Link to original post: [drupal=3574]Continuum Shift: The Day After[/drupal]
Anyone who has seen my posts about BlazBlue in the various threads dedicated to the game, knows that I have mixed feelings about the franchise. I loved Guilty Gear, and I had great anticipation for BlazBlue when it was announced. I was a fan when it was released last year, but soured on it over time. Eventually I became indifferent towards it, and it sat on my shelf collecting dust.
When Continuum Shift was announced, I wasn't surprised. Arc Systems had done the same thing with yearly Guilty Gear releases, so I was expecting it. Actually, I was excited. Calamity Trigger had become a mediocre substitute for Guilty Gear in my eyes, and I was looking forward to seeing the franchise grow and develop as its very own game. I hoped that Continuum Shift would move BlazBlue out of the shadow of Guilty Gear. As more information was released, and videos of the Japanese arcade release began showing up on Youtube, I grew more hopeful. The game seemed to be coming into its own, and my favorite character, Litchi, had been totally revamped and improved upon.
So why is it that only one day after I purchased my copy, I'm ready to trade it in?
I played with Minato last night, and did a few ranked matches this morning. Don't get me wrong, the game delivers exactly what it promised: more BlazBlue. More moves and techniques, more characters, more stages, more music. It's blown right past Guilty Gear's crazy combos, and it's not uncommon to see 20 or 30 hit combos in a match, or more. Continuum Shift has everything that a BlazBlue fan could want.
I suppose that's the problem then, because try as I might, I'm not a BlazBlue fan. I don't hate the game, or even dislike it. I'm just apathetic towards it. I can't shake the feeling that there is something missing from the game. It's an intangible quality that I can't quite identify, yet I know that Street Fighter 4 has it, Melee had it, and Guilty Gear had it in spades. It's as if the game lacks "magic," for lack of a better term. Individually, I love the different parts of the game: the wacky characters, the 2-D sprites, the unique playstyle of every character. But they come together to form less than the sum of their parts, and it leads to indifference on my part. I used to rage when I lost a match, and dedicate myself to improving. Now I just shrug.
For now, I'm pinning my hopes to the DLC characters, particularly Makoto. Her rushdown style looks interesting, and I hope that I can find that intangible quality that I'm looking for in her playstyle. But I doubt it. I'm glad that I bought the game either way, because now I know for certain that it just isn't my cup of tea. Had I skipped this installment, I'd be asking myself, "What if I liked Continuum Shift?" $40 is a steep price to pay for that knowledge, but it's better than not knowing. I guess the best I can do is pray to the various gods for Guilty Gear X3, which is just as likely as Makoto rekindling my interest in BlazBlue.
So I guess this is goodbye. But don't worry BlazBlue, it's not you, it's me.
Anyone who has seen my posts about BlazBlue in the various threads dedicated to the game, knows that I have mixed feelings about the franchise. I loved Guilty Gear, and I had great anticipation for BlazBlue when it was announced. I was a fan when it was released last year, but soured on it over time. Eventually I became indifferent towards it, and it sat on my shelf collecting dust.
When Continuum Shift was announced, I wasn't surprised. Arc Systems had done the same thing with yearly Guilty Gear releases, so I was expecting it. Actually, I was excited. Calamity Trigger had become a mediocre substitute for Guilty Gear in my eyes, and I was looking forward to seeing the franchise grow and develop as its very own game. I hoped that Continuum Shift would move BlazBlue out of the shadow of Guilty Gear. As more information was released, and videos of the Japanese arcade release began showing up on Youtube, I grew more hopeful. The game seemed to be coming into its own, and my favorite character, Litchi, had been totally revamped and improved upon.
So why is it that only one day after I purchased my copy, I'm ready to trade it in?
I played with Minato last night, and did a few ranked matches this morning. Don't get me wrong, the game delivers exactly what it promised: more BlazBlue. More moves and techniques, more characters, more stages, more music. It's blown right past Guilty Gear's crazy combos, and it's not uncommon to see 20 or 30 hit combos in a match, or more. Continuum Shift has everything that a BlazBlue fan could want.
I suppose that's the problem then, because try as I might, I'm not a BlazBlue fan. I don't hate the game, or even dislike it. I'm just apathetic towards it. I can't shake the feeling that there is something missing from the game. It's an intangible quality that I can't quite identify, yet I know that Street Fighter 4 has it, Melee had it, and Guilty Gear had it in spades. It's as if the game lacks "magic," for lack of a better term. Individually, I love the different parts of the game: the wacky characters, the 2-D sprites, the unique playstyle of every character. But they come together to form less than the sum of their parts, and it leads to indifference on my part. I used to rage when I lost a match, and dedicate myself to improving. Now I just shrug.
For now, I'm pinning my hopes to the DLC characters, particularly Makoto. Her rushdown style looks interesting, and I hope that I can find that intangible quality that I'm looking for in her playstyle. But I doubt it. I'm glad that I bought the game either way, because now I know for certain that it just isn't my cup of tea. Had I skipped this installment, I'd be asking myself, "What if I liked Continuum Shift?" $40 is a steep price to pay for that knowledge, but it's better than not knowing. I guess the best I can do is pray to the various gods for Guilty Gear X3, which is just as likely as Makoto rekindling my interest in BlazBlue.
So I guess this is goodbye. But don't worry BlazBlue, it's not you, it's me.
