The first location test for Arc System Works’ upcoming Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- is currently running at SEGA Akihabara Building 1 in Tokyo, Japan. Luckily for those of us who live outside the land of the rising sun, ElvenShadow over at the Dustloop forums has been providing some early impressions from his time at the event. We’ve taken the liberty of sorting through these and arranging them below.
UPDATE 2 – A couple small pieces of video recently surfaced online thanks to aristobule.
UPDATE – Additional notes from ElvenShadow have been added to the list below, as well as a translation of Dengeki’s visit to the location test courtesy of Dustloop’s Suzaku.
ElvenShadow’s Impressions
General Impressions
Game speed feels good! Pretty much just like XX series.
RC works with whiffed normals and projectiles and does slow time but time slow is very brief and doesn’t really seem like it will disrupt match flow.
Which moves can be YRCd (Yellow Roman Cancel) are move specific.
It’s easy to know what moves can’t be YRCd because it will show a red “X” over your character when you try to YRC during a move that you can’t, even if you have no meter.
Dust feels nice and smooth and I tried both kinds.
Character select screen doesn’t look like it will fit many more characters but hopefully they will redesign it.
The graphics are stunning. Fully animated 3D intros for characters. The game is visually wonderful.
Supers are cinematic like SF4 but go much quicker and don’t really bother me or take long.
Special camera angle on last round victory, not just with super kill
FD feels the same. Tapping it will stop run momentum as always.
Specials seems to carry momentum as always.
Meter builds maybe the same? Faster? It’s hard to tell.
Air teching feels about the same.
There are currently 2 colors per chat and one extra that only comes if you pick same char and color as opponent.
All moves feel like they have JUST a little more hit stop in general which makes it seem easier to confirm but makes combos feel a little slower. Movement is about the same speed I think.
Extra hit stop on hit only. Block feels the same as old games.
Stagger is still in the game.
I could be wrong but pushback in general seems just a little farther
Announcer sounds pretty cool. Much more gritty than XX. It says “You rock!” When you win a whole match.
Taunting mid match gives your opponent meter
Throws feel the same
Dead angle felt the same.
There’s a yellow “!” Sign when you get hit with an overhead.
Edit: I think it’s for counter hit actually
Dizzies don’t seem to last as long or else some dude is really fast at mashing.
Tried to go into IK (Instant Kill) mode and nothing happened so either they changed IK conditions or its just not in this test version.
Tension gain slows down a bit after RC
When your health bar is below about 20% it flashes. I forgot to post this.
I think the RISC bar works mostly the same as the old one (guard bar)
Colors and button config type are selected via a menu at character select and not based on what button u press
Character-specific Impressions
Ky
Ky had some strange air lightning bolt stab.
Ky has a new lunge QCF D hop forward move. If it hits, your next J.D or stun edge will be enhanced, which is what that lightning strike that I mentioned earlier was
I have yet to see not was able to do DP follow ups for ky
Ky stage is like this pretty garden.
Ky’s lightning boost lunge move can OTG and works nicely after a sweep.
Sol
Sol has a straight up dive kick move now.
Riot stomp is no longer a kick, it’s a flaming punch but it moves the same way.
When riot “stomp” hits there’s an explosion and it knocks them strait up for easy follow up combo.
To do follow up to riot “stomp” just hit any button on connected hit or block (all do same version)
Air dragon install activates fast. Sol looks way more Gearish (like a demon).
Sol dive kick has a small explosion fire hit that comes out if it whiffs and he lands on the ground. His dive kick is also really fast.
Don’t think Sol dive is overhead.
Sol dive kick can’t be tiger kneed. There is a min night restriction.
Fafnir goes really far but I didn’t see it hit yet
All of Sol’s moves can be YRC (YRC is whiff only) except VV and grand V. You can of course RC as normal on hit.
I dunno much about dragon install specifics but sol is really fast in it and he can shoot a giant beam.
He also gets a custom win animation if you win a match in DI.
Millia
Millia has a backwards roll now too and also had some move that shot up from the ground sorta like testament dust but I dunno what it was. Either stand D or a special.
New forward HS. Air HS same as old one from XX only.
New super. Activate and the(sic). You can move freely and place roses around the screen to controls space. Time based I think.
The backwards roll and move I described are the same. It’s her new stand D.
Millia can pick up hair pin quickly by just pressing down over it.
Millias 3rd color is her original color scheme.
Potemkin
Even with the costume change, Potemkin animates and fights like always so he still feels like Potemkin visually at least.
Potemkin has new shoulder tackle normal.
Potemkin has new move that looks like HoS explosion. After he charges his special meter. Bursts with fire around him.
Potemkin has some crazy air lunge/dive head first move, arc shape movement path, travels full screen… Medium speed. Looks hella unsafe on block.
