BLAZBLUE: CALAMITY TRIGGER (PSP)
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Publisher: pQube; Zen United.
Developer: Arc System Works. Released: September 2010 (Europe). Genre: 2D Fighter. Other versions: PS3; X360; PC. Posted 1st July 2014. By Tom Clare © 2014 |
At first glance, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger may not seem all that different from the raft of other 2D beat ‘em ups doing the rounds at the moment. Scratch the surface however, and you’ll find a game that feels more distinctive and diverse the more you play, with innovative gameplay and memorable characters collectively elevating it above its peers. Furthermore, the PSP port is stunning, with additional content allowing it a rare but legitimate claim of trumping its HD counterparts.
Calamity Trigger brings to the table a modest though immaculate roster of a dozen fighters, each of whom possesses a fragment of a story that is dually unusual for its ambition and successful articulation, particularly given the mostly-lamentable standards of its genre stablemates. Developed by Arc System Works, genre-stalwarts and the brains behind Guilty Gear, BlazBlue delivers an at-times sublime mix of the old and the new, making it the best ‘new’ beat ‘em up to emerge since Tekken.
Attempting to outline BlazBlue’s broader narrative is tricky, as it can seem dauntingly convoluted to begin with and, in truth, it’s not until you play a few story strands and note the recurrence of certain characters that you develop a more lucid appreciation for the jigsaw-like bigger picture. Some personalities fit recognisable archetypes, such as feuding brothers Ragna and Jin, who are in turn sought by shy, gun-toting peacekeeper Noel. These, alongside the heavy-but-powerful robot-man Tager, make for an ideal introduction into the game as they share many of the move configurations that have come to dominate Street Fighter, King of Fighters and many other figureheads of the 2D brawler autarchy. They’re not simply copycats though; what elevates BlazBlue is the ability to link complex special moves seamlessly with standard, one-button punch/kick manoeuvres to create fluid custom combos, something that has rarely felt so natural in a genre that has often been made to feel obstructive by unintuitive control schemes. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to string together some mega-satisfying move sets.
Calamity Trigger brings to the table a modest though immaculate roster of a dozen fighters, each of whom possesses a fragment of a story that is dually unusual for its ambition and successful articulation, particularly given the mostly-lamentable standards of its genre stablemates. Developed by Arc System Works, genre-stalwarts and the brains behind Guilty Gear, BlazBlue delivers an at-times sublime mix of the old and the new, making it the best ‘new’ beat ‘em up to emerge since Tekken.
Attempting to outline BlazBlue’s broader narrative is tricky, as it can seem dauntingly convoluted to begin with and, in truth, it’s not until you play a few story strands and note the recurrence of certain characters that you develop a more lucid appreciation for the jigsaw-like bigger picture. Some personalities fit recognisable archetypes, such as feuding brothers Ragna and Jin, who are in turn sought by shy, gun-toting peacekeeper Noel. These, alongside the heavy-but-powerful robot-man Tager, make for an ideal introduction into the game as they share many of the move configurations that have come to dominate Street Fighter, King of Fighters and many other figureheads of the 2D brawler autarchy. They’re not simply copycats though; what elevates BlazBlue is the ability to link complex special moves seamlessly with standard, one-button punch/kick manoeuvres to create fluid custom combos, something that has rarely felt so natural in a genre that has often been made to feel obstructive by unintuitive control schemes. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to string together some mega-satisfying move sets.
Blazblue features some unorthodox characters on some beautiful stages
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Anime intro? Don't mind if I do!
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The most memorable characters are those offer something different, either in terms of their story, look, or the unusual nature in which they are controlled. Rachel Alucard, an indomitably cynical, acerbic vampire girl is all of the above; her method of fighting primarily revolves around electrocuting foes either by throwing rods or a frog she calls George XIII onto the battle stage. Carl Clover on the other hand is a work of true ingenuity; accompanied as he is by a mannequin named Nirvana, your main goal is to keep Carl out of the firing line and, with a bit of dexterity, choreograph the powerful puppet to do his bidding. Surprisingly considering such a weird ‘n’ wonderful mix, character-balancing is mostly very good in Calamity Trigger, though there still a few who lack the necessary clout. Ninja Bang can lay some funky traps, whilst spectre Arakune can slink around in camouflage and generally prove a handful to pin down. However, their powerful moves aren’t instinctive enough, and against the really fast, accessible types like Jin, they can feel exposed.
