GUILTY GEAR

Let those without sin cast the first combo

“CLOSE-UPS REVEAL AN EXTRA LEVEL OF DETAIL, ESPECIALLY IN THE FACIAL ANIMATIONS.”

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.

This new take still looks like anime in motion – with more detail than we’ve seen before.

Above Heavy hits can lead to stage transitions, a series first. The game moves between the stages as slickly as you’d expect.