Blazblue: Calamity Trigger

If you're a fan of the GG series (Guilty Gear XX series especially) then this game will truly satisfy. Great characters, an interesting story, and a cool, slick style which is both serious and zany that will have you playing for hours. BB:CT is a fantastic fighting game for all those looking for a good time

For a long while i actually gave up on 2d fighters. It just didn't seem as though they were developing the same depth or tactical thinking that Soul Calibur, Tekken or Virtua fighter had. Street Fighter and King of Fighters seemed kind of mundane in the range of options of things that i could do within a fight, they were faster but that seemed to be the only difference. Smash bros became the only 2d fighter that i played for a while, not because it was especially deep but because it brought because it was innovative and had a 4 player option. I first heard about Blazblue because it's known as the only fighting game that has no lag in online fights which is what fist attracted me to it. It completely changed my opinion of 2D fighters in that its focus on speed, aerial combos and projectile attacks really fitted within the 2 dimensional format. On top of that, it's cast are the most varied that i have ever encountered in a fighting game. Every character has a drive attack which implements a special ability unique to them ranging from controlling wind, a puppet, magnetising your opponent or stealing their health, the list goes on. The sotory is also surprisingly decent for fighter, it's quite JRPG or final fantasyesque but without any massive production values, so it is limited to alot of text and still backgrounds. It's not ideal, but it actually provides more substance to the characters and can actually influence the decision of which one you try to master first. The only bad thing that i have to say about the game is that it does have a bit of a steep learning curve but that can't be avoided with a fighting system this deep i suppose. the game does try to combat this though by mapping special moves to the right stick, which helps if you are having mates round who want to just pick up and play the game. Blazblue is a sleeper hit and doesn't have the funding of a massive advertising campaign to let people know about how good it is but if you are into fighters then this game is a must.

The colours of the characters and backgrounds are amazing. The detail is stunning. Online play is a dream. But obviously best to get yourself sorted with a favourite character first (and build up some moves, which is pretty easy). Mine is Hakumen, thought it is most fun playing Taokaka with all her bad taste taunts.

Once you get up and running the fighting is as hard as you want it to be. Thankfully there is a Beginner setting for learners like me. Though after only a short time you will be moving onto more advanced settings. I am a long way from the Hell setting. Though I make long enough combos, my best so far is 23. The COM is a pretty good opponent. But playing your mates in Versus mode is best for me.

And one of the best parts I like about the game is that each characters fights really differently. The way it works is that you might hit upon a really cool combo strategy as Noel to floor Bang time and time again. But next up, when you play Litchi the same thing does not seem to have hardly any effect and you have to find a new route in. That stops it quickly becoming repetitive and really does make it a lot of fun.

Defintely RECOMMENDED