Ah, anime. The most often maligned, yet entirely enjoyable, form of foreign entertainment available to us on these shores. This is due in part to how insufferable most people who declare themselves “otaku” (weeaboos to the rest of us) actually are, and isn't an indictment to the artistic capability of the anime in question. With top notch animation, well crafted scores, and generally intricate and thought provoking storylines, anime should be considerably more respected than it is. BlazBlue, given to us as a gift from the gods that provided us with the criminally underrated Guilty Gear series, would be considered amongst the upper echelon of fighting lore if being inspired or related to anime wasn't so easily maligned thanks to the average American fan of it being borderline socially inept (no offense, of course, but if you don't consider Naruto a lifestyle choice than this mocking isn't directed towards you.) Although, on the other side of the spectrum, if you don't have at least a basic enjoyment of the style, this might not be the game for you.

Fire in the hole

Everything from the animated intro to the games absolutely insane characters exudes anime aesthetic. If you don't watch out you'll probably slip in some of it when you go to grab new batteries for your controller, and trust me, you will be doing that a lot. This game will eat a good amount of your time if you are a fan of fighters and want to perfect strategies at them. BlazBlue also offers you a ton of things to do, much more so than any recent Street Fighter or the woeful newest installment in King of Fighters. Whether you want to hop online and try your hand against humans, play a traditional arcade mode, try some score attack, or just get lost in the complicated storymode, you will find plenty of ways to kill a few hours with your virtual fists.

Each of the wacked out characters in this game play completely different from the other. While there are only 12, this is forgiven because of that fact. Whether you are the sword wielding, health absorbing protagonist Ragna, the slow moving but incredibly strong Iron-Tager, the elusive and defensive minded Rachel Alucard, or, my personal favorite, the comical and hard hitting Bang Shishigami, you won't find yourself using the same strategy twice. While some more traditional fighter fans will be put off by the fact your skills with one character won't necessarily translate over to another, the vast differences between how each fighter plays add tons of replay value to a character.

The screen can feel a little crowded at times

BlazBlue also puts a stronger emphasis on strategy than simply inputting commands. For those just starting off the game is vastly forgiving by mapping four of your moves to the right analog stick. As long as you have the correct amount of “heat” (the BlazBlue term for your special gauge) or meet the unique conditions for your Astral Finish (the BlazBlue term for your largest special move) you can just flick the analog and perform the move. Each character also has roughly the same commands for their own moves. So while your strategies might not carry over from character to character, down down high attack will always perform a move for each character. This isn't to say that BlazBlue is overly simple. To really be successful at high difficulties or online you will have to become familiar with advanced combos. The emphasis on juggling and high number combos calls back to the Guilty Gear series and is a very welcome layer of strategy.

BlazBlue is also one of the rare fighters that provides you with an endlessly entertaining and well done online system while also giving you a deep and rich storyline- once again thanks to the huge amount of anime tropes they have wedged into it. Hopping online is easy, and the matchmaking system is incredibly well done. As long as you've put some hours into the game and honed your skills, you won't find yourself getting slaughtered by experts unless you are playing a social match against any rank, as long as you stick to your skill level you will be challenged but not frustrated. At least not anymore frustrated than any other fighting game, and that is quite a feat since they all generally make you feel more inadequate than your first sexual experience. At the time of this writing, about two months after the original release of the game, the lobbies are still well populated and the community is still large. You won't have any problem finding a match. More importantly you wont' have any problems with lag, and considering the sheer amount of stuff going on during one of BlazBlue's colorful and fast paced matches is a godsend.The aforementioned story mode is what really stood out to me about this game.

Don't take this game too seriously

Most fighters don't exactly push the envelope with their story, but BlazBlue is a huge exception. Each of the 12 characters has their own storyline, and each has multiple endings. Oh, and when I say multiple endings, I don't just mean two or three- each character has about ten different ending scenarios. You must view each one to gain a 100% score for that character, this means losing and winning different combinations of fights. This can get a little tedious, but viewing each of the alternate screens is pretty neat. The beauty is that every single ending, win or lose, special finish or regular, is actually a part of the canon. That may sound bizarre, but like I said, BlazBlue really brings an interesting anime plot to the table involving time loops and alternate realities. It is complicated, over dramatic, and just generally awesome.

The story is conveyed to you through 2-D storyboard screens before and after each match. Some would complain that the lack of CGI or animated cut scenes is a negative, but considering the graphics are hand drawn 2-D against a 3-D background, having CGI cut scenes would have seemed out or place and like Guilty Gear before it, the graphics are fantastic just the way they are. They also stand out even when the battle gets hectic, and the battle always gets hectic. This game is not for the epileptic. Each attack is accompanied by an appropriate battle cry and tons of flashing colors.

This helps make each fight feel decidedly epic, as the capable blocking and defense system on top of the intuitive attacks and quickly refilling special bar makes things fast paced and generally even. I would also be remiss to not mention the fantastic score here. Wailing guitars aplenty, each characters theme song pumps you up for the battle. This may be one of the only game or anime soundtracks worth listening to outside of the game. Really, without exaggeration, the aesthetics help and as a result this is the most fun you are going to have with a fighting game in a good while. And yes, I'm aware Street Fighter IV exists.

Pretty colours

Now, I don't really “fanboy” it up for too many games, but to really hammer home how high my regards for this game are- I'm fully considering getting Rachel Alucard worked into my video game sleeve. You know, I may have mocked cosplayers pretty viciously in the past but I'm willing to extend an olive branch to the culture. If any girl reading this wants to dress in a gothic lolita style and pretend to be a vampire version of Uatu, well, I'll take you out to dinner.

And by dinner I mean [editors note- removed for inappropriateness. Seriously, that didn't even sound physically possible Gavin.]