Since Guilty Gear first arrived on Sony’s PlayStation in 1998, singeing the air with furious guitar shredding, it’s always been a head turner. While graphically, its goth-rock anime stylings have dazzled with each iteration, Arc System Works’ foremost achievement is in managing to differentiate itself from Capcom’s heavily aped fighting game paradigm. That said, with the series becoming so increasingly convoluted over the last 26 years, ostracising many a would-be player as a result, a redress of sorts was needed. It's here that Guilty Gear Strive steps in.

Strive remains tonally as it ever was: all-leather and metal; characters that sit somewhere between glam rock and BDSM fetishists; and a blaze of raucous, revved, spectacular battling. Where Guilty Gear XRD (2014) more closely resembled its predecessors, Strive totally overhauls its character models to be larger and more detailed, from muscle ripples to flailing buckles, and introduces new features while removing some others.
Strive’s goal in attempting to freshen up Guilty Gear is streamlining aspects of its fighting game DNA, and simplifying what was becoming an overbearingly complex series. That’s not to say it’s been retooled primarily for newcomers, but more that it’s been pared back and rethought to be more accommodating. This works well on the whole, demanding that you play through initial tutorials, and easing you in with Arcade and Survival Modes, Combo Search Modes, clean command lists, and Mission Modes that require you to pull off certain tricks to progress between rounds.
While the Roman Cancel has been around since Guilty Gear XX Reload, in Strive it has been simplified. By slamming three buttons, and depending on the level of your Tension Gauge meter, the Roman Cancel has blue, purple, or red states that trigger offensive or defensive properties. Blue and Red cancels, for example, are aggressive, either in neutral or during attack, and help to extend combos beyond their natural end point; while Purple cancels are defensive, helping you escape terminal battery by buffering your opponent away. This system is integral to Strive’s strategic heart, and learning to utilise it can often swing matches at higher levels.

The Wall Break, initiated by fulfilling certain conditions while hammering an opponent at the edge of the screen, will crash you through to expanded areas of the stage, not dissimilar to Dead or Alive. It’s a controversial tweak for series loyalists in that it resets the action, killing off set play strategies; and, since any seasoned player will often attempt to force someone into a corner, wall breaks are often unavoidable. On the plus side, though, it’s advantageous for newcomers, giving them respite once back on their feet, and removes the Dustloop exploits that would see a player caught in repeated attacks. Either way you slice it, it’s a major part of the rebalancing that makes Strive a fresh Guilty Gear experience.
With a whopping 28-strong roster thanks to the inclusion of DLC characters locked in prior releases, from Jack-O (strike a pose!) to Slayer, there are more characters here than in any other Guilty Gear title. And, it’s a game that plays as beautifully as one has come to expect from Arc System Works. It retains its double jumps, dashes, and ranged hops, and above all the flashiness it's incredibly deep.
Its larger sprites feel weighty and muscular when stringing together even the simplest routines. Blows positively resonate, pyrotechnic visual feedback lighting up the screen, and getting a handle on a specific character’s moves and combinations is incredibly satisfying. Arc System Works' creative design really shines, from vampires to ninja, all with different play types. These range from balanced characters like Baiken and Anji to specific styles like Rushdown, Power, Zoning and Ranged. Learning certain characters requires more time and attention, but there's certainly something for everyone, and for the diehards, everything for someone.

Yet, arguably the most impressive aspect of this nearly four-year-old fighting game, is how well it’s been ported to Nintendo’s Switch. Indeed, it’s somewhat startling to find it running at a clean 60fps without batting an eyelid. Loading is relatively fast, and the experience is as clean as a whistle, with any perceptible input lag reduced to nominal levels. It’s smooth, fast, and essentially exactly as it should be - and that screams effort on behalf of the development team.
Giant 3D edifices pass by in the backgrounds, from whale-shaped airships to populated promenades floating downriver, while beefy cel-shaded sprites duke it out until a super attack is produced, whereby the seemingly 2D becomes fascinatingly 3D as the camera zooms in to frame the action.
