Xbox 360 Gamers' BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Review
The Good Parts (3 out of 5)
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is a wonderfully engaging combination of hyper-accelerated 2D fighting extravaganza and psychedelic nightmare from the same people who gave us the Guilty Gear titles. Japanese developer Arc System Works has created a truly immersive world around an amazing deep and useful virtual-fighter that in the hands of a virtual-fighting guru can really sing a nice tune.
The combat system in this game is one of the deepest and best conceived in the genre and ranks near the top with Street Fighter IV and Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. The variety of counters, cancels, and blocks is beautifully balanced to make the combat engaging, enjoyable, and totally satisfying to take part in.
The Bad Parts (3 out of 5)
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger isn’t a game for a novice or casual fighting-genre gamer, the included fighting system takes time to learn how to use effectively. You’ll need to spend a lot of time with this game before you’ll get to the real meat of this game, especially to master the deep defensive side of the combat system.
The Graphical Picture (5 out of 5)
The mesmerizing mix of 2D images and 3D models used for the backgrounds add a nice visual variety with bright colors and distinctive looks for all the characters included in BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. The animations used in this video game are some of the hottest looking, with amazing fast and smooth attacks that are one of a kind in the genre.
Screenshots
Sounds in the Game (3 out of 5)
The high-pitched voices of the characters is normal in the Japanese anime universe that BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger was created for and if you have played this type of game before, than if will probably be a welcome sound. Gamers who haven’t played this type of game before will probably be a little surprised the first time they experience it for a few hours.
The sound track was excellent, with songs you’re probably not going to recognize, but they were excellent in improving the entertainment value of the game play and story.
The Story Line (3 out of 5)
The story of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger begins in the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi, a mystical place where humanity has successfully combined the technology with a powerful form of magic called Armagus. The story line eventually unfolds into a longwinded tale that appears to have been written by a fighter, not an imaginative thinker.
Playability (5 out of 5)
Playability is where BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger reaches the top of the fighting genre, with frantic one on one combat that will thrill you and keep you coming back for more fun. The slick designs and outlandish action of this video game hide a complex and deep fighter, but you’ll have to spend time to learn the moves because this game doesn’t provide the gamer with much help learning the moves. All the characters have unique moves that don’t teach you anything about the other characters attacks, so there’s a lot of memorizing involved.
The Last Word (3 out of 5)
In the hands of an expert virtual-fighter BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger might be the best fighting experience in the genre currently. Disc jockeys that are out of shape will need to immediately start an intensive training program if they want to Guilty Gear’s latest fighter. Either way you’re going to take your lumps while learning the intricacies of this game, which is delightful fun to think about.
