Guilty Gear Strive is nearly upon us. Developer Arc System Works has held a number of beta tests, each with its own set of issues pounced upon by the anime fighting game series’ fans. But the bigger picture is this: with Strive, chief creator Daisuke Ishiwatari aims to do the seemingly impossible – make Guilty Gear accessible.
Guilty Gear’s reputation precedes itself. Perhaps it would be better to say Guilty Gear’s reputation hangs around its neck like a cowbell. Bong! Here comes another Guilty Gear. Head for the hills! This one’s even harder than the last! Long combos, brutal timing, multiple complex mechanics and tricky characters – Guilty Gear has it all and then some. Play online as a newcomer against the series’ modest but fanbase and, well, you can imagine how hard things can get.
With Strive, Arc System Works hopes to finally “open up” Guilty Gear, 23 years after it made its debut on PSone. That’s what Daisuke Ishiwatari told me in a recent interview over Zoom. Over the course of 45 minutes, I chatted with Ishiwatari about the development of Strive, what it sets out to achieve, and tried to get some insight into the various design decisions the team made along the way. We discuss everything from tweaks to Guilty Gear’s famous Gatling combos, the addition of wall breaks, modes that failed to make launch because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Strive’s already controversial 2D lobbies, new characters and the seemingly overpowered poster boy Sol Badguy – who, by the way, Ishiwatari voices himself.
Guilty Gear -Strive- Launch Trailer Watch on YouTube
What was your goal with Strive, particularly in relation to differentiating it from previous games in the series?
Daisuke Ishiwatari: In general, the Guilty Gear series up until now has become something only the core fans could keep up with. So we wanted to make something entirely new, that a new audience could enjoy.
In what ways has the game changed in order to make it something a new audience could enjoy?
Daisuke Ishiwatari: The biggest thing that has changed is, in previous Guilty Gear games you needed to memorise long combos in order to play the game. Previously, before improving in play, you had to memorise these difficult things.
We don’t want to create a misunderstanding. Sometimes the series fans have the impression the game became simple, and now it’s shallow. However, in the end, what really changed is the first feeling, like the impression you have when you first play the game. It may feel simpler. However, when you play the game on a deeper, more involved level, it’s just as difficult, and there are still the challenging aspects.
One thing you have changed is the way the Gatling combos work in Strive. They appear to have been stripped back somewhat. Can you explain your design goals for the new system?
Daisuke Ishiwatari: For the previous Guilty Gear games, up until Xrd, they’re starting in the arcades. Because there are many fans who have been playing Guilty Gear ever since then, each game built on top of the other. So, for the fans who have been playing for a very long time, there’s a lot of things they don’t need to learn anymore. When a new Guilty Gear comes out, they’re already very familiar with it.