Potemkin buster range seems a little shorter.
Regular Pot buster has no special animation. It’s the same. Heavenly is epic though!
Potemkin stage is full of mechs.
ICPM can be tiger kneed. It also can be YRCd so even if its not safe it’s a great way for Po to close distance and I can see it leading to scary setups.
Regular buster does good damage. More than 1/3 life on Venom.
Air D only goes straight down. Cannot adjust angle with stick.
I think you can YRC all of PO’s specials. I know the super armor one works. It still has P cancel too.
Potemkin has a new regular throw. He now just lifts you up with one arm and flopilly slams you down right on the ground in front of him like a rag doll.
Venom
Venom has a new air normal where he twirls the pool stick.
Venom stage is like old GGX stage w chained beast.
Venom has that big black ball. That’s his new super. It seems to stay on screen a long time as in I saw him hit it at Ky, Ky blocked it. And it just bounced off and stopped near in front of him and remained in screen. Venom seems to be able to summon it towards him like other ball formations. That’s all I really know but it looks good.
Dubious curve is gone but that new move QV sorta works the same way as in you can combo into it and it summons a ball.
May
Giant beach ball is summoned with a seal from the ground who hits it really high up and it slowly bounces forward controlling lots of space. Can combo of it.
May new move, summon hoop, dolphin waits under it. When May jumps through the dolphin pops out and may rides it horizontally.
May’s Ensenga looks like it has a huge hit box!
Chipp
Chipp’s “find me!” Is way easier to see and only has small increments where he is fairly hard to see.
To wall cling, just jump near the wall and press forward and back really fast. From there you just press one of 4 buttons (no D) to get follow ups like teleport throw, 2 different striking attacks or projectile.
Air taunt is gone but maybe they made it a new move. I’m unsure.
Chipp burst animation, he gets fat like a giant balloon.
Chipp can do his special where he shoots forward through the opponent (alpha blade) in the air and if he ends by the wall he can wall cling after!
Wall cling one is variation of leaf throw.
A single Potemkin buster does 45% damage on Chipp with full life.
Dengeki’s Impressions
ICPM causes Potemkin to launch himself across the screen in a wide, parabolic arc. It can apparantly be RCed to create various approach opportunities. Trishula creates a vertical pillar of fire. Anti-air, creates upper body invincibility.
For the various cut-ins, although they use 3D models, they seem to be designed with fixed camera angles, so they always have the same appearance. It gives the impression that they were animated seperately in two dimensions, but you can tell it’s 3D if you look closely.
May’s attacks are really cute. She comes into the stage riding a dolphin and a lot of her attacks involve animals. She was always a cute character, but this time the cuteness is more ‘refined’ and stands out more. Her version of Ensenga, is an immitation of Johnny’s. She throws different objects, and (if I’m reading correctly) has a more vertical angle, so you might miss if the enemy is crouching. Her version is ditzy, compared to Johnny’s manly version. You can also ride the dolphin by touching it after it lingers, allowing for some tricky possibilities.
Likewise, Ky and Venom both have more strategic options. Ky can generate a crest with his Grinder Placement ability, which remains in the location where it was summoned. Then with Durandal Call, triggered by hitting the Grinder with a Stun Edge attack, it shoots out a lightning bolt (or beam?). Split Ciel also generates a Grinder.
QV replaces Dubious Curve, summons a ball which hits the opponent multiple times. Bishop Run Out summons a huge black ball that doesn’t disappear even after hitting the opponent.
Writer did not get much time to check out Chipp and Sol. Chipp’s Wall Cling seems interesting and his Kunai attack apparantly leaves the kunai laying on the ground. His Dragon Willow (Ryuu Ryuu) Overdrive apparrantly throws tons of Kunai all over the place. Sol’s Dragon Install is much more flashy and Crash! (Kudakero) is a dive attack. Millia’s got more rolling options, but he didn’t get to play as her at all.
General impressions: As the Guilty Gear series progressed, more complicated abilities (Force Break, Slashback, FRC) were introduced one after another. By rolling back those introductions and improving the basic Roman Cancel system, various new strategic options have still be introduced, and there are fewer complex systems for new players to memorize. It’s like a “rebirth of Guilty Gear.” Because this is set after Guilty Gear 2 and not a “gaiden,” the writer hopes more new characters will be introduced.
Please note that these are just early impressions from a couple of matches of play and observation of others. Everything here has the possibility of changing as game development continues.
Also, the folks over at RadioKaikan have taken quite a number of off-screen photos of the game in action. Be sure to check them out in the gallery below and let us know what you think.
Sources: ElvenShadow via Dustloop, Dengeki (translation via Suzaku), photos courtesy of RadioKaikan