Guilty Gear (GG) is a series I've followed for a while, but if you're already a big fan of the franchise, it's likely you're too busy playing the game instead of reading reviews on Amazon.



I won't preach to the choir, so this review is aimed at those fighting fans who haven't given GG a try before, or even non-fighting fans who happened to stumble across this niche franchise.



First and foremost, if you haven't played a fighting game in a very long time (or ever) and you're hoping to dip your toes in the pool, GG Xrd -Revelator- is easily the best (re)introduction to the genre. The Tutorial pits you against an obstacle course of brightly-labeled enemies, floating balloons, and timed gauntlets instead of simply pairing you against another stock character like most other fighting games. Each concept is explained in detail and players are given numerous chances to practice what they learn along the way.



Beyond the Tutorial, there are hundreds (yes, hundreds) of lessons in Combo mode and Mission mode. These lessons start humbly by teaching you basic Specials and combo but gradually advance to some extremely nuanced material. There are even match-up lessons that allow you to practice against certain Special moves or situations. Players have access to an FAQ in the menu which poses some common (and frustrating) questions like "Why can't I perform the combo?" and "why do I take damage even when I'm blocking?". These questions would normally go unanswered in other fighting games but -Revelator- thoroughly answers each one with helpful instructions. Lastly, a traditional Training mode is included which lets you choose your opponent and set a wide variety of variables. For instance, you can set "Block after first hit" to practice combos or "Jumping" to make the CPU-controlled dummy jump in the air repeatedly.



While it may seem odd to praise a game's tutorial before anything else, fighting games are notoriously unfriendly to new players. Despite the best efforts of online fighting-game fan sites, many of the genre's concepts are hard to understand without some hand-holding, and -Revelator- does the best job out of any fighting game to date. This game won't simply be a great introduction to Guilty Gear: it'll help you get better at fighting games in general if you're willing to learn.



5 new characters join the roster from -Sign- with a 6th on the way shortly, bringing the total up to 23. Like previous games in the series, each character handles very differently from one another. Jack O', for instance, summons ghost-generating huts that methodically pump out an army of automated minions. Sol Badguy defies the laws of physics with flying kicks and flaming uppercuts. Venom fights with pool balls and a cue (yep) and can teleport. The scantily-clad Ramlethal has two gigantic swords floating on each side which she controls with some sort of telekinesis. May is a sky-pirate who wields a metal anchor as big as herself. The cast is over-the-top, as if ripped straight from the craziest anime, and your selection of characters finally feels rounded out compared to -Sign- (which only had 17).



Compared to other fighting games, Guilty Gear may feel too fast to handle. It definitely favors offense. When you add in dashes, double-jumps, and screen-traversing Specials, lots of players will be overwhelmed. Don't worry. That's normal. Guilty Gear has a lot of underlying systems working together, but it's okay to learn it piece by piece. Don't fret if you have to mostly ignore Dust or Blitz Shield or Roman Cancels or jump cancels when you're learning the ropes.



Another new-to-GG feature is Stylish Mode. Arc System Works' BlazBlue series had this added several years ago, but this is a first for Guilty Gear. To encourage new players, Stylish mode simplifies your combos (i.e. lets you button mash) while adding some limitations to what you can pull off. It's a good compromise for players who want to see what a character can offer without knowing all of their combos, but it won't magically allow a new player to win against a more experienced foe.



Story Mode, Episode (which is the game's 'Arcade' mode), and M.O.M round out the single-player content. Interesting enough, the Story mode does not have any battles. Think of it as an episodic anime series. You can even save your 'progress' if you need to pause the story for any reason. M.O.M forces players to fight under certain restrictions as they 'explore' a grid of enemy encounters. You win money and items. It's certainly not the main attraction of the game, but it offers a lot of fun if you're interested in challenging your skills.



Last but not least, the online portion of the game has received a big overhaul since -Sign-. The lobby looks very different. You can customize your player avatar, spectate player matches, chat, play Ranked, and go fishing for in-game items. The stability of the netcode seems much better this time around, to the point where I can hardly notice any frame loss. Obviously, the online arena is where most of the best players are going to be competing, but don't let that scare you away. When you first start playing a fighting game online, your goal is to learn how to play the game and improve your skills. Unfortunately, this usually requires you to slog through defeat after defeat while you learn these skills. This ain't Call of Duty or Overwatch. You won't get any participation awards. Either you win the match or you don't.



I'd also like to mention that -Revelator-'s approach to 'DLC' is much more consumer-friendly this time around. Although you can spend real money on character colors and system voices, these can also be unlocked by using in-game money called World Dollars. Since I enjoy alternative colors but don't want to spend the extra cash, I didn't mind sinking more time in the game to acquire these.



Even if you're leery of the oddball anime style and heavy metal soundtrack, -Revelator- is worth a purchase for anyone aiming to dive into the fighting game genre. The various lessons and tutorials alone are worth the price of admission.