|
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
I loved BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger and even
though it was the weirdest most absurd fighter, it had charm, gameplay
and a story to die for... in terms of anime. Yes my dear gamers, fighters didn't have to
revolve around the Tekken or Street Fighter universes and other
developers could create equally engaging games. And with that, so here we again,
with another BlazBlue release that promises to be as strange and as
entertaining as the previous game with BlazBlue: Continuum Shift.
For the purists, this game continues from
the previous game and once again, the sanctity of the universe is at
threat. Thankfully, the characters from Calamity Trigger are here to save
everything that we hold dear and like all good sequels, there are a few
new characters as well. There are a total of six new characters to BlazBlue
which allows the gamer to play 18 playable characters. It should be
noted that three of the characters must be downloaded via DLC.
In terms of gameplay, Continuum Shift is
more refined then the previous game and features a couple of cool gaming
addons. Although it's a stock standard fighter with lots of strange and
bizarre characters, the controls have been mapped well onto the 360
controller, especially when you attempt to pull off the new manoeuvres
that include guard and burst.
The new guard system is definitely aimed
at those harder battles and although it does take some time getting use
to, it's well worth the learning curve. The basics of attacks include
weak, medium, strong and drive. Each character also has a special attack
and different fighting styles that helps in the replay value. Thankfully
it all comes together rather well.
There are a variety of gameplay modes
from short one-off battles to something more meaty like the Legion Mode
which allows you to fight the BlazBlue characters against an evil army.
This is like a survival of the fitness mode.
For new comers, there is a great tutorial mode that teaches you the
basics of BlazBlue and even though I was familiar with the previous
game, it did teach me a few new tactics. And finally we have the story
mode which is similar to Street Fighter but takes the BlazBlue
characters through the story of this game until you fight the epic
battle with Hazama.
The game does allow for a local 2-player
match as well but the online mode is definitely for the hardcore fans
that allows them match their skills against other people from around the
world. Unfortunately this option was not available to us on this review
code. But as you can see, Continuum Shift has something for everyone and
if you're after something a little left out of centre and you love
fighters, you should definitely check this game out.
In terms of graphics, it's a good looking
game with some amazing 3D inspired backgrounds. Even though the game has
this 2D feel to it, especially with the characters, it definitely boasts
some eye candy. Add in the overtop and almost Capon-esq voice acting
plus the ridiculous sound effects and you have everything you need in a
fighter for the XBox 360.
At the end of the day, BlazBlue: Continuum
Shift is a great fighter that goes beyond the clichés of the Tekken's
and Street Fighter games. It supports great graphics, a very sturdy
gaming engine and more importantly, it's quite enjoyable. With the
options of DLC, this game is definitely going in the right direction for
a 2D fighter with next generation graphics. Recommended!
|
