New Guilty Gear 2020 details revealed

More information has been revealed regarding the newest entry in the Guilty Gear series. Just a day after their showcase during Tokyo Games Show, Arc System Work’s General Director Daisuke Ishiwatari and Development Director Akira Katano sat down with journalists to fill in the gaps that the main panel did not cover.

At this point in development, Ishiwatari could not reveal the final title nor whether it will be a numbered entry. However, Ishiwatari has confirmed that Guilty Gear 2020 is not part of the Xrd story-line and will pick up where Rev 2 left off. ASW is approaching Guilty Gear 2020 as if it’s a brand-new fighting game, rather than just another entry into the Guilty Gear series.

This new approach comes off the heels of on-going criticisms that the Guilty Gear series is too “impenetrable.” It’s been noted that Guilty Gear’s steep learning curve rivals that of its contemporaries like Tekken and The King of Fighters. ASW tried mitigating this by introducing a “Stylish Mode” in Guilty Gear Xrd – a control scheme where novices could play with more skilled opponents by utilizing single button auto-combos.

This however still prevented newer players from learning the game as it created a skill gap between the perceived “beginner mode” and traditional play. ASW’s intention is to approach Guilty Gear 2020 much how they developed BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle – to ensure a gameplay experience where it’s easy for newcomers to pick up and play, while providing enough depth for the veterans. Katano acknowledged this is a tightrope he’s walking by trying to appease both casual players and longtime fans of the series, but that’s a challenge ASW is willing to take.

Another major talking point revolved around the fighters themselves. Series staples like Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske were all but guaranteed. EVO 2019 revealed a nameless dual-wielding swordsman and the TGS trailer surprises viewers with the anchor-touting pirate May.

But what players were most concerned about was the quality of the roster, namely whether their “mains “would see a return. Due to the perceived changes in mechanics and gameplay, there is no guarantee that every character from Rev 2 will be making a return at launch. Katano realizes the burden of trying to make the fans happy. However, the primary focus will be on ensuring that ASW creates a balanced fighting game.

Katano also has disclosed that while Guilty Gear 2020 has been confirmed for the PlayStation 4, there are plans for Guilty Gear to show up on other platforms.