BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

"Aha! Is this your chance?!"

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BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle is like a jigsaw puzzle made of pieces from four entirely different sets, that by some miracle still manage to fit together to make a unique and mesmerizing tag fighting game. Aside from its unsatisfying single-player mode and aggravating paywalled characters, it’s just the right blend of accessibility and depth, and one of the best entry points into fighting games you’ll find.

Even in spite of its issues, Cross Tag Battle is an easy recommendation for even casual fans of fighting games, or of any of the franchises represented within it.

Yet, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle pretty much speaks to everyone, even if a few of its core mechanics aren’t as refined as several of Arc’s other works. It has a wide array of cast members from several universes, a pointed 2v2 focus, and a sufficient amount of stuff to do if you aren’t the online competitive type. I sincerely hope this sets the stage for more experimental “all-star” types of fighters from Arc, as they have a seemingly limitless well of ideas to draw from.

If I'm to make a confession, I must say that BlazBlue has always intimidated me. I love fighting games but, frankly, BlazBlue's level of execution and mastery required to pull out some impressive combos is frightening - especially when considering it's a game with a smaller audience, which makes it that much harder to play online. What's the point in spending hours adapting to a game which you will seldom be able to play with real people? Unless you're a tournament regular or have a good group of fighting games fans as friends, it's a tough sell, despite being so gosh darn good.

While it doesn't revolutionize fighting games as a whole, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle is a fun 2D fighter sure to appeal to fans of any of the crossed-over series as well as those who just love a good match.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle should have been a triumph for Arc System Works cross franchise fighter, but instead it's simply just another fighter. The simple controls allow everyone to enjoy the title this time but its lack of characters hurt what could have been a grand undertaking.

Overall, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is a mixed package. While its character roster feels anaemic, its gameplay entertains in all the right ways. The hub in which you find yourself every time you play the game is a bore, but otherwise the game’s audio and visuals are colourful and lively. And while there’s no simple arcade mode, something we’ve come to expect as standard, it does feature enough modes and options to keep you fighting for a long time to come. Ultimately then, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is by no means essential, but if you don’t mind its price tag you’ll have plenty of fun with it...

There is an incredible core set of mechanics and gameplay at the heart of Cross Tag Battle. It is fun as hell to play, and addictive and rewarding to try and master. Unfortunately, the package that this gameplay ships in is embarrassingly sparse, especially by Arcsys standards. Offline modes and unlockables are kept to a bare minimum, and the big story mode fails to fully embrace the magic of this bizarre crossover. Worst of all is the shallow and incredibly lopsided character roster. Arcsys has made a habit of releasing updated, 2.0 expansions of every fighting game they make, expanding the s...

It's not just BlazBlue, it's a gateway into higher-level fighters.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle has got the fanservice down, but it feels more like a tribute to Arc System Works’ other games than its own unique beast. Its simplified fighting game mechanics, along with its reused assets, makes it only worth it for the most diehard of fans.