"Sammy's Thinking Out of the Box"

Introduction:

Who would've thought that Sammy, an unknown company during the days, would produce such a good fighting game, Guilty Gear that could rival Capcom's Street Fighter? Now, Guilty Gear is on its fourth installment, excluding those special versions of each game, GG Isuka. Now, this game is not your ordinary fighting game so watch out, you might be surprised how totally different this is.

Gameplay/Controls (2/3):

First of, GG Isuka is multiplayer (Yup, you heard it; it's multiplayer), and you can choose to fight against each other or join forces to beat someone up miserably (Unfortunately, you can hit each other so watch out). However, multiplayer can go out of hand and can be very confusing since you are all cramped up in a 2D background (You can even get lost at times). It also has a lot of modes like that side-scrolling “adventure mode” (similar to Tekken Force mode only that, it's in 2D). It also lacks new characters… Actually, there is only one newly added character from the total roster.

Considering the fast movement of GG, GG Isuka has become more complex when it comes to its controls. It requires precision and accuracy. You can't retort to button mashing anymore. When have you seen a fighting game that you need to press a button to switch between directions (I mean facing left or right)? The game also involves switching between background and foreground. It can be pretty tricky especially for a beginner (It can take quite a while to get the whole controls to work). Unleashing special moves is not a piece of cake in this game.

Graphics (3/3):

The graphics is great and the animation is smooth. It is quite similar to the other GG predecessors; so if you like the graphics of the old GGs, I don't see why you won't like this one. For a 2D game, the graphics is already decent.

Sounds (2/2):

Its rock-style music gives gamers the momentum to fight to the finish. It really blends well in the game and enhances “playabilty”.

Play Time/Replayability (1/2):

The whole replayability of this game really depends on the gamer. It could go both ways… Either you like the new controls or you don't. Some might get totally annoyed with pressing a button just to change your direction and switch from foreground to background and vice-versa or some might be impressed with the whole new controls (Some gamers love the challenge). Like most GGs, it has a number of “unlockables” dispersed in the game (Like the character's EX modes).

Final Recommendation:

This game IS ONLY FOR intermediate or pros. If you're a beginner who is new to Guilty Gear, I suggest playing other GG games first before going to Isuka or you might be totally irritated and end up regretting buying the game. Otherwise, the game can get you entertained once you get the hang of the controls. Just that, the game lacks new characters, but that's only a minor thing. I think Sammy went way too experimental on this game that it became a double-edged sword (I think most people would argue whether this game is great or not). As for me, the game turned out just fine despite the complexity. I mean, most of us also want to try something untraditional at times so GG Isuka is the game to satisfy it.

I could've given GG Isuka a higher score, but the whole complexity of the controls made all the difference.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/02/04