Our only real gripe with the opulent visuals are some of the background choices. While the simpler arrangements with flatter colours fare better, some, like the canyon, are a bit of a visual stew, clashing with the foreground sprites and making an already busy game feel somewhat busier. On their own, both sprites and backgrounds are beautifully finished, but together there are moments where we feel the art design team could have better-understood layer separation in a way that is rarely an issue in Capcom games.

The pre-match introductions are also unnecessarily lengthy, featuring a pointless monologue, and it's unlikely you'll ever bother watching one twice once the loading is complete.
Strive is stuffed to the rafters with modes. There are enough training options to turn you into a seasoned pro, as well as interactive glossaries and timelines documenting every character and plot beat from the series’ inception. The Story Mode is the equivalent of a Netflix miniseries spread over five hours of animation, and it’s well done. Sadly, it's bewildering for newcomers not familiar with the lore, and the video compression leaves something to be desired.
There’s a huge social aspect here, too, some of which may irk purists who just want to get down to the fight. You can pose characters in 3D scenery bubbles and upload them to the Gallery, where others can view them online (no upskirts allowed). It’s also possible to watch other people’s match replays, which is useful if you have a friend list or are out to study techniques. You can also accrue “W$”, an internal currency that allows you to go fishing (literally, out of a window), and is a rather roundabout way of randomly unlocking bonus audio tracks, hairstyle colours, and other adjustments.

Finally, the online forum is fairly unique. Rather than Street Fighter 6’s fully 3D hub world, Strive is quite the opposite. You create and customise a rudimentary pixel-based avatar, who then trots about cute 2D stages within a tower - each level representing increasing skill levels. Here, if you spot another player, you can head over, exchange some simple preset messages, and challenge them to a battle. If they’re busy and locked in a bout, you can examine their profile, stats, and even view their saved online replays.
When we played on day one of release, the tower’s various stages were oddly empty, especially in Europe, and we only found a few high-level players online in Japan. By the time you’re reading this, it will hopefully be abuzz. There's no crossplay, predictably, but the rollback netcode, as with the rest of the game, is polished to a shine and ran nigh-on flawlessly for us. We tested several online matches with different characters and there was barely a blip in sight.
Conclusion
Strive is a bold step in a new direction for the Guilty Gear series. Its visual creativity and attention to detail without fault, Arc System Works has again gone above and beyond in its graphical evolution. True, there are some background clashes, but when all is said and done, it’s dazzling. With all DLC characters unlocked, there’s a lifetime of learning here, as well as tons of modes and bonuses to pore through.
While Strive is perhaps only the first step for Guilty Gear’s new evolutionary arc, and its sequels will no doubt improve certain aspects and find a way to better appease fans new and old, it remains undeniably solid. The most impressive aspect, though, is the strength of the port here, crafted with a kind of magic to perform near enough 1:1 with its multi-platform counterparts. And the soundtrack? Whether it's your heaven or hell, it most certainly rocks.
Comments 44
I am definitely getting this with my next paycheck!
The physical edition has the base game and the first 3 Seasons of DLC on the cart.
I got this game at launch for Switch and I can say it's an incredible port, playing it everyday.
My physical copy won't be in my hands until next week.
I somehow sunk in over 10 hours this weekend. Fantastic port and I love being able to practice on my lunch break at work. Let me know if anyone wants to run some matches! 💪
I expected the port to be good, but I'm honestly surprised that the screenshots look as good as they do! DNF Duel was kinda blurry on Switch (especially handheld), so the way it looks here is super impressive. I don't think I'll buy this since I waited so long for a Switch version that I just caved and bought it on PS, but if I was able to convince people to play it with me locally regularly, this might be worth it for me
That is so great to hear it runs like a dream!
I was playing online this weekend. Looks like most people are playing on the US East servers, so check that one out if your home server doesn't have a lot of players. We need more players online! The floor system only works well when people are playing online! So please, if you enjoy GGST, play online! I will see you in the tower!
Fantastic game. I can't believe how good this port is. Thanks for the review!
I saw gameplay footage on YouTube and was blown away by how good the port is!!
As an example, it runs circles around the PS4 version for sure.
