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Intro
 Admittedly,
I'm a fan of the Guilty Gear series. Why is that important? Because Guilty
Gear X AE broke my heart into a thousand tiny, sobbing pieces. Quick to my
aid comes the valiant Guilty Gear X2, galloping on its mighty steed towards
me to mend my wounds and to let me know that Arc Systems is every bit as talented
as I had remembered. Not only goes X2 up the ante for fighters, it also establishes
Arc System Works and Sammy Studios as contenders for the 2D fighting crown with
imaginative characters, innovative moves, and incredible balance.
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Guilty Gear X2 features the gears and agents
going after the previous titles' main fighter, Dizzy, and her flight to the Jellyfish
pirates under the protection of Johnny and the gang. Well, the story isn't important,
but at least it's reinforced by a tightly interwoven Story Mode that has the characters
going on different adventures that has them interacting with each other - as in,
one character's speech given to the player might turn into the player speaking
to someone else when they chose to play as their previous enemy - with each unlocking
different paths, depending on what characters were played in which order. It's
an interesting and wholly enjoyable addition, even if the stories can get a little
odd.
Being odd is the name of the game
here, from the returning 9 foot tall, giant scalpel-welding Dr. Faust, to new
additions like a boy who was raised as a girl and wears a nun outfit as he captures
bounties with his yo-yo of doom. And, surprisingly, this parade of freaks is not
only immensely enjoyable to play, but they're also carefully balanced. The
new additions, like Bridget (the nun-boy), also include Zappa, the possessed man
who can call upon demons and a levitating razorblade made into a sword; an ex-assassin
guild-founder and descendant of Nosferatu, Slayer; and I-No, a vicious witch that
uses a guitar as a weapon. They fit right in with the old cast and really add
a great sense of flair that hasn't been seen this side of Waku Waku 7.
Along with the new characters is a new Burst Gauge which fills up when damage
is taken and inflicted, allowing for a reversal and to push an opponent back,
or do a strike to fill up the Tension Gauge. The Tension Gauge is a wonder as
it carries over from round-to-round, unlike Burst, and allows for roman cancels,
false roman attacks (new to this release), dead angle attacks, and the dreaded
instant kill 'destroy' move. There are also negative penalties to players who
constantly block, along with enhanced mobility due to double jumps, dashes, and
dust moves; dust attacks take longer to perform, and are weak, but kick the opponent
high into the air upon contact and allow for follow-up combos. To
see to it that all these players, moves, and gauges are put to good use, there's
a healthy amount of options present for gamers to partake in. Aside from the aforementioned
Story Mode, there's also a mission mode in which players have to defeat enemies
using specific rules, along with Medal of Millionaires mode, where players get
medals for better performance, and more life refilled as they attack strings of
enemies; there's the standard arcade and training modes as well. Whew.
Now, with all the features, modes, and character designs out of the way, it's
time to discuss the amazing balance that Arc Systems struck with these characters.
While the moves are over-the-top and look confused, they are actually strictly
confined and offer great opportunities to counter, or to continue to press the
attack. Moves will have Baiken, the badass one-armed female samurai, pull an opponent
towards her with a retractable claw and slice them with her sword, or the ninja
Chipp Zanuff zipping towards his opponent in a swift motion that leaves a cloud
of dust and leaves in its path as he disappears to attack. The game truly is what
the player wants to make it. It's perfectly serviceable as a button-mashing fighter
with similar motions for moves, but it can also provide a wealth of opportunities
for players willing to learn. And that is truly its greatest asset: it's one of
the few fighters that has such a striking blend that a newcomer can pick it up
and have fun, along with a veteran of the series. It's a stunning fighter with
a superb engine, and breathes new life into the waning genre's 2D life.
Graphics: 8/10
While Guilty
Gear was solid on the PlayStation, and absolutely stunning on the Dreamcast,
this second PlayStation 2 release sees little in the way of enhancements. That
is far from calling it a bad-looking game as it's still a joy to watch, but I'd
like to have seen some touchups to smooth out the characters' outlines. The effects
are still dazzling, and more than once they left me seeing double when I attempted
to look at anything outside in natural light, but they're well worth it. Some
of the moves are also fantastic with scenes popping out of nowhere that not only
surprise, but also remain enjoyable after multiple viewings. The imaginative designs
are welcome, and it's a testament to the artists as the older characters are still
good to see, and their animations can still dazzle and impress with the best of
them.
Sound:
6.5/10
The announcer's voice is semi-fixed this go-round, but it still isn't
especially clear. Also pretty weak are the redundant sound effects that quickly
become tiresome, especially if a character is blocking and all that's heard are
the same two phrases over and over. The music fares better with a hard rock soundtrack
that does well to fit in with the game's aggressive nature. Everything is serviceable
enough, with the music being the high point, but none of it is really up to par
with the rest of the game. Control:
9/10
With only a few moves being real hair-pullers to perform, the majority
of moves and the more extravagant attacks are pretty easy to pull off and follow
standards set by Street Fighters so many years ago. What makes the controls so
good are how well the moves are timed, and linking them together to form great
combos that light up the screen and destroy opponents. This aspect is really what
makes Guilty Gear X2 accessible to newcomers, as they can easily get into the
groove and defend themselves, but also reward those who put the time into it to
learn the appropriate ways of how and when to strike. Overall:
9/10
Guilty Gear X2 has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of
my favorite titles, not only on the PS2, but in general. The imagination, design,
execution, and style are all excellent and present a game that, while close to
the original GGX, provides an even more enjoyable experience. Given a chance,
I'm certain many will also find this to be the classic that it's destined to become. [
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