Elsewhere, there’s a light relief element in the form of the likably dense cat-person Taokaka, whose wall dives and lacerating claws bring to mind a hyperactive reimagining of Street Fighter’s Vega. Also deserving of mention is the ninja-cyborg Hakumen, a fallen hero who is ideal for advanced players, as certain moves can only be executed when his power bar has reached a certain threshold. Hakumen’s story, unlocked after the initial ten standard strands have been completed, is particularly noteworthy, as it throws out the kind of understated bombshell that most beat ‘em ups could only dream of.
The story’s quality really must be emphasised; it offers much more than the thirty-second non-sequiturs of Tekken or the largely-nonsensical rhetoric you’re assaulted with in King of Fighters. The Arcade mode does offer the classic ten-stage run followed by an animated conclusion, but the Story mode delves deeper into the BlazBlue yarn and is where the game is ultimately at its best. Between battles, there are some occasionally long-winded but mostly very watchable cut-scenes. The beauty of it all is, there are several paths and endings for each character; sometimes losing a particular fight or choosing a particular response in a cut-scene will lead down one way, whilst defeating opponents with a disruption (essentially a super-special) finisher might change things again. The goals, motivations and general tone of each character’s story varies, yet there are few duds. Consequently, you’ll find a significant amount of play time here, it’s very addictive.
So what’s so special about the PSP version then? Well, aside from its core gameplay strengths, the handheld version introduces a couple of new features that weren’t a part of the home console releases. The first being the super-powered “Unlimited” versions of the characters, and more substantially, the Legion mode. Legion sees you navigating a battle board, and with each victory, you can add extra fighters to your ‘army’. Various bonuses and aids are attributed to each bout, such as the ability to lower the difficulty of future opponents, or healing for certain members of your ensemble. In many instances it resembles the classic Team Battle layout, with five-versus-five battles proving a good test, especially as you’ll sometimes have to strategically sacrifice less preferential characters or protect favoured ones if they are not at full health.
Elsewhere, there’s a light relief element in the form of the likably dense cat-person Taokaka, whose wall dives and lacerating claws bring to mind a hyperactive reimagining of Street Fighter’s Vega. Also deserving of mention is the ninja-cyborg Hakumen, a fallen hero who is ideal for advanced players, as certain moves can only be executed when his power bar has reached a certain threshold. Hakumen’s story, unlocked after the initial ten standard strands have been completed, is particularly noteworthy, as it throws out the kind of understated bombshell that most beat ‘em ups could only dream of.
The story’s quality really must be emphasised; it offers much more than the thirty-second non-sequiturs of Tekken or the largely-nonsensical rhetoric you’re assaulted with in King of Fighters. The Arcade mode does offer the classic ten-stage run followed by an animated conclusion, but the Story mode delves deeper into the BlazBlue yarn and is where the game is ultimately at its best. Between battles, there are some occasionally long-winded but mostly very watchable cut-scenes. The beauty of it all is, there are several paths and endings for each character; sometimes losing a particular fight or choosing a particular response in a cut-scene will lead down one way, whilst defeating opponents with a disruption (essentially a super-special) finisher might change things again. The goals, motivations and general tone of each character’s story varies, yet there are few duds. Consequently, you’ll find a significant amount of play time here, it’s very addictive.
So what’s so special about the PSP version then? Well, aside from its core gameplay strengths, the handheld version introduces a couple of new features that weren’t a part of the home console releases. The first being the super-powered “Unlimited” versions of the characters, and more substantially, the Legion mode. Legion sees you navigating a battle board, and with each victory, you can add extra fighters to your ‘army’. Various bonuses and aids are attributed to each bout, such as the ability to lower the difficulty of future opponents, or healing for certain members of your ensemble. In many instances it resembles the classic Team Battle layout, with five-versus-five battles proving a good test, especially as you’ll sometimes have to strategically sacrifice less preferential characters or protect favoured ones if they are not at full health.
