the characters relatable to one another. Another thing worth mentioning is that there's a plan for future DLC characters. If you buy one of the more pricey bundles you can get that character DLC inclusive season pass at a bargain price. The season pass will include 5 additional characters. One coming in July, then next August, and the final three after Fall 2021. You'll also get two new stages, and some bonus character colors including a Sol/Ky palette swap as well as BGM additions. For those curious about overall support there are going to be free content inclusive updates including a combo creator, and a figure display among other things. Buyers of the Ultimate Edition will get a soundtrack, and art collection as well.

Moving On To The Story ...

Surprisingly the story mode in GGStrive gets a significant overhaul as well. This hands free take on the series' storytelling mode does not require the player versus CPU matches it once did. It is basically an animated film broken up only by loading screens, and shown segments. Even more surprisingly still is the fact that the anime style is less anime in nature, and more akin to a 3D CG animation that incorporates the new character, and background designs from the new game engine. It's decent to look at, and heightened by a strong soundtrack that is both symphonic, and atmospheric in nature. The spoken language is Japanese, but the game does have English subtitles to go along with it. 

Mechanics ...

The new gameplay system in GGStrive is not too dissimilar from the more recent releases. Returning are the three psych bursts including the blue, red, and gold bursts. Each with their own offensive, and defensive benefits at a cost or no cost to meter. Allowing for the breakaway from unrelenting combos, as well as the quicker building of meter. Also returning are the four roman cancels. These include the red, blue, gold, and purple variants. The red roman cancel being good for combo extension whereas the rest relate to time slow down, and recovery. You can even cancel roman cancels in this game. Those mechanics along with two overdrives for each character make for some interesting combo opportunities. Some characters even have their own unique gimmicks that enhance how you approach a fight or match-up. Matches, as per usual, rely on the two round formula. This time marked by hearts or the absence thereof. That, and health bars. 

Through the mission mode, tutorial, and training players will be able to put to use everything new, and old. That being said I personally hit a wall in mission mode where certain mechanics that felt shoveled in kept me from advancing. This was at map area 3, or the three star area and beyond. Anyways, the mechanic was to dash towards Ky Kiske's ground projectiles only guard before impact, and then repeat. This is known as a dashing guard. I don't know of any player that's going to risk repeatedly dashing forward into projectiles when there are other mechanics that allow for easier approach. With how fast Ky's projectiles go doing so at zoning distance is way too risky, and there are alternatives around that. One other thing that bothered me in regards to learning the mechanics through the mission mode was how it was setup. You have to trigger the start countdown, and immediately react once that timer is done counting down. It makes learning the mechanics more difficult than it should be. There was also an instance where the goal was to double jump over Millia Rage's ground projectile. The game did not allow for a forward jump which would have evaded it easier, and instead restricted the player to only a double jump that had to be timed perfectly. It's situational or rather optional mechanics like these that overly complicate the approach to learning.

The Online ...

When starting online you will be prompted to first create a lobby avatar. This is a 2D pixel character with customizable parts, and accessories. Once you have created your lobby avatar you will be put into a lobby fight against a CPU opponent to determine your placing in the lobby's tower system. The tower system has 10 tiers in total, with tier one being the lowest, and tier 10 being for the most skilled players. As you get better, and progress up the tower you'll find access to less and less lower tower tiers. If you get demoted, however, you will go back to previous tiers, and have to work your way back up. If you choose to matchmake through this lobby system you cannot enter lobbies lower than your own placed tier at any given point. This makes matchmaking more fair. Along with this placement you will also be able to select your global region for a smoother online experience. It should be noted that Arc System Works did implement rollback netcode. Something players have wanted for a long time. Making the online matches much more tolerable, and smooth. 

Aside from the online lobby you can also create a separate lobby for invitations, and tournaments. This potentially private location can house a host, and 8 other players with the possibility to make it invite only through an ID feature. This comes complete with a spectator mode, and a training session with the CPU of your choosing as you wait your turn. The biggest difference in the matchmaking system, above all else, is that instead of crossing weapons in the lobby setting to start a match all you have to do now is press 'X' at a two player gaming station. This streamlines the process. Beyond that is a quick match option where matchmaking is done with limited set parameters outside of the lobby system. It allows for a choice of character, character color, the type of opponent you're seeking, whether or not the match automatically or manually starts, and connection quality. Here you can also enter a training session as you wait for a match to connect.

The Verdict ...

This latest Guilty Gear experience seems to be streamlined, and somewhat simplified. Seemingly for an ease-of-access type of experience. The menu system, though as inclusive as it is, is easy to navigate. Leaving the matchmaking, and mode selection to be as straightforward or as involved as the player deems necessary. That being said I do have some complaints about what lies within those modes and features. The missions modes, for one, seem to have some filler material that is not necessary or likely to be utilized, and that seems to be shoehorned in to make the mechanics seem more deep in application. Also how those missions are setup to play out is problematic in that it makes the player react with twitch-like nervous responses as they try to nail a sometimes unforgiving time frame. Even further still is the issue that is having to repeat the required actions multiple times in this regard. It makes it infuriating under certain circumstances. 

When it comes to mode offerings I did like that they brought back Survival, and that your point score will be listed in the game's rankings menu. The Ranking mode listing, by the way, is not a ranking mode in this game, but is instead the game's leaderboards. Something to know when going into play sessions for the competition. In regards to the story I can honestly say it was interesting, lore-wise, but might be off putting to some who expected a more traditional anime appearance. Like you though I will not see the full story through until the day one patch. Making it fair for everyone who is interested in paying for the experience. Lastly, I felt the matches, whether offline or on, were fun enough, but did feel short lived considering character damage output and damage in general. Something I mentioned when taking the Beta surveys. Obviously not the most concerning issue though as balances will come.

If I were to apply all this gained knowledge to a final verdict I would say that the base game is still worth it as a day one purchase, and that the bundled versions are equally as so if you fancy getting a good deal on bonus DLC. I know the game isn't at it's prime yet, but the PR has let me, and the other reviewers know that the development team is listening to feedback, and patching/updating the game. That there are new features going to be added such as a tag team mode. It will take time before it's perfect, but I have confidence the team at Arc System Works will do good by the paying players with this latest Guilty Gear entry. I also, personally, am grateful that it's releasing now in a decently playable state instead of later as the future of the world grows more uncertain by the day. I hope you give it the chance I feel it deserves.