Gamers accustom to receiving a new Guilty Gear every year will be surprised to know that Arc System Works’ latest entry in the series is not actually a sequel, but an expansion that includes two additional characters; balance and tweaks to the gameplay; and new moves for the game’s entire roster of fighters. The game itself has remained largely the same from -Revelator-, and only veterans of the series will notice the minor changes made throughout.
The two additional fighters that were added to Xrd Revelator 2’s roster – Baiken and Answer – are returning characters from previous Guilty Gear games. Bakien first began as a hidden fighter in the original Guilty Gear, but became a regular character in later sequels. She is a fierce, female warrior that wears a white, red and black kimono. Her signature pink hair; eye-patch covered eye; and clawed grappling hook for a right arm makes her one of the more intriguing fighters in the lineup.
Answer first made his debut in Guilty Gear -Sign- for Playstation 3. Revelator Xrd 2 is the first time this character has appeared as a playable character. His tall, but slender stature – and deadly business card projectiles – make him one of the more imposing fighters in Revelator Xrd 2’s lineup. He is also very difficult to master (more on this in a moment).
Between the two fighters, Baiken is the easiest to pick up and play. What she lacks in airborne tactics, she makes up for in ground play,. Her moveset contains a variety of close strikes and mid range slashes, accompanied by the ability to close great distances very quickly. Gamers that like to fight from a distance will have a difficult time warding off a good Baiken player.
Answer is a different story entirely. As a fighter, Answer is designed to ‘zone’ his enemies by laying ‘traps’ on the playfield. When played by an experienced gamer, this fighter can easily control an entire match with his abilities. There’s a steep learning curve in mastering Answer, though. He isn’t your typical fighter. But once his skills have been mastered, Answer almost feels overpowered in some instances, even though he really isn’t. It’s really based on the gamer’s skill and how they execute Answer’s traps.
Developer Arc System Works spent a considerable amount of time re-balancing the game. Veteran players will immediately notice these changes, while newcomers may not see a difference. For example: The timing and frames of animation have been tweaked for each fighter, changing the way certain moves (and combos) work. The ‘Stylish’ system – which was designed to help newcomers perform advanced combos – has also been upgraded to make it more evenly matched against players that use the ‘Technical’ system.
As expected, the core gameplay mechanics of Guilty Gear have remained the same. Combat still uses the four button attack system pioneered by its predecessors (i.e. Punch, Kick, Slash and Heavy), and the basic move set for every fighter has been retained. The Dust Attack system still has Homing Dash and Homing Jump from the previous game. Homing Dash allows the player to create new corner combos, as the opponent ‘wall sticks’ to a corner. Homing Jump is reminiscent of the GGXX series — characters can perform double-jumps, super jumps, etc.
Online multiplayer has also remained the same. After setting up your online profile (which involves selecting a fighter, stage to fight on, etc.) the player is sent to one of the largest regional server maps ever seen in a fighting game.
The Server Lobby is divided between Asia, North America 1 (East Coast), North America 2 (Mid-West and West Coast) and Europe. Each Country has ‘Districts’ that can host a total of thirty-two, 64-player lobbies. Logging in to one of these lobbies will send the player to a large, interactive room where players correspond using avatars. From there, the player can participate in a variety of mini games – including fishing and soccer – while waiting for a match to start. It’s an entertaining way to pass the time.
As far as online matches are concerned, Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator 2 continues to provide a stable experience, regardless of the server being used. Online matches that pair opponents from across the pond also function well. Developer Arc System Works should be applauded for a job well done.
As a standalone release, Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator 2 is one of the best games in the Guilty Gear series. It maintains all the features of its predecessor, while also introducing new content that enhances the experience. When viewed as an upgrade, Xrd Revelator 2 is a great component to what is already a polished, well-balanced 2.5D fighter. It’s a win, win no matter how you chalk it up.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 4
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Aksys Games
ESRB: T (Teen)
Price: $39.99
Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator 2 Official Website:
http://guiltygear.us/ggxrdr/
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Beautiful manga-style sprites and gorgeous backgrounds. | |
| Sound | |
| Arcade quality sound effects and a rockin' soundtrack enhance the experience. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Some of the best 2D fighting action available today. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Xrd Revelator 2 is a great component to what is already a polished, well-balanced 2.5D fighter. | |
