BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend (PlayStation 4) Second Opinion Review

It's hard for a fighter to stand out in an arena filled to the brim with long-standing and highly popular franchises, especially when it doesn't actually attempt to reinvent the wheel. Yes, the BlazBlue series doesn't really differentiate itself from the competition, yet it's so good at what it does that it doesn't really matter. What exactly is that? The answer is that it offers gameplay which is not annoying despite being very fast, accessible but highly technical, and enjoyable though very challenging - even for seasoned veterans.

Make no mistake, though, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma requires effort; namely, in the form of learning its various complex button combinations, or its more specialised mechanics, such as combo chains or "super" moves. The good news, however, is that the available training modes deal with every single aspect of the game. Furthermore, while certainly a hard nut to crack, fighting now feels far better as the AI is distinctly less cheap than before. Finally, Stylish mode is available for those who are completely inexperienced, enabling elaborate moves and combos to be performed with the push of a button.

In terms of content, few can compete with this fighting gem's abundance of modes and unlockables - even though the latter consists mainly of CG images, endings, and alternative system voices. Besides the various standard modes such as Arcade, there are some that are slightly more innovative, with Abyss being a particularly addicting one, a survival/RPG blend that forces the player to go through various dungeons, and collect/equip several items along the way in order to keep up with the increasingly tougher battles.

Surprisingly for a fighting game, the plot plays a very important part, with an insane amount of visual novel-style dialogue sequences, as well as a couple of well-crafted cut-scenes. The thing is, however, that the story has a very specific target audience. Those who are into anime-inspired, complex storylines filled with wacky characters are guaranteed to be pleased, while the rest will probably find that the whole thing slowly drags on and on (mainly due to the lengthy conversations), sometimes doesn't make sense, and that the tons of anime clichés can get annoying - high-pitched squealing voice-acting included.

Note that there isn't much focus on individual characters, as instead the story has been divided between three different factions - quite reasonable, given the size of the character roster. While it's somewhat hard to get invested in the various events and characters without playing a previous title, there are some optional summaries that can get newbies up to speed, although many will prefer to just check an online wiki.

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is simply fantastic, but - of course - not for everyone. Some won't like its flamboyant anime look, the crazy, over-the-top characters and their constant quips, the bizarre and complex plot, or the highly technical gameplay. The real problem, though, lies elsewhere. The only question that truly matters is whether this revision gives any justification for purchasing it. For those unaware of the series, the answer is a big, loud 'yes' - for the rest, though, it's not particularly worthwhile. The graphics are marvellous, but have begun to show their age on the PS4, and while this version has applied several gameplay tweaks, it's not exactly worthy of spending such a large amount of money.