A prequel to the fighting game series BlazBlue, Xblaze Code: Embryo is a visual novel that occurs 150 years before the events of Calamity Trigger. The story involves Touya Kagari, a resident of Shin Yokozaki City and a sophomore at Hakuou North Academy.
As an individual, Touya is a modest young man who obsesses over bad news (or more importantly, recent serial murders). But despite his average mannerisms and odd hobby, Touya’s deep-seeded curiosity eventually gets him into trouble.
One night after work, Touya hears a strange sound coming from the Restricted Ward, a location that is off-limits to unauthorized personnel due to a tragic disaster that occurred ten years prior. As Touya treks deeper into the ward, he encounters a man that appears to be wounded.
Going on instinct, Touya offers to assist the injured man, but the individual perceives the kind gesture as a threat and begins attacking. Just when it would seem that Touya’s fate is sealed, a young girl wielding an enormous sword arrives to save the day. Once the threat is eliminated, the young lady identifies the crazed man as ‘Union’, and also mentions that she cannot identify the ‘crystal color’.
Touya’s life spirals out of control after his encounter in the Restricted Ward, as he learns more about the mysterious woman, the Mitsurugi Agency, and the colored crystals linked to the special powers of ‘Union’. The story’s outcome is primarily up to the player even though interaction is limited.
Instead of controlling a character or interacting with others, the player instead uses TOi (Technology Of Interest) — a content aggregator similar to retail websites that offer ‘items you may also’ like’ based on previous interests. Articles read (or not read) in the TOi system determine the additional paths and extra scenes you will see, ultimately determining the final outcome of the story. Moreover, this can lead to multiple playthroughs since the game contains additional story arcs and two possible endings.
The TOi system can be accessed by pressing Square button anytime during the story. This menu system contains updates to previously read articles and biographies of characters already encountered. The TOi system is relatively simple and contains no additional features. In fact, it’s the only way the player can interact with the story. Oddly enough, an ‘autosave’ feature can be activated by moving the left analog stick in any direction. But to actually save the game (autosaves only last until the PSVita is turned off), you must press the Start button to access the Information menu.
Graphically, Xblaze: Code Embryo benefits from the PSVita’s vibrant, 5-inch OLED display. Character illustrations possess a vibrant quality about them, and the special effects – while used sparingly – have an impact when they do appear onscreen. The overall presentation is a feast for the eyes, even if the animation is sparse during most of the story.
Xblaze: Code Embryo’s story is well-written and full of eccentric characters that will hold your interest until the very end. And while it may not be perfect, the TOi system provides just enough interaction to keep BlazBlue fans glued to their PSVitas.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: PSVita (Available on PSN)
Developer: Aksys Games
Publisher: Aksys Games
ESRB: M (Mature)
Price: $39.99
Xblaze Code: Embryo’s Official Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Gorgeous Manga illustrations with eye-popping color. | |
| Sound | |
| Haunting music plays in the background as the story evolves. | |
| Gameplay |  |
| Aside from the TOi system, there is little else to do. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Visual Novel fans and BlazBlue gamers will appreciate the in-depth story. | |