The lack of crossplay should be listed as a very major con. If someone who hasn't played this fighting game gem has a PS5 or Xbox Series to play this on, that's the better way to play. But for Switch die-hards looking for the next great brawler, this is a must.
My physical version should be in the mail every day.
Hope it is able to build a solid online community on Switch because I’m ready to get beaten up. 😅
One of my favorite fighting games of all time. Absolutely incredible. 8/10 seems low.
I'm gonna be getting my copy on February 1st from Amazon because the Walmart near me didn't have it. Hopefully, I hadn't lost my muscle memory on how to perform the Gun Flame.
I may stick to offline for a few days before I get my a$$ handed to me on a silver platter online as Sol.
I watched a few gameplay videos on the Switch version before making my decision that I'm buying it, I'm in for both the battles & the excellent soundtrack, I love the retro soundtrack from the previous games as well as the new vocal tracks, can't wait to see Venom again.
@Magician don't worry it worth the wait 😀
Is this a reboot?
After having the game on PS4, I was very surprised how fluid it runs on the Nintendo Switch. So happy I can play both handheld and dock whenever I feel like it. But mostly playing in portable mode, as that is one of the nicest features of having the Switch version. Very impressive and solid port for sure. There was a feeling it was going to turn out great. The beautiful animations and visuals are really spectacular. This was a day one purchase for me.
Thanks for the review, glad to see it got one as this is such an outstanding port and game overall. As a complete fighting game novice (outside of a little Tekken 3 way back when), had the itch to try out the genre, especially after watching EVO last year. Guilty Gear Strive stood out among the games showcased, so was pleased when this was announced for Switch, picked it up Day 1. Also gave Accent Core a shot when it was on sale super cheap earlier.
As a bit of a beginner of very limited skill, it was a breeze to pick up and get the hang of. The Dojo missions and super helpful to teach mechanics, and would highly recommend starting there. Picked up Giovanna fairly quickly and had played Slayer a little in Accent Core.
The aesthetics are superb, the battles seamless, the options and modes impressive. Only looked at the online setup once, and found myself in an empty room. Hopefully that will have changed when I try again this weekend. Glad others are enjoying it so far too!
Fighting game with social aspects yep I'm out. I'm a solo or couch gamer
@rvcolem1 I didn't even realise there was any social stuff until it being mentioned in this review and I own the game! It may be there, but it's certainly not intrusive in anyway, at least from what I've seen (or specifically not seen!) so far. I've just been enjoying solo myself so far and it's been exceptional fun doing so
@LadyCharlie I think they'll probably add crossplay when Switch 2 version released.Back to TGS 2024,I saw an article said the developer didn't add crossplay because of it's hard for switch player to fight against players who already played for almost 4 years in the beginning. I think they'll add it eventually, it's not a difficult function compared to how you port this game to switch
@Bex_Tries ok thanks for the info, I don't get a lot out of fighting games so I'll probably pass and wishlist it, but fighting plus social was a definite no
@rvcolem1 Yeah, there really isn't a need for the social aspect. You can play Arcade, survival and practice on dojo on both free mode or with tutorial and missions. I've been practicing with characters and having a blast since the day it came out so I'd say it's definitely enjoyable alone, although I do plan to play online eventually.
I remember people saying in some subreddit "the switch can't run this game, it would look very bad" (using worse insults).
When there's a developer's will, there's a good port.
@Vivianeat Nope, the story is a direct continuation of the previous games. Mechanics wise you could call it a reboot since it's taken the essentials & built on them will removing fluff and unneeded complexity that's built up over the past 2 decades.
I got the game, it's a good port. Doesn't look as great as the Steam version but the gameplay is very smooth and controls are solid. I give it a 9/10.
I must admit, I am still mildly tempted to buy this port, just because of how good it sounds like it is and because of my newfound love for Guilty Gear (you get three guesses why); despite me already owning a license on Steam plus a Steam Deck to play it on.
No mention that background effects are now static on Switch?
(Look at the people on that city stage.)
@MirrorFate2 The background effects aren't static. The only change I have noticed is one person not moving in Times Square but it's honestly something quite small considering how well it runs. Other stages look without changes.
