‘Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2’ hones a near-perfect fighting game

Stylish, lightning-fast, and surprisingly complex, “Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-” was one of 2014’s most pleasant surprises. Like a majority of fighting games, however, its initial iteration wouldn’t be its last; developer Arc System Works recognized that its product could still be improved, and thus jumped at the opportunity to make an already amazing experience even better.

As the third rendering of the “Guilty Gear Xrd” game, “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” comes with all the additional and DLC content available in previous versions, and even introduces two new playable characters, among other things.

But can “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” – a title that’s ostensibly running on a two-and-a-half-year-old fighting game engine – find relevance in an arena currently defined by heavyweights such as “Street Fighter V,” “Injustice 2,” and “Tekken 7”?



Baiken and Answer

As with a number of fighting games, “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2’s” biggest draws are its new characters. Here, they take the form of one legacy character and a brand new fighter.

Baiken the one-eyed, one-armed, revenge-driven samurai has been an intimidating presence since the very beginning of the franchise. The heavily demanded fan favorite is back in “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2,” where she is just as threatening, thanks to her quick yet hard-hitting strikes. Few things are more satisfying than giving your opponent a faceful of floor paneling, courtesy of her iconic Tatami Gaeshi.

Baiken can also crush enemies with a series of scary counter moves. Compared to similar skills found in games such as “Street Fighter V,” they’re easier to pull off, which should cause your enemy no end of frustration and suffering.

She’s also got rush attacks, and mid-range grappling abilities.

While Baiken’s air game isn’t that strong, she makes up for it with her powerful ground attacks. For this reasons, you’ll find yourself jumping less, and concentrating on her counters and powerful, far-reaching attacks more.

The second additional character is the newcomer Answer. A “Business Ninja,” Answer spends the entire match speaking on a mobile phone, a sight gag that is as clever as it is ridiculous. Sadly, as the game no longer comes with English voice options as “Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-“ did, there’s no way to tell what he’s saying unless you know Japanese.

Answer’s a more difficult character to master than Baiken. His key to victory is the judicious placement of his various setups. His calling card caltrops allow him to teleport across the screen and summon clones of himself to assault enemies from a safe distance. He can also produce up to four magical scrolls, which hover above the ground at different spots on the screen. Answer can jump to any scroll and hang from it. Then, from this position of advantage, he can initiate one of a variety of deadly moves.

If you never got “Guilty Gear Xrd’s” second iteration, “Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator,” then “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” will also treat you to Jack-O’, a fighter boasting simplified special move inputs and the ability to summon minions to aid her in battle; Haehyun, a hulking machine that uses powerful blows to devastate foes; and other characters such as Raven, Johnny, Jam, Dizzy, Leo, and Elphelt.

The entire character roster has been upgraded with balance changes, with many of the fighters receiving new moves that should give players new tools to play around with in battle.



A return to magic

In addition to the characters, “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” offers additional story content that sees you returning to a future world infused with magic. This “After Story” is set not long after the events that unfolded in “Guilty Gear Xrd’s” previous versions. It is, once again, a series of gorgeously rendered cut scenes with absolutely zero gameplay. While the “Guilty Gear” universe is utterly fascinating, the story’s overuse of jargon and reliance on bizarre concepts will leave those unfamiliar with the mythos confused.

Jam, Raven, Haehyun, and Dizzy also get new Episode story scenes. In case you’re wondering, Episodes are arcade mode-style, character-specific challenges with bits of story thrown in.

“Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” has made many smaller tweaks to “Guilty Gear Xrd’s” various systems. For example, the newbie-friendly “Stylish” control system has been enhanced to give its users more of a chance against the hardcore “Technical” crowd.

“Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” probably also has the genre’s best training mode. It will teach you everything from the basic controls, to character-specific combos, to the game’s dozen other mechanics.

Mastering the minutiae of said mechanics is paramount if you wish to take your fighting to the highest levels. “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” is a highly complex, deeply technical fighting game, so much so that it will likely scare off casual gamers or those trying out the genre for the first time. But for fighting game veterans, and those with the patience to delve into the game’s esoterica, “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” will be a deeply rewarding experience.

Last but not least, one can’t talk about “Guilty Gear Xrd” without praising the magnificent visuals. With these games, Arc System Works has done the impossible: it has created 3D visuals that look indistinguishable from quality 2D. The graphics are so beautiful they have to be seen to be believed – an amazing feat, especially when taken into account that those graphics are nearing three years old.

“Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” is being sold as a full, standalone product that’s available both physically and digitally, as well as a DLC upgrade for those already owning “Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator.” The DLC update costs only half of the physical/digital copy.



The honing of near-perfection

“Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-” is fantastic, but Arc System Works built upon what made that game such a success and created something spectacular. “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” is therefore the honing of near-perfection. Baiken and Answer are welcome additions to the eclectic roster, the After Story and new character Episodes are a nice touch, while an assortment of changes, from the character balance adjustments to the tweaks to the game’s numerous systems add more value to an already exquisite product.

If you never played “Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-” or missed out on “Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator,” the full “Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2” package is a must-buy, especially if you’re a fighting game aficionado. If you already own “Revelator,” the DLC update is just as important if you’re hankering for the ultimate “Guilty Gear Xrd” experience.

Read our review of “Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-” here. — TJD, GMA News

Rating – 9/10
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows