Following the successful release of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger a couple of years ago, Arc System Works releases its second installment in the BlazBlue series that features not only new characters but improved gameplay mechanics as well. For hardcore fighting fans, BlazBlue is one of the games in the fighting game genre that offers fast paced 2D action that is suitable for both experienced gamers and new comers alike.
With Super Street Fighter IV, and Tekken 6 currently out in the market, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift has its own fair share of fan and critical support that makes the title decent and enjoyable. Since BlazBlue: Continuum Shift follows where its predecessor left off, how is it any better than Calamity Trigger? Should fans of Calamity Trigger expect the same treatment in Continuum Shift? Let’s take a look in the HOTs and NOTs of Arc System Work and Aksys’s BlazBlue: Continuum Shift.
HOT
Phenomenal Presentation
When it comes to the visuals and presentation in the fighting game genre, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift offers one of the most detailed and colorful visuals that even Super Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6 doesn’t stand a chance. For gamers who are fans of animes will take note of BlazBlue’s impressive visuals. The backgrounds and the character sprites all look very crisp and they are all well crafted. There are not a lot of characters in BlazBlue: Continuum Shift compared to other fighting games out there, but the playable characters in the game will be something players will remember due to their designs. Equipped with both a Japanese and English soundtrack, gamers who are not fond of the dubbed audio in the game can switch anytime to the Japanese audio. Another addition to look forward to in the game is its amazing soundtrack that can be listened to while playing the game.
Easy to Play
Comparing BlazBlue to other fighting games such as Super Street Fighter IV, the fighting mechanics of Continuum Shift are pretty easy to get used to. The attacks are easy to remember and doesn’t require any complicated combos that goes in sequence. The A B C and D attacks are the only things a player should remember and it can be combined by just pressing the D pad in one direction. In other words, players can win successfully by doing one attack. However, if the player decides to do an advanced attack in each character, it will require a couple of buttons to press in order to execute it.
Multi-Branch Storyline
The single player story mode is one of Continuum Shift’s biggest selling point in the game. Similar to Calamity Trigger, players will have to go through the stories of the playable characters in the game. There are a total fifteen story arcs that a player can play to unravel the story of the game. Continuum Shift picks up where Calamity Trigger left off. At a certain point in a character’s storyline, there will be option that players will have to choose. Depending on the decisions that the player makes, it will change how the story line goes. The story can either continue or end right away. Multiple play throughs are recommended if the player would want to do a 100% completition in each character’s story arc.
Online Connectivity and Other Modes
The modes that we usually see in a fighting game can be found in Continuum Shift. Arcade, Versus, Score Attack, Training, and Gallery Mode are the common modes that we know about. In Continuum Shift, there are new modes that will add up some replay value to the game. Challenge Mode where it will require gamers to perform a specific attack with the character they choose. This varies as to how to defeat the opponents or what attack the character must perform. In addition to Challenge Mode, there is a Legion Mode that allows player to pick opponents on a grid board. Playing Legion Mode will give players a challenge in not having the health bar refilled at each round. Instead, the player must defeat the enemies in each grid in order to get the health bar filled up once again.
For players who like playing fighting games online, Continuum Shift offers online fighting via the Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network service. Similar to other online fighting games, there are two modes that players can enter; a Ranked Match and just a Player Match. Finding someone online is smooth and depending on how many people play the game, players will not have to worry in finding opponents online. If a player doesn’t have access to both services, players can compete with one other by doing an offline Versus mode.
For a game that is $39.99, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift is a great purchase for gamers who love the fighting game genre.
NOT
Occassional Lag Online
It sure is easy to find opponents online but as soon as the battle stars, players might experience some lag. After a couple of seconds into the battle, the lag will just go away. It is not a bad thing but it is something that players will need to know before jumping in online. To have a fully smooth battle in Continuum Shift, the player must make sure that they are in a stable connection with no interference at all.
Weak Story & Small Cast
It is true that having multi branch story is something worth praising but when it comes to analyzing the story of Continuum Shift, it is nothing ground breaking. There are certain parts in the game where players might think that the dialogue is too cheesy and sometimes overreacted. If this happens at some point, switch to Japanese audio, as most of the time, not all dubbed voices are something players will like. As for the characters in the game, players should expect a small cast of characters that are playable in the game.
VERDICT
For a game that is $39.99, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift is a great purchase for gamers who love the fighting game genre. Despite the small cast of characters that are playable, there is an option to add three more characters to the cast via purchasing the downloadable content on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store. Overall, Continuum Shift has entertained me and I highly recommend it to players who want to play a fighting game that requires no complicated controls at all. Gamers who played Calamity Trigger should expect the same experience here.
[Editor’s Note: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift was reviewed on a Xbox 360 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher.]