Virtual boxing fans rejoice, Guilty Gear Strive has just landed on the shelves of your favorite retailers on PS4, PS5, PC, and arcade, as long as the next room is open. We played both console versions and it’s time for the verdict.

Ah, Arc System works! The only calling of this name, a large part of fighting game fans usually have an emotion that runs down their spine. Guilty Gear, Blazblue, and most of all, a new graphical formula opens with Guilty Gear Xrd, then performs brilliantly in Dragon Ball FighterZ and the great Granblue Fantasy: Versus.

In addition to this crazy new graphic style that gives the impression of having a cartoon in front of you more than ever, Arc Sys has also opened up in its latest productions to the joys of “easy combo” and accessibility. All players, including the noobs. And it worked quite well. What about Culprit mechanism Strive ? Do the graphics still look great? And most importantly, is the gameplay up to scratch? The answer immediately!

Game anim

Dj, in visual terms, we always get a lot of attention. The Cel shading combined with beautiful 3D models still works and we really get the impression of seeing an anime responding to our requests, and when the most powerful hits come out, or at the end of a round, the camera is even allowed to make small 3D movements around. the characters of the most beautiful effect and always with so much class. If this camera is still much less dynamic than in FighterZ or Granblue Fantasy Versus, it still worked great.

In addition, we see that the Arc Sys teams were responsible for the adaptation of the Kill la Kill video game since they probably chopped this anime with the crazy and many times gloved HUD, occupying all the space on the screen, as during a counter for example. The ten arenas presented have all their charms, and some really are not without fantasy. The metal soundtrack is always present and applauds well with its few sung songs. And if the usual heroes keep their disguise forever, some small changes have been made, for example, the principal Yours really, I-No, he’s clearly dressed up and doesn’t show so many chunks of meat between two pieces of latex anymore, probably wanting to do it at the time, which is far from a bad thing. But then, fewer fans and more fights?

The guilty gear

If you are a fan of the saga, this episode might surprise you: without giving in to the mermaids of the auto-combo (you will have to put everything in the right order and at the right time!) The general gameplay is simplified. There is always this combo constitution based on cancellations, lanes, instant defense or burst that is still ultra complex and deep, but many of these components have been reworked and simplified. There are still quite a few different possibilities, but ultimately fewer options and easier delivery times. Attention, Guilty gear stress It is still an ultra technical and deep game, but it gives off a different feeling, closer to what we can have in a Street Fighter V for example, because the pace has also dropped slightly.

In the radius of the flashy novelties, the possibility of breaking the screen in the corners will be noticed anyway to propel your adversary in another part of the arena. The latter are also sometimes very exuberant and should welcome fierce fighting. Then yes, Culprit mechanism It’s still a very technical game, but somewhere it has become easier to open up to as many people as possible. The new ones will appreciate it, the old ones will probably be infuriated by some adjustments, but in the end everyone should be happy.

Who can less …

If, on the other hand, there is a point that will be really open to discussion and that should bother almost the entire universe, it is the content available at launch. DJ, when it comes to single player game modes, we’re a long way from abundance: Arcade (with co-op fights bordering on the possible!), Survival, versus, training, a rotten old tutorial, and a challenge mode that will serve as a tutorial, but which is worse than that Xrd proposed: accessibility and “newbie orientation” are no longer the order of the day, and that’s a shame, because that was one of the strengths of the previous episode. You will have a story mode, very well done and very beautiful, but only composed of … cinematics, without any gameplay, and a gallery, also very complete. That’s all. Alone, you will quickly have the tour of what Guilty gear stress offer…

Online is a bit better with a lobby that is still pretty well done, an Arc sys habit, more than reliable network code, replays, rankings, and a ranking system defined at the beginning that will prevent you from crossing over. newbies at the launch of the game and face directly the players of your level. It will be possible to do a quick search while waiting in training mode, for those who want to dodge the lobby. Clearly, if the solo is light, there will be plenty to spend a little more time online.

… can the least

Note that the cast currently consists of “just” 15 characters. Old, classic, new super originals, but also “sophomores” appeared in Xrd returning for the second time. Again it is a bit light (but not a surprise for the first iteration of a new Arc Sys) and if the quantity is not there, the quality is. A season pass (sold for the € 30 “trifle”, buzz) will add no less than 5 characters, 2 stages and a story mode bonus chapter, there is still something to play a role.

Finally, to be more specific, the game performs very well on PS5. Delivers a constant 60fps, even during uploads that take place during cinematics, lasting only 3-4 seconds, a real treat. Using DualSense, on the other hand, is disappointing and the directional cross will not work miracles.

On PS4, it’s a bit worse, the game obviously less fluid, with a worse resolution, a dead coughing frame rate during loads, and a lot of aliasing. The loads are also quite long: 20-25 seconds for a fight, always in fear of the game freezing. Regardless, it is still perfectly playable and despite its many flaws, Guilty gear stress immediately emerges as one of the best potential fighting titles of 2021. Okay, now give us a Blazblue with the same formula?