The wheel of fate is turning. This is one of the few fighting game series that I have actually gotten into. I'm nowhere near good enough at it to be playing anything other than the CPU fighters but I have attempted to play against friends in previous installments.
Just like the other Blazblue titles, this game is about Ragna the Bloodedge and what is happening to the world around him. If you haven't played a previous title in the series, I suggest you at least pick up the EXTEND version of the previous title to catch up. Most fighting games don't put a lot into their story modes but this is the exception to this rule.
That is one of the reasons I enjoy this series so much. Each character has decent enough depth that I can actually figure out who is going to be doing what and why. Sure, they are often twisted at times but each character has a quality that is humanlike. That said, the main plot is kind of confusing because it deals with time travel that isn't really time travel. There are different arcs for each of the different characters and it kind of ends well.
One of the shortfalls with this title is the fact that two of the newer characters are kind of just there in the story and not much is made known about them. Bullet is searching for answers about what happened to her in the past and Amane...I have no idea what Amane is doing. He is just chasing Carl Clover and not much else. I think both of these characters will get more integrated into the story in the next game but for now, they are kind of just there.
As always, the soundtrack for this game is superb. Just like Guilty Gear, there are lots of metal riffs and a few more playful songs. A lot is recycled from the previous title but each character's theme fits them and after a while you really look forward to fighting certain characters just to hear their theme.
The fighting is decently balanced and there hasn't been much change other than the new characters. I did notice the story mode was a little bit easier this time than Continuum Shift but it still had enough challenge to be a good introduction to the battle mechanics. The meat of this game is tied to the online fighting which is fun. Even though I only played once, I still had no issues with connecting and the lag was not bad.
If you are a fan of Blazblue, this is a title you should definitely not ignore. The new characters add a lot and fan favorite Kokonoe is finally playable...as DLC but still playable. The story does add to the series and will leave you wanting to finish the saga. I honestly cannot wait till the next game. I really want to know how this story is going to progress. Definitely a good game to jump into and have hours of fun with.
