Guilty Gear entry allowing up to four simultaneous players in a unique format. Guilty Gear combat mechanics are present but the multiplayer format reduces the depth of usual duels. An experimental entry less appreciated than traditional competitive versions.
Your verdict
Category
Fighting2 players12+
Description
An Arc System Works spin-off released in 2003 (Japan) and 2004 (West), offering Guilty Gear with up to four simultaneous fighters on the same arena. A curious experiment that sacrifices the competitive balance of one-on-one play for festive melee mayhem, while keeping the series' signature sprites and roster.
Guilty Gear Isuka review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Hand-drawn high-definition sprites, flamboyant poses and heavy-metal imagery: Arc System Works' rock style bursts out every round. The energy of the animation and the boldness of the character design turn combat into a visual concert. This aesthetic strike, theatrical and furious, has lost none of its brilliance.
Signed by Daisuke Ishiwatari, the music makes a raging heavy metal scream, matching the stylised fury of the fights. Distorted riffs and blazing solos electrify every duel with an unabashed hard-rock energy. This blazing sonic identity, set from this first entry, would become the hallmark of a cult series.
A 2D fighting game from Arc System Works, Guilty Gear Isuka pushes the series' virtuoso formula towards simultaneous four player combat, with a turn around system to handle opponents on each side. The high definition sprites, the charismatic cast and the heavy metal fire stay splendid. The messy four player combat and the departure from classic pure versus divide purists. A title for fans of virtuoso 2D fighting and the Guilty Gear saga curious about an experimental variant.
