Guilty Gear Strive Makes Me Wish I Didn't Suck At Fighting Games

thegamer.com:

Fighting games are hard. I don’t have the patience to learn an endless list of combos, nor dedicate all of my time to a single character. I like to jump around and have fun, mashing buttons and hoping I somehow emerge victorious. See - there is a reason I suck at them.

But I really wish I didn’t. Not because I want to break into the competitive scene or stand a chance against other players online: it’s all down to the aesthetic. Granblue Fantasy Versus, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Street Fighter 5, and Guilty Gear Strive are all obscenely gorgeous games with colourful visuals and beautiful character designs that almost rise above the impenetrable genre they come to inhabit.

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Unfortunately, each and every time a luscious trailer bursts onto the scene at events like EVO 2022, all I can do is watch in misunderstood awe. I imagine hardcore fans of fighting games aren’t just ogling the fighters and environments, but are thrilled at the returning move sets and unexpected combos being executed as part of the gameplay showcase. I’m none the wiser, and can’t tell the difference between a simple input or an expertly executed finishing move that can turn the tide of a match. Nope. To me, it just looks cool as hell.

Guilty Gear Strive might be the worst offender in recent memory. That game is absolutely stunning to look at, each character moving with the grace of hand-drawn animation as they jump across the screen in a magnetic mixture of different perspectives that never fails to impress. Merely watching it is entertaining enough, but taking control and coming to realise that none of these movements are scripted, but