Platform: PlayStation 4

Developer: Arc System Works 

Publisher: Arc System Works 

Release Date: June 5th, 2018  

Genre: Fighting  

Nerd Rating: 8.5 / 10

Reviewed by Rhutsczar

Now I would like to add a quick preface to this review. Unlike many of my other Baconeer compatriots (You know who you are) fighting games are actually not my forte one bit. The majority of fighting game franchises, excluding Tekken, have been ruined for me do to a personal conflict. However, I have become a relatively new fan of the Blazblue franchise and I couldn’t pass up the chance to kick the crap out of Tagger and Noel Vermillion with Ruby Rose. Welcome to Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle.

While I have played a solid number of fighting games, I would say Cross Tag Battle doesn’t have anything special. The story mode is split into four separate chapters, each representing one of the different franchises involved. Regardless of the chapter you pick, the general story unfolds as a culmination of the franchises’ best fighters battle each other in an arena. Why does this happen? Well, the possibly insane announcer/referee needs to gather battle data to take over the world. Yeah, definitely the story of a fighting game.

Let’s go Ruby!

For fighting game fans who decided to pick up Cross Tag Battle after having a healthy dose of Dragonball FighterZ, you will pick up the fighting system almost immediately. Since both titles were created by Arc System Works, they happen to share incredibly similar fighting systems. Cross Tag Battle focuses on a 2v2 battle system that is a tad stripped down from how complex Arc System games normally are. While you would think this takes away from experienced players, however Arc was able to find a solid balancing between the veterans and newcomers who are making a run for the money.

Part of this balancing is a more defined assist system. Like many team-based fighting games in the market, assists are absolutely essential in connecting your combos fluidly. Instead of having to select a different version of the character for an assist i.e. Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, each character has three different distances moves depending on what assist combination you use. Not only does this eliminate the extra step in preparation, but it adds plenty of necessary versatility.

Proper Assists Baby!

Just as the title suggests, in Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle characters from the Blazblue franchise jump up to the front of the line and take center stage. However, to reach those unfamiliar with the Blazblue franchise (much like myself) the impressive forty character roster includes characters from Persona 4, RWBY, and Under Night in Birth. Arc System really through a dart at their corporate dart board for franchises to include huh? Since Cross Tag Battle has already premiered at EVO 2018, a semi-official tier list already exists. While it is no surprise to who is in the top sector, it is fair to say there is a solid amount of simplicity in playing each character.

Cross Tag Battle has already seen quite the number of DLC characters added to the roster as well. As what is common-place these days, Cross Tag Battle has taken the season pass approach to releasing their additional content. While the core game hasn’t even been out for six months, we have already been treated to two seasons of new characters with already promises of a third season. This approach had led to a bit of controversy, however, as prior to release Arc System decided to split up the iconic Roosterteeth team RWBY. In an effort to appease the rabid fanbase, Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee were available at launch with Black Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long following in Season 1 and being the only free downloadable characters.

Wait, but you’re already in the story.

Once I reached the end of Cross Tag Battle’s core story, I came to a realization about how Arc System handled these DLC characters. Over the course of each of the franchises’ stories, you see all nine individual DLC characters already in the game and have active-ish roles in their respective stories. While Yang and Blake are both in a few of the RWBY cutscenes, other characters like Carmine from Under Night in Birth and Persona 4′s Naoto Shirogane are both completely ingrained into the game. You actually fight these characters in the story, yet you have to pay to unlock them? Definitely feels like a cash grab to me. It would really be a problem if the game’s original price was for $60, but since it launched for $40 + $20 DLC…

The soundtrack has to be my favorite element of Cross Tag Battle, as it completely sets the stage for our 2v2 battles. While the soundtrack could have been an easy trance or techno beat so that our fighters can destroy each other, Arc Systems made sure to craft an entirely original soundtrack with a focus on orchestral and pianos, They all blend seamlessly into the background, keeping the battle beat thriving yet not being entirely distracting. The only franchise that does stand out is RWBY, then again that is due to the heavy use of guitars and rock over electronic synths. While BlazBlue stands out, this allows the blood to pump when you hear “Ruby Mix” introduce the battle.

The secret to winning is the Power of Friendship!

While I may be a tad angry about the additional characters that I have to shell out my hard earned money for, overall Cross Tag Battle is a fantastic game. The non-canon entry into the Blazblue franchise supports a rather strong cast of characters, which one would not think to actually fit together but somehow thrives. The cast is supported by Arc System’s fluid yet balanced fighting system that tries its hardest to adjust the scales to set a level playing field. If you want to jump into a fighting game to get your feet wet or to dominate the competition, Cross Tag Battle needs to be on your list.