Guilty Gear Xrd

General characteristics

Like its predecessor , Guilty Gear Xrd uses three-dimensional graphics, being developed on the Unreal Engine 3 engine , but unlike it, the game remains a two-dimensional fighting game that uses sal-shader animation and a limited amount of animation to make character models similar to two-dimensional sprites.

As before, after choosing one of the available characters, the player is invited to defeat the enemy (computer or another player) in a battle consisting of an odd number of rounds. Against the opponent, you can use strokes of varying degrees of power, throws and combinations of strokes ( combos ), performed by movements of the joystick and pressing the control buttons. Characters can be unarmed or have edged weapons; however, the weapon is not included in the combat system to the same extent as, for example, in the games of the Samurai Showdown or Soul series: it cannot be broken, lost or picked up again, it is used solely to diversify the animation of techniques; therefore, from the point of view of game mechanics, unarmed and armed characters are absolutely identical. Throwing weapons in the game are absent, but nevertheless, some characters are able to throw various objects or clots of energy ( projectiles ) into the opponent.

Game Modes

The console version of Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- offers the player several modes, of which the main ones are combined into four categories ^[22] :

• Network Mode ( rus. Network game mode ) - allows players to conduct matches through network services on the respective platforms ( PlayStation Network in console versions and Steam in computer, respectively). It includes two game modes: Player Match ( Russian match between [two] players ) and Ranked Match ( Russian match for rating ).
• Practice Mode ( Russian practice mode ) - combines four modes under itself:
  • Training ( rus. Training ) - a training mode within which you can freely control the behavior of the enemy and practice attacks on him.
  • Tutorial ( Russian. Training ) - introducing the player to the basic rules of the game;
  • Mission ( Russian Mission ) - includes programmed battles that simulate a combat situation;
  • Challenge ( Russian. Tests ) - focuses on combos of various difficulty levels.
• Battle Mode ( Russian battle mode ) - combines three modes under it:
  • Arcade ( Russian Arcade ) - a battle with eight computer opponents in turn with the boss as the final opponent; the only mode besides the story, in which the details of the plot are revealed.
  • Versus - a battle with another player "live" or with a computer opponent.
  • MOM (from the English M edal O f M illionaires - Russian. Medal of millionaires ) is an advanced version of the traditional survival mode compared to Guilty Gear XX , in which the player earns medals, which in this mode incarnation can now be used to improve the character's parameters.
• Story Mode ( Russian story mode ) - is presented in the form of cutscenes , united in several chapters, revealing the main storyline in full measure, starting from the action of the plot in arcade mode. The player can pause the game in this mode to view a glossary of concepts related to the setting.

Battle System

In the presence of some newly introduced techniques, the game’s combat system basically continues the high-speed combat style typical of previous fighting games in the series, while at the same time abandoning the functions introduced in the updated versions of Guilty Gear XX , such as Force Break and Slashback . Five buttons are responsible for the main attacks in the game: a punch (P - Punch ), a kick (K - Kick ), a swing of a weapon (S - Slash ) and a strong swing of a weapon (HS - Heavy Slash ); another button is responsible for the universal mechanics of Dust , supplemented by GGXrd , and another button - Taunt - allows the player to humiliate the opponent and show respect to him through the function of the same name. Blocking hits in the game is a simple step back.

In addition to these basic attacks, each character has a fairly significant set of special and super-techniques ( Overdrive, in internal terminology) - an average of 8-10 attacks per character. Super receptions differ from special ones in power, as well as in that they consume 50% of the energy stored in the energy scale ( Tension ), which is displayed at the bottom of the screen. In addition to the above, most advanced attack and defense techniques related to using the energy scale - Fauntless Defense , interrupt systems, Instant Kill and others - returned (in a partially modified form) to GGXrd ; the Burst scale has also returned, working basically according to the same rules as in Guilty Gear XX .

The initial arcade version of Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- included 14 characters, of which 13 (twelve returning from past games in the series and one new character) were initially available for the game; later the previously unplayable single-player boss was made available for play. Subsequently, with the release of the game on home platforms and subsequent updates, their total number was 17. Another six characters were introduced after the release of Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- on arcade machines; the console edition of the latter currently has 23 game characters.

New Characters

• Badman ( Japanese ベ ッ ド マ ン Baddoman , Eng. Bedman ) ^{[K 2]} - a mercenary from the world of dreams, able to use the thoughts of his opponents against them ^{[23] [24] [25]} .
• Leo Whitefang ( レ オ · ホ ワ イ ト フ ァ ン グ Leo Whitefang ) ^{[K 3]} - one of the three allied kings of Illyria, a longtime acquaintance of Kai Kiske ^[26] .
• Ramlethal Valentine
• Elfelt Valentine ( エ ル フ ェ ル ト バ レ ン タ イ ン Eruferuto Barentein , English Elphelt Valentine ) ^{[K 3]} - “sister” Ramletal; at the beginning of the storyline - an ally of the main characters, secretly sent to follow them ^[28] .
• Jack-O Valentine ( ジ ャ ッ ク ・ オ ー ・ バ レ ン タ イ ン Jakku-O Barentine , Jack-O Valentine ) ^{[K 4]} - one of the three ministers of the same man who created the Mechanisms ^[29] .
• Kum Haehyun ( Japanese 琴 慧 弦 (ク ム ＝ ヘ ヒ ョ ョ) Kumu Haehyun , English Kum Haehyun ) ^{[K 5]} is a young Korean woman who can control qi flows and fight from within the mechanical “body” ^[30] .
• Answehr ( ア ン サ ー Answa , English Answer ) is a businessman with ninja skills, a friend of Chipp and the head of his election campaign for the presidency S.Sh.A.

Returning Characters

Returning to Sign

Returning to Revelator

Returning to Rev 2

Comments

Sources

• The official Japanese site for the arcade version of Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- (jap.)
• The official Japanese site of console versions of Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- (jap.)
• The official Japanese site for the arcade version of Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- (jap.)
• The official Japanese site for console versions of Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- (jap.)
• Guilty Gear Xrd Official US Website