Arc System Works is currently holding their second location test for Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- at select arcades around Japan. This test marks the first time that players will get their hands on I-No and Axl, who were revealed at Sony’s pre-TGS event, as well the more recently announced Faust and Slayer. As with the previous test, a good number of people are posting impressions and photos of the game online.

First up, ElvenShadow from DustLoop provided some general impressions of the game, including the new mechanics. He also mentions some of the new stages that he’s observed.

ElvenShadow’s General Impressions

Blitz Shield Blitz Shield is active about a half second or less. Causes that extreme slash state as seen before. I was able to combo Faust standing P into a ground combo after fairly easy at point blank range. It can absorb one hit projectiles (dunno about multi) and you won’t take damage but it does nothing to your opponent.



Blitz Shield can be thrown. Chipp leaf threw me out of it.

Blitz Shield absorbs Fausts whole bomb bag!!! It probably absorbs all hits until not active.

I may be wrong but the active frames for air Blitz Shield seem to be shorter than the ground version. I was able to counter an air move with air blitz shield but it seems much harder to follow up. Opponent is in same state as ground and kinda floats in place. Roman Cancels YRC is 25% meter. Purple and red are 50%. Purple seems to be what you get for whiffed moves that don’t allow for YRC which is why new pogo move is still active but even on whiff doesn’t allow YRC for 25. Any non projectile move that touches the opponent is red RC.

Certain moves that can be YRCd still seem to only be during specific frames. If you wait to long you get purple RC and spend more meter. For example Faust air teleport can be YRCd right when he starts falling from the sky but if you wait too long it’s purple. Same applies to Going My Way off pogo. Early yellow, late purple, even when it still has active frames.

If you mash YRC and have 50% or more meter you might get another YRC right after. I did air teleport and mashed YRC and he did the animation again for the cancel after the first one and I wastssd more meter. So, don’t mash cancels. You still need to time things Danger Time I know what danger time is now. Experienced it personally. Basically the game seems to run normally except ANY connected hit will put the opponent in a super long counter hit state. Like way more time than normal. Does counter hit damage too. It ends when time runs out. Not when someone lands a hit. New stages Axl stage is on a moving train. Really pretty night view of city in distance. A which on a broom flys along the side of train.

Jungle/Forest stage. I thinks it’s Fausts. Huge dead gear can be partially seen. Waterfall. And 2 giant sword are sticking out of the ground like Excalibur.

New Stage. Similar to old Japan stage with the Sakura and walking spirits. Chipp’s stage.

Other new stage. Sorta frosty looking village with wolves chilling. Busted wagon and palm trees.

Slayers new stage is awesome. Has a big portrait of him on the wall and there’s a feast table with gothic chairs and candles. Sharon is running around in the background. Looks like some sorta Castlevania dungeon. Miscellaneous There are still no IKs in this build.

Jump installs are in the game. I was able to do Fausts old jump install air combo off of RC pogo in the corner

At the pre battle match up screen the announcer says “character name vs character name. Get ready to rock!”

ElvenShadow also talked about the changes to the characters, including a very detailed description of Faust.

ElvenShadow’s Character Impressions

Faust Item throw seems slower and easier to punish

Item throw animation is slightly different. It’s easier to see what item comes out. Faust sorta holds it in his hand for a fraction of a second before tossing it. When doing the super toss they come out faster and harder to see though.

Faust cannot use any form of RC to cancel whiff command throw animation. I assume this applies to all command throws. I think I tested it on P buster last time

Faust new items. Black hole! He throws a mini black hole that falls one the ground and sucks opponent towards it. Lasts for like 3 seconds. Similar to magnetism in BB. Sucks in Faust. If Faust is comboing someone in the black hole it keeps pulling forward so it allows for all kinds of new stuff to combo. The hole doesn’t do actual damage and sucks even when the are blocking. Giant loony tunes style weight. When it hits the ground it knocks both opponents down similar to Potemkin slide head. Causes damage if it hits opponent. Also hits on the way up. Smoke bomb on balloon. Floats slowly down and causes smoke effect. The smoke balloon item sits on the ground when it lands for a while until someone touches it. I still don’t know what the smoke does. Spring board. If someone (both Faust and his opponent) walks on it they are shot up into the air really high. Hit character can tech out of it at nearly peak height. The springboard seems to go away if the person standing over it is blocking. Oil barrel. It falls on the ground and makes a slippery puddle. Anyone who walks on it walks like they are… Well.. On oil! It lasts like 5 whole seconds!

