If one already has Blazblue: Calamity Trigger or never picked it up, is this game worth the purchase?
Gameplay:
Impressive as always, though not much has changed from CT. It's still pick up and play friendly to novice, going so far as providing a tutorial to get the basics of the game's game play down, (Though if you played Guilty Gear, it helps in this department as well.) while still providing a beautiful in-depth fighting system for the more skillful players.
Admittedly, some of the characters will still feel unbalanced and spam worthy to some players, but this is where a better understanding of the fighting mechanic of the game will be a huge service: it's almost 'easy' to get around spamable moves when you understand the system better.
The online mode is smooth enough: I didn't have too many issues with loading, slow frame rates for the more 'detailed' animations or hiccups.
Arcade Mode is great: the fighting is fluid and the difficulty (if you want it to be) can be quite punishing, though very enjoyable. For those that don't want to go through the story mode but still want a quick run down of what's going on, I have to say that this game does a great job of clarifying what's going on and it's not nearly as confusing as it is in CT. Just as in the first, certain characters have special intros (if they know each other or have 'beef') and even special themes.
As for the Story Mode: It's not as tedious as Calamity Trigger's but not by much I'm afraid: it still feels long and more like your just reading a virtual novel with slight breaks to easily eat an opponent--dare I say, a basic RPG without all the bells and whistles attached.
Which is what can make Story Mode such a severe turn off: while the story is arguably interesting and it's nice to get the story from every character's point of view, it tends to be too much of a hassle just to get something that arguably could have been packaged with the game in the form of an anime DVD if it's that detailed. What I mean is: The game has what's called a 'true ending' or 'the real story…however, you can only get it once you beat so many story modes with various characters. It's not as bad as in CT: you had to beat the game with everyone in order to achieve it but thankfully in this game, you only need to beat the game with the characters that are 'important' to the storyline. (But that's still more than four people.) It also doesn't help that there's a 'choice' system, so you may have to play a few people's story various times just to get the right 'ending' for them, and thus, one step closer to getting the 'real ending' in the first place.
It's absurd and quite frankly, I'd rather wait to watch the whole thing on YouTube in English rather than sit for hours trying to get through a game mode with a story so confusing, it needs it's own 'guide' just to help players understand what's going on…
Graphics:
There's no improvement but that isn't a problem: the game is still one of the best looking 2D games in general, let alone fighting game out to date. Simply put: it's gorgeous, and with new stages, I couldn't help going into practice mode just to look at all the detail and various things in the back ground. Not to mention I loved watching the new characters and their animations. Simply breathtaking at times.
Music:
Just as it was with the first, most of the music is heavily metal inspired and if you're a fan of the guitar, this might be right up your alley. As for the first, while most if not all of the themes go appropriately with the character or event in which it's played (this game as a great knack for nailing a character perfectly through music) some of the songs are hit and miss. For example, while 'Active Angel' captures the entire 'magical girl' feel for Trinity Platina, the song itself didn't impress me much. Meanwhile 'Gluttony Fang' remains one of my new favorite themes, and tends to capture Hazama's personality and overall feel perfectly. (The guitar is wicked in this particular theme.) If you were a fan of the CT soundtrack, you'll really love the new songs: if you weren't a fan, you'll still probably love Hazama and Tsubaki's theme: they are just outstanding pieces of music.
Story:
I'll be the first to admit that the story in Calamity Trigger was quite muddled and very confusing…so much so that it needed (though hilarious) a 'tutorial' of sorts just to follow it. As I said before, it's absurd to be honest: there really is no excuse for a story to be so confusing it needs a guide just to simply follow it.
I'm happy to say that Continuum Shift does an admirable job clearing up a lot of the muddled confusion CT caused: you go away with a far better understanding of what in the heck is actually going on. Dare I say, I actually cared a little about what was happening, though this is in large part, thanks to the new characters.
The main problem that Blazblue's story causes is that it tends to be very cliché` if you've watched even a small amount of anime or a couple of JRPGs. (More so now a days.) You get a very 'been there, done that' feel and the characters themselves tend to be a cast of who's who in the archetype department, some that can be far more annoying then others. This is where the new characters shine: while Tsubaki for instance, is a 'tragic' character, her storyline tends to go in direction that you don't expect. You can easily guess the cliché path (which most of the main cast tend to follow) for her and she goes in a direction least expected for her. You actually feel for her character and worry about here by the end of the story and wonder who she can be redeemed in the sequel.
Then there's Hamaza, who like the Joker from Batman, tends to steal the show. He's meant to be the cliché` cool, calm, and always in control character but he tends to have a flair about him that makes him stand out in shine. From his blunt, almost 'troll' like insults and mind playing manipulation (and the calm demeanor only makes it worse…) to his touch of psychosis, it all pulls together nicely to make a very interesting and entertaining character that you love to watch and learn more about. Honestly, I would have loved if the story centered even more around him the cliché` 'nice/innocent girl with tremendous power/borderline damsel in distress' Noel.
I won't spoil it too much but I'll say this: if you don't like anime storylines in general or your not entertained by the 'norm' in anime stories now a days, you may not want to bother with it. Though there are a few twist and turns, most of it can be guessed or seen a mile coming, especially the core part of the story. (Mainly with Noel…and even a huge twist at the end. ) However, if your just a huge fan of anime in general, the story will still peak your interest and can be quite entertaining, cliché` aspects and all.
Final Verdict:
So: if you already have Blazblue or you've never played it before, is this game worth the purchase? Even if you don't like anime: I'd say yes. The new characters are a blast to play with and more importantly, there will be more characters added with DLC. The new features are always a plus and if your interesting in the story, it's practically a must to get this game, as it helps understand everything better. If you already have BB:CT and you don't care about the story: trade that sucker in and get Continuum Shift, as it's the better of the two.