BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend (PC) Review

From the insanely long and complex, visual novel-style Story mode, to the actual - heavy metal enhanced - battlefield, it's crystal clear that BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend takes its cue from the colourful, sexy, and wacky world of anime, with all characters littering the scene with a variety of fireworks while doing their thing; characters who range from gothic lolitas and spikey-haired brooding swordsmen, to busty oriental beauties, cyborgs, and even bookworm blobs(!?).

For some strange reason, however, while this port is great as a whole, the graphics are those from the PS3, not PS4, and while there's not much difference between them (since bringing 2D sprites into a higher resolution isn't exactly the same as doing so with 3D models), it's a weird decision, nonetheless. Fortunately, it's easy to forget all this when the fight begins, and two curvy lasses begin kicking each other's well designed behinds, and while rain is falling in the unbelievably detailed 2.5D background.

Another obvious thing is that this is not a place for casuals whose basic strategy is mashing buttons. Sure, there's the Stylish control system that lets anyone do exactly that, but those willing to go against the brutal online community, or try any difficulty setting other than beginner, must invest much time and effort in learning elaborate combos and special moves, as well as - cryptic for the uninitiated - terms such as Instant Block, Rapid Cancel, Counter Assault, Overdrive, Crush Trigger, and so on, and, luckily, the available training modes are one of the best in the genre.

Besides the fact that the highly technical nature of this title, as well as its heavy focus in anime aesthetics and narrative tropes, isn't everyone's cup of tea, the only major "flaw" with the console versions was the fact that there was no real reason for purchasing this after spending hours upon hours in BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma, although this iteration added all DLC content into one package, introduced two more characters into an already impressive roster, and rebalanced pretty much everything; a flaw that is no problem when it comes to PC gamers, since the Extend upgrade is the only edition available.

The only problem with this port, then, is the lack of cross-platform compatibility (just like with the PS Vita version), which is a shame given the fact that the available netcode breaks the tradition that wants most fighters, from Mortal Kombat X to Street Fighter V, having a long list of connectivity issues. Those who prefer the single-player experience, however, have in their greasy hands a nice assortment of game modes, plus tons of unlockable content, although most are just, admittedly, cut-scenes and pictures.