Blazblue is still one of the most beautiful 2D fighters out there in more than one way; however rehash syndrome returns.
Graphics:
The graphics is still wonderful to look at. Great detail and color. And once again this 2D game has 3D backgrounds that can put other backgrounds in other fighters to shame. One of things that actually got me into Blazblue was incredible amount of effort and details put into every character. To this day I feel the graphical presentation of this 2D fighter will set the standard for other 2D fighters; because this game has just as much detail as a 3D fighter. It takes a lot of time and energy to create a 2D fighter with polished graphics and animation. Arkworks always delivers in this area.
Story:
The story mode covers Blazblue Calamity Trigger(1st game) and Blazblue Continuum Shift (2nd game).
The story for Blazblue Calamity Trigger is less confusing since the entire story follows a more linear path in terms of progression; because the true path is already laid out for you. In other words, you don't need to do a lot of guess work in terms of unlocking all there is to know about the first game. The nice thing about the Blazblue Calamity Trigger story is that it has been redone a little bit, so it doesn't feel too old for those who already played BB CT.
The BB CS story follows the typical standard of the BB story. Character progression branches out based on your choices when given options as well as losing certain key battles that doesn't allow redemption. The animated cutscenes throughout the story are no different from BB CS. The biggest difference in the BB CS story is the fact that the DLC characters now have their own story and Relius Clover has his own story as well. Plus you can learn a little more about the NOL Military Acadamy and Section 7 once you unlock those segments of the BB CS story mode.
Like I stated before you will often find yourself making decisions for the chosen character, which will change the direction of the story. The acting is pretty good. The more you play the story mode the more questions will surface. Sometimes it is fun to find the answers and run into oh my god moments. Most of the characters also have gag reels, which are pretty funny, especially when you understand why characters act the way they do.
Offline Game Modes:
The most noticeable additions outside of gameplay are the extra modes from the other previous titles.
Challenge mode: Practice trial combos and moves.
Abyss Mode: Fight your way down the 15th Hierarchical City and level up as you go. I believe you can recruit other characters as well.
Unlimited Mars: You face off against a more extremely intelligent AI and unlimited versions are characters along the way.
Gallery: This time you level up by completing character stories and winning battles. You use the points you gain to purchase things. You use points to unlock art, unlimited versions of characters, and announcer voices.
Other Changes To Note:
The unlimited characters have an additional super this time. And the game has been rebalanced once again.
Gameplay:
Two words. Insanely deep. It is so deep that blazblue pros actually created an in depth tips website on it. You can use a special block that prevents damage from normally blocking special attacks. There is a burst guard which can be used to escape deadly combo combinations. You hit the block button as soon as an attack lands to parry attacks. You can use 50 percent of your super attack meter to cancel(reset) your characters to ready stance, which grants you the opportunity to continue pummeling your opponent with combos.
You can finish your opponent off in style by using the astral heat finish. In order to finish your opponent with an astral heat finish you have to get your opponent's life bar down to danger level, completely fill your super meter, have at least one burst guard ready, and complete the combination to unleash your character's finisher. That was a mouth full. Finally, each character has a unique ability known as drive. To use your character's drive just press the x button.
To enjoy this game I suggest you train, train, and train. Finding characters that suit your play style may help as well. To help you with your training use the challenge mode and training mode to your advantage. Experiment and try and create your own combos. Online gaming is extremely fierce in this game, so you have to practice. I know because I got owned plenty of times when I faced off against advanced players.
Online:
The coding in this game is amazing. It is close to perfection, because lag issues are rare. There is a nice replay mode, which allows you to watch matches you recorded after the match. Hosting matches is easy and customizable. You can also train and play the arcade mode while waiting for challengers. There isn't many online game modes. And the match making system is useless. The nice thing that they added here is the ability to play team matches in KOF style. And if you want to test your skills you can start a survival match against a few other players to see if you can best them all by yourself.
Final Thoughts:
As much as I like Blazblue I can't help but be bothered by another expansion of sorts. Redoing the same game over and over is like beating a dead horse. I wish great fighters would just move on from time to time. I can't really give this game a better score; because there wasn't really anything new that wowed me. For those who never played Blazblue and want to try it out I would recommend this game for you; because it has everything including the DLC characters you had to pay for in BB Continuum Shift. This game is great for newcomers to Blazblue, diehard fans, and collectors.
Pros:
+Arguably the best 2D graphics to date.
+Great for those who never played Blazblue at all.
+Pretty much every mode from previous installments are present.
+Online team battles KOF style and survival adds a little
more variety in the online department.
+Additional story pieces adds to the depth of a story
that is arguably the best story in a fighting game period.
Cons:
- If you paid for the DLC characters for Continuum Shift; then
I don't know if you really need to get BB: CSE.
- Nothing about this game is really all that new.
As a fighting game fan I respect Arc System Works; however I am not an advocate of rehashing games no matter how great they are. I give this game a 7.5 out of 10.