Returning items. Mini Faust. Same Poison. Same Hammer. Same Doughnut. Same Candy. Same Meteors. Same Bomb. Reduced blast radius.

Removed (or at least I didn’t see these yet. They could just be rare) Mini Po Mini RK Tub Chikuwa Coin

Follow up post on items.

I played a few matches vs the computer to test out item throw ability reset conditions and frequency of appearance. Conditions for all old items are the same Black hole – you can throw another item as soon as it lands and it stays on screen for like 3 seconds so that can make for interesting situations. And yes you can get more than one black hole on screen at once Oil barrel/drum – as soon as it hits the ground (this can hit the opponent btw) and the oil fully poors out to make the puddle you can throw another item. The puddle is active for like 5 seconds Balloon thing – seems you can’t throw another item until the balloon bursts and releases smoke. (I waited and it stayed on screen for at least 3 seconds and didn’t show signs of disappearing. My opponent eventually touched it. This may be a worthless item that handicaps Faust until it goes away. The smoke doesn’t last long enough to his anything and it doesn’t follow whoever touched it) Spring board – stays on screen for about 3 seconds and flashes before it disappears on its own or goes away if someone touches it. Can’t throw items till its gone. Giant weight – it pretty much flashes and disappears as soon as it hits the ground so you can throw pretty fast (if you don’t get knocked down! It comes out really fast!)

I played a few matches vs the computer to test out item throw ability reset conditions and frequency of appearance. Conditions for all old items are the same Normals. Brand new 2.HS. Less range. Faust kinda spins break dance style and it pokes straight along ground. Might be low. I think it cancels into 5P Far 5.S. still good long range forward poke but is now more of a thrust. Can cancel into specials but no normals that I could find. J.S. similar animation but range looks reduced. All other normals are about the same. Can’t Gatling 2.D into any normal but jump cancellable. Close 5S doesn’t Gatling into P 5k gratlings into 2S like XX – slash. Not other way around like AC Can still FDC drill and do instant overheads and whatever else All 3 hits of Fausts 2k hit low! Can jump cancel first 2 hits Fausts can’t cancel jump S into J K but can can cancel into J p or J Hs. 5K on counter hit knocks away like in regular AC Far S on counter combos into pogo like always. Also, 2D combos clean into pogo on light characters like always (tested in Millia) Faust stand k can still stuff riot stomp Fausts air dust no longer knocks down His new S and 2HS more or less function in the same way but the just look different.

Pogo stuff New move (press up)- Faust spins around like a tornado really high and floaty and falls down still spinning. All active hit box. Lands back on pogo. Can by purple RCd for 50% (so maybe it’s not active the whole time? I dunno yet) can adjust direction with stick slightly. Other pogo moves are just like reload. No slide on pogo hit. Wall bounces. Ground flower is Close short range. Only knocks down on counter. P now uses his tongue instead of head but otherwise same. Fausts P pogo head seems like it has slower start-up and recovery Can YRC normals on pogo stance (at least head flower for sure) If you hit with pogo in corner you can combo into the new up tornado spin. Does decent damage. Can cancel for 50% meter and continue combo but I haven’t really had a chance to explore the best options. 66 pogo attack while on pogo stance does not knock down on counter hit like it does in +R Whiff initial pogo can br YRCd. Ff and bb pogo while in stance is red RC even on whiff.. Whiff Going My Way off pogo can be YRCd

Fausts trampoline spring trap will hit him too in he steps on it.

