BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend Review

With the name of BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend, I didn’t expect this stylish, 2D fighting game to be accessible to a newcomer like myself. Indeed I was hardly prepared for the depth and complexity that is applied to the game's’ many modes, combat and story. The good news is that whilst BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend requires a lot of time and patience, the resulting payoff is worth it.

BlazBlue is a 2D fighting game with a diverse roster of 28 characters. Unlike many other fighting games BlazBlue has a rich story that includes many memorable characters and a hefty amount of lore to get your head around. The story mode of the game is lengthy presenting numerous cutscenes as well as player decisions and the occasional battle. It can be a struggle to get through as the pacing is quite slow and battles don’t come around often enough. It will depend on your knowledge of the universe for how much you get out of the story but it’s a worthwhile mode for fans and newcomers, providing they’re willing to delve into the complexities of BlazBlue lore. It must be said that there is an in depth library detailing a lot of information about BlazBlue history. It’s something I looked at quite a lot to get an understanding of the many references to organisations and past events.

Whilst this game isn’t the best starting point for anyone looking to get into the series, it does offer a robust selection of modes and content. Besides the story mode there is a hefty amount of tutorials available. It’s wise to utilise these, as there are a lot things to know such as Distortion Drive attacks, Crush Triggers, Barrier Guards and more. Distortion Drive attacks for instance are character specific, Crush Triggers are another type of special attack and Barrier Guards are used to defend yourself. There are also character specific tutorials which are useful as each character’s Distortion Attacks are different, as well as a Challenge Mode which tests your skill with a chosen character. The tutorials are quick and allow you to build upon basic attacks until you’re stringing together combos and utilising special moves. One of the best features is the ability to switch between stylish and technical fighting styles. For players who might not particularly good at stringing together tricky combos, stylish mode forgoes all the skill required and allows you to pull of special moves with simple taps of buttons. It’s a great feature and one which I found myself using at first, before I began to delve into the complexities of the game’s technical fighting mode.

Other modes include Arcade, a simple set of fights interspersed with elements of storyline. Abyss Mode which pits you against waves of enemies and has you attempting to progress down a series of progressively difficult levels. Besides this there is Score Attack Mode and Unlimited Mars Mode which has you fighting extremely intelligent A.I in an attempt to get the highest score. Other features include an option to learn more about the BlazBlue universe through cute, albeit slightly irritating cutscenes, a network mode and collectibles which are available to unlock. There’s plenty on offer here which extends the game’s replay value a lot.

Accompanying the wealth of content is fantastic presentation that is a delight to view. The game has some outstanding animation which makes the quick pacing of fights brilliant to watch. It also has some pretty good voice acting with only a few downsides to the cast. The music too is a mixed bag with furious metal guitar tracks and sombre piano compositions varying the soundtrack. Whilst the music definitely isn’t bad, none of the tracks are particularly memorable.

BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend might not warrant a purchase from newcomers to the series but it definitely invites long time fans to play it. Saying that, the game offers enough content and fun to ensure players have a good time. There’s also the option to learn about the lore of the game making it more accessible for newcomers. BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend is a fantastic fighting game with a lot of depth to its combat. The content on offer alongside the game’s fighting mechanics make BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend a worthy contender for the 2D fighting genre.