New BlazBlue slated to uppercut your console

Aksys Games announced today that it’s bringing an arcade sequel to the well-received 2D fighter Blazblue home to Xbox 360 and PS3. Developed by Guilty Gear vets ARC System Works, Blazblue: Continuum Shift promises three new characters, new gameplay modes, and a host of new moves and stages.

The new characters include Hazama the “mysterious performer”, a female knight named Tsubaki, and something or someone called ?-12 (don’t ask us).

Alongside your standard tutorial and character-specific challenge modes is a beginner mode – which our pride will no doubt keep us from trying – as well as Legion Mode. This feature, introduced in the PSP version of Blazblue, enables players to “take over Kagutsuchi” by defeating enemy armies. If it takes its cues from the PSP version, this means you’ll be savagely bludgeoning opposing fighters until they decide that joining you is preferable to being beaten to death. As you conquer enemy strongholds you’ll color in an area map, because coloring = compelling gameplay. Especially if it involves extreme bodily harm.

The first Blazblue appeared in a crowded market but shone because of its strategic depth and unique feature-set.  The question facing the sequel is whether it adds enough to the original formula to warrant another purchase.  We’ll discover the answer (and figure out what the hell a ?-12 is) sometime this summer.

Mar 19, 2010