BlazBlue Central Fiction Special Edition Review – Martial Arts Mastery

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BlazBlue Central Fiction Special Edition

As the Nintendo Switch has been enjoying relatively great success around the globe, it is no surprise that developers have been flocking to the system and releasing their software on the device. One genre that seems to be flourishing on the Switch is the fighting game genre. Dragon Ball Fighter Z, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, Pocket Rumble, Blade Strangers, and of course Super Smash Bros. Ultimate all combine to make a formidable collection of titles. Despite the tough competition this hasn’t stopped Arc System Works from releasing BlazBlue Central Fiction Special Edition, but with so many fighters competing with one another, can this latest version of BlazBlue stand out?

BlazBlue

Nintendo Switch fans may already be familiar with some of the cast of BlazBlue, as they made up a good chunk of the roster in the crossover fighter BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. The series revolves around Ragna the Bloodedge who is suffering from amnesia which doesn’t make things easy for him. Especially when he finds his face all over wanted posters. Then of course there’s the multitude of other characters and their stories to cover. BlazBlue Central Fiction Special Edition features 36 playable characters (Four of which were DLC for the PS4 Ver). Unlike Cross Tag Battle, Central Fictions‘ battles are 1v1 fights rather than tag team battles. Also unlike many fighting games being released today, the point must be made that Central Fiction is stuffed to the brim with content, but more on that later.

Want to Fight?

The most important aspect of any fighter has to be the combat. The BlazBlue series has long been a favourite among fighting game fans. Whilst it has never enjoyed the popularity that titles like Marvel vs Capcom or Street Fighter have had, it certainly shares the same prestige. As mentioned above, Central Fiction boasts an impressive roster of 36 and each character is as colourful and impactful as the last. No two play the same and every moveset feels well thought out. There’s bound to be a playstyle that suits anyone. Do you play as hot headed Ragna and charge into combat? Perhaps take control of Carl Clover who fights alongside his robot sister? Or play as the shrewd Hazama and toy with your prey?

Not only is the cast extensive and greatly varied, but the actual fights themselves do a good job of mixing style and substance. Players can choose between “Technical” and “Stylish” mode, the latter being a mode that auto inputs combos for you. It isn’t something that is for everyone, but nice to have the option if playing friends who are new to the action. However even when playing in “Technical” the visuals on display are great. As an anime fighter one expects to see all kinds of spectacular visuals and Central Fiction has plenty. It won’t take long for players to be launching special attacks at one another and when they land they are truly great crowd pleasers.

Story & Other Modes

Than one aspect of BlazBlue that sets it apart from the competition is its extensive story. Central Fiction boasts a story that easily spans 15 hours. For the most part it is told through text, but there are a few cutscenes. Overall whilst arguments can be made about how convoluted the plot can be (There’s a glossary in this game to explain all the terminology), it is nice seeing these characters interact with one another. ASW have also done a nice job of trying to ease new players into this cluster of characters as there is an option at the beginning for the characters to recap the main events of the series up until this point, which for the most part does a good job.

Finally, Central Fiction does a great job of offering even more single player content and multiplayer modes. Its Arcade Mode features three Acts for the majority of the cast (The characters that were DLC for the PS4 ver, but in the base game for Switch only have one). It offers single player modes like Grim Abyss, Score Attack, and Speed Star Mode all which put a spin on the standard fighting formula. Whether it be aiming for the fastest time in battles or aiming for the highest score. Central Fiction also has ranked online and rooms that can be hosted by players which have online covered well, but I must admit I haven’t encountered any opponents as my review period for Central Fiction took place before the game’s release.

Performance

Of course the burning question regarding any game ported to the Switch is just how well does it run on the system. Dragon Ball FighterZ was highly praised for how well it ran on the Switch and Central Fiction is no different. Whether playing on the big screen or in the palm of my hands, Central Fiction maintains a smooth framerate and looks great.

In terms of visuals the vast majority do look great in BlazBlue Central Fiction Special Edition. Character sprites are appealing, but I did find some of the character illustrations in the story mode to be a bit poor. Some facial expressions just seemed really off. The music in BlazBlue is just as awesome as the rest of the series and whilst the character themes are the same the new ones are great. Staying on the topic of audio this will lead into my biggest complaint of Central Fiction.

Up until this point every BlazBlue game has featured an excellent English voice cast, but Central Fiction has ditched the English VA’s and after growing so accustom to the cast, it really is a shame for them to be dropped. It doesn’t take long to adjust to the change, but the most baffling aspect is that the character interactions at the beginning and end of each fight haven’t been subtitled.

System reviewed on: Nintendo Switch.

Disclaimer: A review code for BlazBlue Central Fiction Special Edition was provided by the publisher.