REVIEW

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend Review

by Marc Smith, November 3rd, 2015

Before sitting down to play this game, I could feel the phantom ache in my thumbs from many past forays with Arc System Work’s phenomenal fighting games. Their stellar Guilty Gear franchise made a bold comeback with XRD -SIGN- recently that impressed critics and fans alike. So many were left wondering where its sister franchise BlazBlue had been hiding since the new-gen consoles had reared their heads. It would seem that Arc has given BlazBlue the same treatment as Guilty Gear, taking all of its key ingredients and force-feeding them copious amounts of steroids.

Both BlazBlue and Guilty Gear have time and again fallen into the trap of appealing too much to the hardcore audience. The barrier to entry in previous games has usually been a little too much for more casual players of beat em’ ups. The core gameplay and mechanics are very similar to Street Fighter, but with a bigger focus on speed and strategy. Each character has their own unique fighting style that must be learned. Once you understand the game’s controls it’s easy to pick a character and learn a handful of their moves in mere seconds, but it takes a lot of practice to know how best to utilise each move.

The fundamentals of the series are still here, like the complex fighting system, fast-paced action and screen-shattering super moves but there are a few new features to marvel at. Firstly there’s the Stylish Mode of fighting, in which characters special moves are mapped to more simplistic button commands. This will no doubt appeal to newcomers as it’ll allow them to experience the sheer chaos this game offers without sinking hours into the practice mode. For the veterans out there, there is the Technical Mode which plays like all previous BlazBlue outings, with the command in-puts being more traditional and complex.

I’ve been into the series for quite some time, so I prefer the Technical Mode as it’s more my speed. Stylish Mode does have its charm, but to me it felt like I had to re-learn the rules to a game I know very well. As an entry-point, Stylish Mode will help ease new players in and hopefully steer them more into the Technical Mode as they hope to refine their skills.

When the time does come for improvement, there’s a ton of tutorials and practice modes to throw yourself into. The tutorial system caters to newcomers and veteran alike, covering the core mechanics like moving and basic attacks, before moving on to more complicated combos and instant-death flourishes. Some of the early tutorials will seem pedestrian to anyone who has played a fighter before, but it’s good to see them covering all the bases considering the series’ aforementioned skill barrier. At times they can seem a little overlong, particularly with character dialogue interspersed throughout but on the whole it’s very comprehensive and I even found myself going through some of the more advanced moves just to be sure I had them down.

Alongside the traditional arcade, practice and story modes, there’s Score Attack, Abyss and Unlimited Mars modes. These modes all add some extra longevity to the game by giving you intelligent enemies to fight and endless dungeons to battle your way through; but like all good fighting games it’s the multiplayer that will keep you coming back for more. You can also try your luck at playing online in ranked matches or through the game’s virtual lobby. If you’re anything like me though, you’ll soon learn that your skills pale in comparison to many other players who’ll stomp you with little to no effort.

It’s not all complex combat though, the fights themselves are so bombastic and chaotic that it can be hard to keep track of who’s actually winning. It can really get the blood and adrenaline flowing, phasing out the constant ache of your thumbs as you furiously try to land that twelve-hit combo that’ll win you the match. The tides of battle can also turn very quickly as easy to pull off dodge-rolls and guard breaks can drastically change the dynamic. The roster is for the most part very balanced, but there are certain characters like Iron Tager and Hakumen who soak up damage with little health-loss, but then in turn deal out huge damage themselves. The powerhouse types are fairly slow however, so faster characters like Taokaka can make short work of them when controlled by the right person.

Boasting a generous twenty-eight fighter roster, Chrono Phantasma Extend holds the current record for most playable characters in the series to date. Long-time combatants like Noel and Hakumen are back with slightly revamped controls. The newcomers all boast wildly different fighting styles, ranging from the slow, methodical approach to quick-fire fists of fury. Much like the series veterans, each new fighter is brimming with so much personality and kinetic energy that they light up the screen upon entry.

Arc System Work’s fighters have always been notable for their incredible graphics and Chrono Phantasma Extend is no exception. The characters look more defined, the animation is fluid and the colours are bolder than ever. You can often find yourself stopping mid-fight just to marvel at the detail. There does seem to be a few issues with the sound at times, or at least I found this to be the case with the Playstation 4 version. Sometimes character dialogue sounds muffled or almost non-existent, perhaps this could be in part due to the game’s blistering heavy metal-inspired soundtrack that screeches out at every given opportunity. It’s very similar to the music found in Guilty Gear and fits the game perfectly.

The over-arching plot of BlazBlue has often alluded me. I’ve dabbled in story mode a few times before, but I can’t say I’ve ever been truly invested in what’s going on. Thankfully there’s a detailed recap available to clue you in on the lore and important plot points. It’s mostly intended for newcomers, but with a story as bonkers as BlazBlue it’s nice to have a little refresher course. Sadly it’s a little over-stuffed with trying to making the characters funny instead of offering us any real insight. A series of animated videos would have been a much better way to draw players in.

Having destroyed the Cauldrons in the last game, series protagonist Ragna the BloodEdge quests to defeat his newly resurrected nemesis Terumi. Whom upon learning that NOL lieutenant Noel Vermillion has become the new Eye of Azure, kidnaps her and intends to use her new status for nefarious purposes. It’s all the usual anime nonsense, with themes of friendship, loyalty and mistrust of officials. The characters are intriguing but there’s simply too much lore for newcomers to jump straight in. There is a nice feature which allows to choose which chapters to proceed to next, so you can avoid all the sub-plots and focus on the main arc.

The game falters even more with the actual story-mode as it also feels very over-stuffed and convoluted for no real reason. Perhaps it’s just personal preference, but I never found myself being invested in anything that was going on. It adds context to the crazy battles, but it’s not the focal point of the game. If you can get into it, you’ll more than likely enjoy it, but the story is merely here to compliment the superb fighting engine.

Quibbles with the story aside, it’s really quite hard to fault Chrono Phantasma Extend. The fighting system has enough depth and complexity to satisfy any fighting game fan, but offers enough guidance to ease in the most inexperienced of players. It’s visually stunning and genuinely exhilarating to play. The whole thing just oozes with charm and energy that it’s really hard to not get caught up in the all the insanity. Despite a lowered barrier to entry, it may still not appeal to everyone, but for those who can get on its wavelength, it’s an insanely fun and rewarding experience.