Guilty Gear Strive
Guilty Gear Strive’s devs reveal exactly why the series looks so good
Arc System Works has managed to switch smoothly from being known for developing gorgeous pixel art fighters to being renowned for creating beautiful 3D fighters, and it’s all thanks to an awareness of the team’s strengths.
“While we couldn’t compete with major game companies when it came to realistic 3D, we felt we stood a chance when it came to anime-style graphics,” says art director Hidehiko Sakamura, on making that change with the game before Strive, Guilty Gear Xrd Sign. “We placed the most importance on how closely we could make the game resemble hand-drawn 2D animation.”
The approach has bled into the studio’s other fighters, Dragon Ball FighterZ and Granblue Fantasy Versus. “We felt we’d developed somewhat of a distinct style,” says Sakamura. “[With Strive] we then wanted to challenge ourselves to include effects and expressions outside of our prior 2D anime style, unlike anything we’ve produced before. For example, this includes shading not normally found in anime style, and camerawork inspired by movies.” As you fight, the camera zooms and twirls around the action, meaning you sense every impact while the chunky fighters are still readable.
PERFECT SHOT
“It’s really difficult, and something we avoided in previous titles,” shares Sakamura, when we ask about these new camera techniques. “It’s been a sort of taboo to use drastic camera motion outside of a few big attacks for those reasons. [But] with Strive we broke that rule and tried moving the camera even when the player is still in control.” It’s been a tricky balancing act to use it well, without getting in the way of the players. “You need to keep in mind the pace of the match and manage the length so that it doesn’t break off the players’ concentration,” he says.
From what we experience during our hands-on, we agree the team has managed it well. Strive is the most accessible Guilty Gear in years, yet despite the bigger characters and splurge of visual information making things easier to grasp it’s still pretty in-your-face. Counter, for example, and the word “Counter” fills the screen. “We considered this not only from a visual standpoint, but also as a game mechanic,” says Sakamura on the effect. “We wanted to strike a balance between informing the player of what just happened in the match, or when they have a big opportunity, while also showing it in a visually appealing way.” Guilty Gear Strive hits PS5 and PS4 on 11 June. See you in the battle tower.