@roy130390 The painter in that other stage no longer moves either.
Speaking of, Story Mode's cutscenes chug in the Switch version.
@MirrorFate2 The painter does move, I just checked it again. As for story mode, I haven't seen that one.
@roy130390 Then you should give it a try. You'll see.
Imma be real, I f*cking hate this game and everything it stands for.
I know I'm gonna be in the minority here, but to me, this the embodiment of "we want our anime game to be taken seriously by the west".
So the colors became more muted to look 'serious', the most over-the-top aspects and designs were heavily toned down (and I'm not even talking about female characters here, I'm mean in general, from character designs to even the UI), and every aspect seems to have taken a step back to try to be taken seriously.
For those who enjoy it, have fun.
but for me, I REALLY wish they had ported Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-. but for some reason, 3D modeled fighting games always get ignored in re-releases.
Have this on PS5. Not a fan. Visuals are fantastic, but the modern J-pop & rock vocals can really tarnish the experience, and the game play/fighting mechanics/combo-system-whatever, just doesn't hook me. I've been dabbling into GG ever since the PS1 original, but eh.
Arc Systems Dragon Ball Fighterz left a much stronger impression on me. I suck at it, but it captures the feel and look of the show, even if i can't always keep up with what's happening on the screen when a secondary opposing team character swoops in with some BS nano second attack. lol
Even if i did like GGS, there's zero point in buying a downgraded version on Switch, unless you must have it in HH mode with Switch OLED. I for one hate hand held gaming, so that's not in the cardies'. So for me, It's a pointless port that should of came out nearly 3 years ago when the PS5 version did.
I just kinda hate how expensive it is.
@dojmin Wait, it's not US $60?
Oooh excellent. Generally a high quality fighter series so this just puts it up to its usual standards. Looking forward to giving it a spin. Cheers for the review.
I used to be a fan of this franchise but honestly not really feeling this latest entry. I gave it a go on Gamepass and I just didn't really care for it over older entries, I think the graphics finally got too 3D where they just lack that 2D or later 2D-esque look they had before. I mean yeah in stills it can look kinda 2D but in action it just lacks the charm somehow. That and like a lot of modern fighting games it just felt too focused around online play as well. I just don't enjoy it as much as I can still enjoy older ones.
How about the crossplay ? I heard it was absent. If it's the case, I'm wondering about how many people will play it on Switch. Not that much I guess.
Thanks for the review, wasn't particularly interested in this in the first place and even less so after the (self-)censorship through an update - again, what worries me is that instead of seeing less and less of that it's continuing and increasing and in this case also that it wasn't there from the start, but they added it after the game came out which is even worse in my opinion - but still, I'm glad it's overall great for those who are!
@Senjutsu77
As mentioned in the review, it's sadly not there, and @LadyCharlie I think we have sort of gotten used to the fact that Crossplay is usually cut out of the Switch version. It's so often the case.
@Vivianeat
It can be viewed as a reboot of sorts, but I'd say more of a retooling that simplifies things and slightly lowers the entry barrier.
Here's hoping they give us a next-gen patch with crossplay when Switch 2 launches
@8thDoctor ok so I want to play/own the previous 6 main games to follow up, where can I get them all for Switch? I only see 3 on the eShop.
@Vivianeat Only the original Guilty Gear, XX and Strive are on the eshop.
If you want Xrd and Guilty Gear 2, ya gotta go the Steam/PC way.
As for Guilty Gear X (By Your Side), sadly, you either have a PS2 or ANOTHER way to play those, if you get what I mean. And the version with an actual story is Japanese-only. Might as well check the translated playthroughs on YouTube for that one.
Hm … the port is great, but roughly a week after release, online is already a ghost-town, especially with this floor system.
Might need to switch to PC/steam deck if the season passes go one sale.
Yep, absolutely great port with beautiful visuals and smooth performance, but the Story mode is pretty terrible and those cutscenes are seriously downscaled or something, hurts my eyes watching them tbh. Bamco/ArcSys need to fix Story mode asap.
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