GUILTY GEAR 2 -OVERTURE- PC Review by BijouxDemon of We Touch Games
Genre: Action
Developer: Arc System Works Publisher: Arc System Works
Release Date: Mar 31, 2016
I can’t say I’m a very knowledgeable person about the Guilty Gear universe and games, or a huge fan of the series, but I’ve played them occasionally with friends. In saying that, Guilty Gear 2 -OVERTURE- takes a turn off the beaten path and goes for a different approach. Unlike previous games which have a 2d animated 1v1 fighting-game format; OVERTURE instead creates a 3D environment with bot control, point area conquering, and general combat that makes it seem as if it’s aiming for a cross between Dynasty Warriors and an odd sort of MOBA style gameplay that has the possibility of being an interesting game, but has quite a few issues.
As previously stated, I’m not completely knowledgeable about the Guilty Gear stories and the lore of characters, but from the few times I’ve played the games, I’m familiar with the cast of characters to an extent and the general idea of the setting. Sadly, GG2O‘s story is so convoluted and painful to grasp, especially for those who aren’t in the Guilty Gear fandom, and it’s difficult to push through the events with the all over the place pacing of the story, with no context or reference to past game story plots. Although, looking at it, I’m not even sure how GG2O fits into the existing storylines and lore of the series. A lot of it seems forced and lacking quite a bit of detail to the point that I’ve skipped events completely, or half-way through, and instead listened to whatever vague plot points I’m given during gameplay. I will say the music is pretty good in itself, but not enough for it to make the game more interesting.
Gameplay for Guilty Gear 2 -OVERTURE- has some of the most frustrating controls I’ve had to deal with in a game. My biggest qualm of all is that doing the combos in game almost never land properly, or can’t even be pulled off in the first place, even with enough practice in the tutorial mission. Combat versus the enemy mobs is even made more painful given the fact that it seems the enemies are faster with their attacks, leading me to be hit constantly and render me unable to dodge out of large groups. Infuriating as that is, that’s not this game’s only sin. The game also introduces a running drift system, which in theory is interesting, but is not pulled off with any grace in this game. I’ve slammed into every corner turn and run into enemies along the way of mission paths, causing me to lose too much time and fail the mission. From what I understand, this game is a port from the Xbox 360 version of the game, and although I’ve never played the console version, all I can take from this game is that the system is a complete adaption from the console onto the steam store for PC play. And regardless of whether I use the controller or keyboard and mouse, obviously the controller is much better to use, it’s still too much of a hassle to play.
I know this game has gotten a few updates here and there to add features such as keyboard support and a few things in game, but nothing that I know of is pertaining to the controls or storytelling aspect of the game. I will give the company kudos for trying something new, but I don’t believe they fully thought it through in the development process, thus leading to a game that’s hard to control, with a plot that relates nothing to previous games, and is vague and uninteresting in itself. Priced at $19.99 on steam right now, if you’re really curious to try this game out yourself, save yourself the expense and just wait until one of the steam sales. But even in saying that, I’d highly avoid this game as a whole if you’re a fan of the Guilty Gear series or are looking to get into it as a new fan.
Pros:
- Can use controller or keyboard
- Good soundtrack
- Visuals are decent for a Xbox 360 port
Cons:
- Relates nothing to the series in play style
- Controls are very wonky
- Combos don’t land
- Micro-managing troops is a pain
- Running is uncontrollable
- Story is convoluted
BijouxDemon gives Guilty Gear 2 – Overture – a Drastik Measure 4.3 out of 10 (43)
http://store.steampowered.com/app/437000/
