I found a sweet deal at my local shopping center, Guilty Gear X2(PC Version) and Guilty Gear Dust Strickers(DS Version) bundled together for less then 30 €. Now that’s what I call a bargain. So I decided to buy them both, and test them out. I used to play Guilty Gear on my playstation some years ago, and I really enjoyed it. Well then little diaper snuffers, time to start smashing up those buttons.

The first thing I’m going to talk about is the PC version of Guilty Gear X2: #Reload(pronounced Guilty Gear Sharp Reload), and let me tell you, this game is the “daddy” of all the fighting games out there. Why? Because of all those game modes it has. I don’t recall seeing any other fighting game that offered as may options to choose from as GG, including an Arcade Mode,  M.O.M (similar to survival mode, but instead of awarding you kills, it gives you medals and points), Survival Mode, VS CPU, VS 2p, Mission and Story Mode.

Graphics: Graphics? Ogh you mean those awesome effects on the screen, those greatly drawn characters and those incredible background scenes? The game is famous thanks to the excellent drafting ability of the renowned character designer, Daisuke Ishiwatari, and it’s not just about the looks of the character, but their “personality”. Each character is unique, and has his own weird ability and “motivation” for fighting. For example Sol Badguy fights for freedom, so he could do what ever he wants to do. Or Jam, who tries to run her restaurant, while being a bounty hunter. Or what about the dark-witch metalist, who uses her guitar as a weapon? Each and every one of these characters has something incredible about them, making them all unique and interesting. And let’s not forget those smooth animation, and transition between frames makes this game one of the most eye-candy games I played in a while.

Gameplay: Overdrives, Roman Cancels, Counter Hits, Staggers, One-Hit Kills, you name it, this game has it! It features over 20 different moves per character, including special animations and fatalities effects. And it’s not just about button smashing, it’s about chaining attacks in the right sequence in order to do very complex combos. Unlike other fighting games, supers(super attacks) don’t take away that much from your lifebar, but can be used to chain more attacks in order to perform outstanding combos.

One thing that bothered me is that it doesn’t name the control, and instead of punch, it appears Square, or instead of kick, in the menu you have circle, so configuring them can prove to be a little pain in the ‘end’.

Sound: The Guilty Gear series is known for containing numerous rock and metal music references, both in the game’s music and in  special attacks. Even the characters are named after singers, for example Axl Low is named after Axl Rose, the lead vocalist of the wellknown rock band Guns N’ Roses. Background music keeps you on your toes, and blends well with all your moves. Voice acting is just as good, the game retaining all the original Japanese voice actors from the import version. The only problem I seemed to notice here is the lack of sound during the dialogue, but besides that everything is more then just OK.

The PC version of Guilty Gear X2 #Reload is a must-have for all fighting games fans. With this said, let’s take on the DS version of the game. [Article coming up shortly].