Item throwability rules are the same. It depends on the item. Like for mini Faust u have to wait til it lands. For candy you have to wait til it’s gone.

Rerere no tsuki animation new on pullback. Scalpel bends to look like fishing rod. Swat follow up same. I think D follow up removed.

Due to time slow Faust can RC the upward swat follow up from Rerere no tsuki and combo them before they get all the way up. Could lead to some nice combos. Also, it’s much easier for opponents to burst out of that move now too.

Faust can also cancel the initial pull of rerere no tsuki into ground combos like old reload but it costs 50%.

Faust full Rerere into swat still builds tons of meter

You can indeed combo 5P after Rerere pull in for no meter (no RC) but they get pushed too far back to get a knock down or pogo. You’d just be able to do like 5P 2S and the 2D whiffs. Or 5P 2S 2H and if you cancel to pogo it also whiffs. You could cancel into item though. I think the air swat is a better option for no meter and it builds a lot.

Faust can YRC air teleport before it hits. I found a glitch. I did Going My Way over the oil puddle and when I landed I got frozen in this strange position that was obviously not intended. I couldn’t do anything and my opponent just waited and after like 10 seconds he finally hit me out of it. I was fighting FAB Potemkin. I honestly don’t know the reason why. Kancho super. Cinematic after opponent chooses one of 4 boxes. This time you can move the box with the angel around really fast multiple times and it shows where it starts. Think coin under the cup game that people do at carnivals. I don’t think opponent can get angel by simply pushing a button before Faust player now.

Faust just pokes you with his fingers now.

Item super same.

I just saw a Faust player do item super and for some reason like 10 items came out super fast!!!!!??? Is it just random!?!? Whoooaaaaa….

Items seem to not go as high in the air but angles still vary.

Can’t do anything until you land after a regular going my way.

Faust can YRC item throw super

Ai (bomb bag) still hits both players

Can YRC Ai, both door teleports (not sure about air one)

His game seems like its more about zoning and poking with items and less about high damage combos.

Alt color is blue with orange and white (Chicago bears!)

Faust 3rd color is another dark blue color with some pink details like his button things on his shoulder. I’ll probably rock Chicago bears color for now (Chi-town!)

Also maybe I saw Faust’s 3rd color wrong but I just played and got a cool brown color with pimp pin stripes on his pants.

Faust still has his glowing head taunt that hits lol

Faust has 2 other new taunts. One he spits out a string of various country flags that hangs from his bag like a giant tounge. The other he does some wacky shit where he puts both hands on his head and sticks his tongue out.

Fausts new backwards walk animation is so awsome. He comically moves his legs super fast like a cartoon character. Also he can still crouch walk forward under projectiles

Faust has writing on his bag and his back but I can’t read it fast enough when it zooms in on it.

Opening animation – Faust looks at medical chart and camera zooms in over his should. Spins around. He goes in a door and pops out of the floor on the stage awesomely stuff and comical. Camera goes back to view from other side of door. A sign lights up above door that says (operation in progress (in Japanese)). Door slams.

Faust win animation. Flies away on umbrella with dynamic camera angles. Slayer Slayer has air 2k with slight different animation

I talked to Gin, an old school slayer and he says that slayer does have a 2k in air but its not like AC. So he has different air combos now

I saw some new hop like follow up from 2k. Think Anji hop.

More on slayers new HS dandy follow up. As I said its like Anji hop and then slayer pops off he ground and can do another attack before landing. I think it’s also an overhead

Slayer has new animation or new move that absorbs a hit. He sorta recoils and the slashes both his arms out. Looks pimp.

I saw slayer 6p clash with Ky DP.

Slayer can YRC Dandy Step

Pile Bunker does not wall stick or wall bounce

I tried to RC his hurricane kick like move and got purple RC but maybe i did it late. It may just not be YRCable

Slayers air dash seems longer than AC but maybe a bit shorter than reload.

I got hit by bite loop for 6 reps by Slayer and couldn’t mash out

Slayer cinematic super is Dead on Time. Just with dynamic camera angles.

