#but its a quick primer to gg and a good way to just jump right in

[vzm]

GETTING INTO GUILTY GEAR

so. you've heard about arcsystemworks Video's Game through the grape vine somehow. heres a fun little guide on how to get into it. first i'll go with the more accessible route:

LORE

this is the easiest part, in part thanks to arcsys actually putting effort towards the community to make it as digestible as possible!

the first thing to check out will be woolieversus' amazing heaven or hell series. as an officially endorsed AND reviewed video series by the writers themselves, this is the best way to learn about the games, as it goes through all little things like arcade modes in-game, external content from light novels or artbooks, and otherwise!

from here, you have a choice. after episode 4, he covers the story mode from guilty gear xrd: sign. however, you could also check out arcsys' guilty gear xrd: sign story mode playlist. this is a direct recording of the in-game story. while woolie summarizes it in 45 minutes, experiencing it for yourself may be more your style, if not a bit longer to put up with.

similarly, his xrd: revelator video, which covers arcade modes until 32:09, where he then covers the story mode, which has an official playlist here as an alternative. the final video also covers the ending of said story mode, and the extra stories added in revelator's dlc, which are also included in the playlist.

for guilty gear strive, you'll have to purchase the game itself OR find a youtube video to watch it's story mode, as arcsys has not posted that officially.

GAMES

if you're interested in PLAYING guilty gear, you've got three main options to go towards.

GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R (yes, that's its real name.)

steam page ($14.99, goes on sale for as low as $2.99.)

the most recent version of the XX games, updated to use rollback netcode, and the last in the franchise to use 2d sprites. this game is THE classic anime fighter, in all the best and worst ways. movement and combos feel nearly unrestricted, but this also means the skill floor for understanding the game is incredibly difficult, especially with the lack of in-game tutorial, luckily, there's a reason its the fighting game community.

dustloop is the wiki for the gameplay side of arcsys games, guilty gear or otherwise, and WILL be your best friend. luckily, the wiki itself also has a starter guide specifically for new players to +r!

while the game has some of the craziest gameplay to come out of gear, due to its usually low price point, it also has a huge beginner playerbase, and if you look in the right places, you'll have a ton of people ready to get you on the right track.

GUILTY GEAR XRD: REV2 (fighting games had funny names for a while.)

steam page ($44.99, goes down to $11.99) it's confusing, but the one with all the characters is the third option down, "all-in-one (does not include optional DLCs). dont ask me.

this game is getting rollback soon! while as of writing this [october 16th 2022] it does not have it fully, a beta test is going to be run from the 17th to november 2nd.

xrd: rev2 (calling it xrd from here on) is if +r was streamlined but still allowed to keep some of its nonsense. it has one of the best tutorials in the fighting game business, teaching you through short minigames that allow you to understand movement, button layouts, and other basic fighting game ideas. even if you dont play the game with other people, the tutorial can help you understand gear in general, and fighting games as a whole! the game also has a wonderful 3d artstyle that mimics 2d animation impressively well, giving it a unique flair that no other game can compare to.

despite the online shortcomings, this is still my personal favorite gameplay wise. if you know some friends you can have a good connection with, or even better, someone to play offline with, this is a gem you shouldn't pass up. here's the dustloop page for the game.

GUILTY GEAR: STRIVE (did you know the name "strive" was chosen because it has IV, the roman numeral for 4, relating to it being the "fourth" guilty gear game?)

steam page ($39.99, $60 for the game and first season pass, $80 for all that and the still releasing season 2 pass!)

THIS is the one you've heard of. rollback netcode, beautiful 3d animation, and a much more simplified gameplay style in comparison to the rest of the franchise. as a first fighting game, i cannot recommend strive enough. while its tutorial is definitely lacking in comparison to xrd's, the overall feel of the game will ease you into fighting better and better opponents. strive is also currently one of, if not THE most popular fighting game currently, meaning there'll always be players online. with more content on the way including new characters and crossplay between playstation players!

here's the dustloop page.

while guilty gear is an absolutely massive franchise, with weird MOBA action game sequels, smash brothers spinoffs that are exclusive to the DS, and an almost 25 year old legacy, getting into it is easier than ever. so heaven or hell, let's rock.