The Wheel of Fate is turning! *cue awesome music*
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Mannequin Nirvana is the key to Carl Clover's success
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There’s an absolute glut of modes and incentives to keep the player busy. You can battle a friend wirelessly in the Network mode, or have a bash at the hardcore-targeted Score Attack. Here you face 12 hyper-tricky opponents (I got as far as battle seven) and is a good means of racking up points to spend in the game’s Shop. Here you’ll find a funky artwork, Unlimited characters and their top-grade Astral Heat finishing moves, as well as a sequence of very peculiar though still mildly amusing cut-scenes called Teach Me Ms. Litchi. It’s a cool mix and the order in which these goodies are accrued is entirely up to the player.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger looks positively radiant. The animated storyboards are a work of art, and fortunately, each and every one of them can be unlocked to view in the Gallery, along with a comprehensive selection of images that encapsulate the game’s beauty. Characters are not totally free of jagged lines, but they each look resplendent anyway, typified by numerous, gorgeous little flourishes. The brushstroke symbols that accompany some of Hakumen’s moves, Rachel’s generally odd attire complete with living umbrella; and the unsettling, gliding bobs of Arakune all make for standout designs. The battle stages are even better; sporting lots of background activity and using bright, primary colours as a means of crafting a really bold, eye-catching appearance. Movement is incredibly fluid, effects are dynamic (especially the explosive distortion finishers) and on the whole, the game’s presentation from top to bottom is first-rate.
The tunes range from very good to epic; the menu refrain is brilliantly intoxicating and the battle anthems chime excitedly. It seems as if a genuine effort has been made to match music with personalities and scenarios, which marks another step-forward for beat ‘em ups. The voice-acting is nothing to be ashamed of either; it’s nothing special and in cases like Noel and Carl, they can seem a bit vacuous, but on the whole it’s pretty acceptable. There are still a few lines that don’t seem right, but each fighter has a rich quota of dialogue and, somewhat uniquely, specific put-downs for each opponent, making every battle combination seem that bit more individual.
Once again, the fast, complex D-Pad command prompts threaten to mar the fluency of the 2D beat ‘em up experience, though the game’s pacing is less manic than that of its rivals, and with highly responsive controls and a myriad of attractive game modes, it’s positively enthralling. It’s also a model lesson in how to go about a handheld port, as the immense PSP version plays like a dream and even offers its own new features. Indeed, Calamity Trigger is one of the defining beat ‘em ups of its era, and a game that breathed life into a genre on the verge of stagnation.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger looks positively radiant. The animated storyboards are a work of art, and fortunately, each and every one of them can be unlocked to view in the Gallery, along with a comprehensive selection of images that encapsulate the game’s beauty. Characters are not totally free of jagged lines, but they each look resplendent anyway, typified by numerous, gorgeous little flourishes. The brushstroke symbols that accompany some of Hakumen’s moves, Rachel’s generally odd attire complete with living umbrella; and the unsettling, gliding bobs of Arakune all make for standout designs. The battle stages are even better; sporting lots of background activity and using bright, primary colours as a means of crafting a really bold, eye-catching appearance. Movement is incredibly fluid, effects are dynamic (especially the explosive distortion finishers) and on the whole, the game’s presentation from top to bottom is first-rate.
The tunes range from very good to epic; the menu refrain is brilliantly intoxicating and the battle anthems chime excitedly. It seems as if a genuine effort has been made to match music with personalities and scenarios, which marks another step-forward for beat ‘em ups. The voice-acting is nothing to be ashamed of either; it’s nothing special and in cases like Noel and Carl, they can seem a bit vacuous, but on the whole it’s pretty acceptable. There are still a few lines that don’t seem right, but each fighter has a rich quota of dialogue and, somewhat uniquely, specific put-downs for each opponent, making every battle combination seem that bit more individual.
Once again, the fast, complex D-Pad command prompts threaten to mar the fluency of the 2D beat ‘em up experience, though the game’s pacing is less manic than that of its rivals, and with highly responsive controls and a myriad of attractive game modes, it’s positively enthralling. It’s also a model lesson in how to go about a handheld port, as the immense PSP version plays like a dream and even offers its own new features. Indeed, Calamity Trigger is one of the defining beat ‘em ups of its era, and a game that breathed life into a genre on the verge of stagnation.
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VERDICT
Visual: 9/10
Audio: 7/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Longevity: 9/10 OVERALL: 9/10 |