Visually, BlazBlue is a treat for the eyes. The characters have been redrawn since their last appearance, resulting in even more fluid animations that take full advantage of the current console hardware. Stages are imaginatively designed, with various activities going in the background during any fight, while ultra attacks and combos integrate 3D graphics with 2D animation so fluidly, that it looks completely natural.
If you’re a fan of endlessly clicking your way through text heavy narratives, then boy oh boy, are you going to be in for a treat. Story mode is back, and unless you’re interested in learning about the numerous fighters and the world that they inhabit, you’re better off sticking to Arcade Mode, which keeps the action heavy and the story light.
Each story has its own ending, multiple ones in fact, depending on the decisions that players make as they fight and read their way through. Unlocking the true ending in this mode will reward players with a short animated clip, but trying to make sense of this in depth and wacky universe is a task better left to the obsessive compulsive and the use of several mind-altering drugs(drugs are bad kids, don’t do it).
Besides story, arcade, tutorial and challenge modes, BlazBlue also includes Legion mode, a collect ‘em all quest that quickly loses its lustre after the first few rounds, gathering dust around the more bang for your buck options.
Gallery mode makes its usual appearance here, with unlockable art that borders on excessive fan service, while the online portion of BlazBlue runs smoothly and consistently, daring players to put their skills to the test against other players.
Scoring
Gameplay: 8.0/10
Daunting at first, the gameplay eventually evolves into a unique free-for-all brawler once players come to grips with their favourite characters, resulting in smooth, over the top gameplay.
Design and Presentation: 9.0/10
The idea of 2-dimensional visuals may be an archaic idea with the today’s gamers, but BlazBlue pulls off the classic visuals beautifully, taking full advantage of their hardware platforms.
Value: 7.0/10
Fighting games are always best played with friends, and unless you have the time to get absorbed into the grandiose storyline, arcade mode might become boring after you’ve clocked it with all the characters. Still, the game is available at a decent price new or second hand.
Overall: 8.0/10
If you’ve never picked up the controller for a round of true old-school action, then you can’t call yourself a fighting game fan until you’ve given BlazBlue a try. BlazBlue is the game that will finally give the current generation of gamers the thumb blisters us old timers earned back in the day.
[Reviewed on X-Box 360, played on normal difficulty]Last Updated: March 23, 2011
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