Guilty Gear

Genre: Fighting Game

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local)

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Review:

Guilty Gear is a classic Fighting game originally released on the PlayStation in 1998, and it has proven to be one of the more influential 2D games in the genre. It is a game that established developer Arc System Works as a force to be reckoned with in a genre previously dominated by Capcom and SNK, presented players with a roster of characters with some wild and unusual anime-inspired character designs, as well as giving players a style of gameplay which was, at the time, very fast-paced and fluid.

In 2019, this game was ported to the Nintendo Switch, and a lot has changed in the industry in the time since the game first came out. Of course graphics have improved dramatically in games since then, gameplay has gotten a lot faster in this genre, and plenty of Fighting games have given us rosters of even more unusual characters. So one would naturally find themselves wondering if this classic entry in the genre still has a place today.

In terms of presentation, the this game’s pixel art graphics still look decent, but they’ve definitely aged somewhat. The lower resolution makes everything seem very pixellated, the animations are good but nowhere near as impressive as they once were, and overall this is a game that shows its age. These visuals are accompanied by an electric guitar-heavy soundtrack and Japanese-language voice samples that definitely evoke a very “anime” feel to the whole thing.

As for the gameplay, what’s here is still good, but a bit unbalanced and lacking features we tend to expect in games from the genre these days. The gameplay is still fun and fluid, with a wildly diverse cast of characters. However, there’s no online play, no tutorial to guide you through this game’s systems, and limited options. Furthermore, while Guilty Gear’s roster is varied, there are only ten playable characters here (plus a few that can be unlocked), and the unusual nature of these characters means that most players are likely to only find a few in the roster they like.

Then there’s the $10 price tag. While note nearly as outlandish as Ultra Street Fighter II’s $40 asking price, $10 still seems a bit steep for a game that’s over 20 years old, has a relatively small roster, and no online play, especially when players can get the more recent Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R for only $5 more.

Don’t get me wrong, Guilty Gear is still a solid Fighting game, and one that has earned its place in videogame history, but this release is overpriced, lacking features, and the age of this game really shows. Diehard fans of the genre may still be interested to pick up this classic as a piece of history, but most will probably be better off going with one of the other numerous games in the genre on the Nintendo Switch.

tl;dr – Guilty Gear is a classic Fighting game that still plays well, but the limited roster, lack of online play, and lack of multiple other more modern features makes the $10 price tag seem a bit too steep. It’s still a fun game, but there are other Fighting games on the Switch that will get you more bang for your buck.

Grade: C+

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