2D fighting games are a rarity on consoles these days, the most popular franchise of which probably being Guilty Gear. It’s true that Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes to mind, but bear in mind that while Brawl’s gameplay is in two dimensions, the graphics are not. And really, the same goes for Street Fighter 4. That’s what makes the new game in development titled “BlazBlue” so unique these days. It’s not really much of a surprise that the developers behind BlazBlue are the makers of Guilty Gear themselves.
And actually, it’s not so much “in development” as in the process of being ported. BlazBlue was originally an arcade exclusive, and a rather popular one at that. BlazBlue is a complex game that can demand a steep learning curve, and it’s preferable that the player has a chance to learn at home at his TV, instead of being forced to insert copious amounts of coins into a slot, while spending hours of his time hanging around an arcade center. It’s also more convenient for the manufacturer, really: an arcade’s market can be limited and unpredictable, among other things.
One aspect of BlazBlue’s combat system that can appear daunting is that there are a total of three meters onscreen for each player that must be watched carefully. The first and largest is, quite predictably, the health bar. As you may already know, the more you are struck by your opponent the more the bar will deplete. When it becomes empty, you lose. The second bar is the Barrier bar. When an opponent attacks you, it’s possible to shield yourself, but as you do your Barrier meter runs down. When it is gone, you will be stunned, unable to protect yourself, and at the mercy of your enemy. The final, bottom-most bar is called the Offense Gauge. At the start of every match, half of the gauge will be red, and the other half blue. As both players attack each other, the meter will move back and forth between mostly-red and mostly-blue, depending on who is attacking more consistently. When the meter is full of your color, your opponent will be stunned, giving you the upperhand. The goal of these revitalizing mechanics is to complement aggressive and combo-intense battles.
BlazBlue will be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 this summer, and will feature a detailed singleplayer story mode, local multiplayer matches, and online multiplayer support.
