Review: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not much of a fighting game fan, but when I heard about BlazBlue, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. From its style, to supposedly balanced play, I had heard so many great things about it. So, after some thought and a sudden impulse, I bought the game and decided to try it out. So, what did I think of it?

The story of BlazBlue centers around Ragna the Blood Edge and a recurring time loop that makes each of the individual characters’ storylines canon while still having a main route. You see, you must play each characters’ storylines individually, and once you have beaten them all and seen their true endings, you can take on the main story. The way they handle each character’s story is interesting, and the story is quite entertaining. I’d say it has one of the best fighting game storylines out there right now.

The game’s main fighting mechanics are where BlazBlue really shines. There is a guard libra gauge that depletes when you block too much (preventing you from excessive turtling). There is also a normal block and barrier block, which uses up a separate gauge. You can also use a burst, which fully depletes the barrier gauge, to interrupt combos and get you out of a tight spot but at the cost of your character’s defense. Another feature is the rapid cancel system, which cancels a move and returns your character to their neutral standing position (at the cost of your heat gauge - more on that later). It is helpful for linking certain moves together into complex combos. While this all may sound way too complex and confusing, it all becomes second nature as you learn the game.

Another important aspect of the game is its cast of characters. There are no clones here; each character plays very differently. While they do have access to each of the game’s basic mechanics (save for one particular character who has no forward dash), they each have completely different movesets. Adding to their uniqueness is the fact that, while everyone has a drive attack, they are completely unique and have different applications. Each character also has their own Distortion Drive, which are special attacks which take up your heat gauge. It’s really refreshing to see such variety in their playstyle. Oh, and by the way, Bang has probably the coolest Distortion Drive in the game, it’s called Fu Rin Ka Zan, and it is amazing, the move even has it’s own theme song.

Of course, once you’re done with the single player story mode, you’ll want to put your skills to the test against another human player. There is, of course, a versus mode for those who want to play against a friend in the same room. Then, there’s the online mode. There is a ranked match option, or a casual player match option. You can make your own room with custom rules (for example if you want to turn voice chat on or off), or you can just go to a currently vacant room to get straight into the action. The online itself is pretty smooth, though there is a bit of lag sometimes. I found myself having a lot of fun online, and there are always plenty of matches available.

Visually, the game is stunning. The graphics are all hand drawn, and are very fluidly animated. The scenery also manages to look good, with plenty of activity going on in the background. Many of the character designs look very unique, though some do look a bit cliché. Personally, I thought Tager and Arakune looked the most unique, with Hakumen coming in a close third place. There was a lot of love put into the sprites, and it shows.

BlazBlue also scores some points for a great audio component. The voice acting is surprisingly competent, with few, if any, badly delivered lines. There is a Japanese voiceover option for those who can’t stand the dub. I’ve got to hand it to them, they did a great job with the casting, Spike Spencer deserving some serious praise for his portrayal of Arakune. The soundtrack consists of mostly rock, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Surprisingly, none of the songs sound similar to each other, and others are just downright awesome.

In terms of added modes and extra content, there is enough to really justify its price tag. There is a Score Attack mode, Arcade mode, and a gallery. You can also watch replays of matches you recorded while online, and even upload it onto the leaderboard if your rank is high enough. Also, there is a funny series of videos in the story mode (Teach Me Ms. Litchi) that not only expands upon the universe, but also manages to be very entertaining.

Here comes the hard part, I have to name some issues I had with the game. The first is the slight unbalance. There are three characters that, while requiring great skill to use, have an advantage against most of the cast. Of course, this could change as more about the game is discovered, but it does pose something of a problem. Another is the already mentioned lag. While it is uncommon, it can really put a damper on the fun. Another issue is that if someone disconnects during a match, you are both penalized (it shows up on your record). There’s really not much else negative to say, so I’ll leave it at that.

Aksys, known for their publishing work with Guilty Gear, has done it again. They’ve managed to make an incredibly deep fighter with plenty of variety. The game is beautiful, the plot is engaging, and the voice acting is just plain good. I can honestly say that this is one of the most entertaining fighters I have played in the past few years.

The views and opinions expressed in this review are by Ckarasu who is no longer with us, and does not represent those of the Spawn Kill staff.