Slayer alt color blue and white

Slayer opening animation. Smokes his pipe and sucks Sharon’s blood. The camera angles are cool.

Slayer win animation. He embraces Sharon as she sips tea and Slayer talks shit like a boss I-no I-no can air dash after ground dash. She can’t dash after HS forward air dive. No double air dash.

Saw Chemical Love follow up very quickly. It comes out fast and knocks opponent straight down to the ground. It looks like a 2nd chemical love the just comes out right over the opponent.

Also I saw slayer dash cancel into air throw and throw I-no out of chemical love

I-no can RC and YRC Chemical Love

You can air dash after YRC chemical love both versions even if you start on the ground.

I-no move where she slides forward on the ground and hits you upward can be YRCd

I-no can air dash after a blocked P dive.

Her far slash doesn’t launch at all on regular hit. Dunno about counter.

The note is a constant speed. Does 5 hits full screen.

I-no’s alt color is green

I-no cinematic super is the forward energy super (not the big sphere) she blows you a kiss first.

I-no can’t do anything after Fortissimo super until she hits the ground.

I-no’s intro – she slides a pick up the fret board of her guitar and there’s lots of close up tit jiggling.

I-no’s win pose has her surrounded by flashy rainbow music bars and notes that is sure to cause some epeleptic seizures Axl Axl has a new move where he shoots chain up diagonally really far and then can pull it back and follow up with a long vertical one. Looks like he can hold or charge it.

Axl bomber does not knock opponent as high. Can still catch and loop twice in corner but timing seems strict. Air dive Axl bomber removed.

Axl chains do 2 hits but don’t really pull in much..

Axl unblockable move much slower now and doesn’t go full screen.

Axl’s new full screen chain move I mentioned before seems really good. He can keep doing it pretty rapidly one after another and it has multiple angles. Still not sure exactly how it works

For Axl’s new super he pulls you toward him from full screen even on block

Axl intro, he just looks like a smartass and spins his chains around.

His win animation is similar and ends with a cheesy grin and thumbs up.

They fixed Axl’s name back to Axl Low and not Row Potemkin Potemkin 6.hs causes opponent to roll backwards on the ground on hit (not sure if counter only)

When you hit with scalpel super with Faust it shows a close up of the characters face and their reaction. When you hit Potemkin his helmet comes off and he still has his old human face under there with regular white eyes with black pupils. So, if he is a cyborg he is still pretty human. Millia Millia’s Tandem Top bad moon wall sticks on counter hit Ky Ky’s charge stun edge when enhanced with the seal seems to juggle the opponent for like 3 or so hits if the land on it and they can’t tech.

I think Ky has a new 3HS (new normal) that is an upward swing that OTGs. Not chainable. Can cancel to specials. Don’t remember if it was in 1st loketest. Actually maybe you can chain it from far 5s May May’s whale causes a rolling state on counter hit that I mentioned before with PO 6HS. It’s untechable and you can combo off of it. It seems to be similar to slide state. Sol Fafnir causes a rolling state on counter hit similar to May’s whale Chipp Saw Chipp run under Ky regular projectile

Chipp has a follow up option on his demos move where he does a sort upward diagonal rising kick and be recovers pretty fast and can do another normal or whatever while still in the air when it recovers

Never noticed this before but Chipp’s win animation is him putting on glasses and vanishing Ina puff of smoke and a US dollar with his face in it falls down and it zooms in on it. Mr. President!

Also from Dustloop, King of Heart added some observations he had about Sol.

Riot Stomp now is totally unsafe on block.

Sol was picked a lot and from what i saw all sol players are having trouble doing the 2nd rep of the dust loop even me i can’t tell why.

In addition, @ensetugekka on Twitter tweeted some off-screen images from the location test.

Meanwhile, Famitsu posted their own off-screen photos.

Feel free to let us know what you think of all this new information in the comments below.

Sources: Impressions from ElvenShadow (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) and King of Heart via Dustloop, photos from @ensetugekka and Famitsu (tip via Kurushii)