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Guilty Gear Isuka Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)
Posted on Wednesday, November 03, 2004 @ 10:33:20 pm E.S.TEver since the days of the NES and Sega Genesis, we’ve grown accustom to our beloved two-dimensional fighting games that have kept up occupied for so long. I still find myself wandering over to the Street Fighter III arcade machine anytime I have a spare quarter to blow. Unfortunately (or fortunately, take your pick) with the evolution of gaming consoles, we’ve seen less and less of our adored 2-D fighters and, instead, the expansion of the next-generation three-dimension style. Luckily for us nostalgic folk, Arc System Works has developed a fresh, beautiful, and crisp old-school fighter for the PS2 that seems to be just what the doctor ordered.
The Guilty Gear series hit the Playstation back in ’98, but unfortunately was a sort of a “sleeper hit”. While the game itself was rock solid, gamers were looking for new titles to push their console hardware, and Guilty Gear was nothing but a mere dust collector. Fortunately, the few followers GG did have were completely loyal to this new type of fighter. Brought to us by the fine people at Sammy Studios, the fighting franchise continues with a radical new twist. More than half a decade later, we see the latest installment on the shelves; Guilty Gear Isuka.
Isuka is all about the fighting. The controls have lightning-fast response time, which really comes in handy for pulling off insane combos and quick reversals. Along with the controls comes an array of different moves and styles for each character. There’s no such thing as a “repeat” or “clone” in this game, because each character is completely diverse from the next. Of course, each fighter has significant special attacks (which are controller realistic, and not just a bunch of insane button-mashing combos) that can be executed when the special meter fills. The fighting of Isuka is the main aspect of the game, and is nearly perfect, as far as fighters go.
An excellent addition to the Guilty Gear saga is the inclusion of four-person melee. Now, instead of sticking to the good ol’ fashion one-on-one style, you can toss two more characters into the mix for a calamitous good time. Since each level is rather small (which is completely typical for 2-D fighting games) Isuka adds a second plane of reality. This basically means that characters can stand in the front (nearer your TV screen), or behind. Neither plane of reality affects the other, so it’s nice for two-on-two battles. There’s even a throwback to the nostalgic folk who enjoyed classic beat-‘em-up games like Final Fight. A cool mode added to the game sets a character of your choice on a nice little beat-'em-up style quest to battle through a 2½ dimensional world, kicking the crap out of anything that moves. This only adds to the Guilty Gear experience.
The graphics present an interesting dilemma for me, as far as rating them goes. On one hand, you have completely crisp visuals and stunning special effects. On the other side… this game is only 2-D, so it had better be top-notch. To be perfectly honest, though, the characters are fantastic, with extremely smooth sprite transitions and flowing motion. Even the backgrounds look pretty. (Some of them look like they were taken straight from an old Miyazaki anime movie.) Also, when playing a ferocious four-player match, a diversity of colors fills the screen in a brilliantly executed fashion. All of this keeps the game looking slick with a cool, constant framerate.
This leads me to the rockin’ audio of the game. Apparently the developers wanted something the gamers could jam to whilst fighting, because hard-core heavy metal is the theme for Isuka. And needless to say, the hard-hitting soundtrack really sets the tone for this fast-paced action. The intro alone is enough to get any fighting fan pumped, and the individual music tracks for the stages really set the mood for the type of fight in store. Even the sound effects and character voices are well done (though I’ll admit that some of them do get old after a while.) If you’re looking for a little ear-candy, you'll be more than satisfied with the audio in Isuka.
Guilty Gear has always had a great replay value, and the inclusion of the four-player mode only makes Isuka better. The arcade mode is slightly different than your average Joe’s 2-D fighter arcade mode. Basically, the more your character fights, the more he levels up. This doesn’t affect your actual performance, but the higher you level, the harder your opponents, until finally you level up enough to fight the final boss. And obviously the multiplayer is a blast, especially when you throw in all four characters into the mix. If you’re a fan of fighters, and like yours extra frantic, then you’ll be playing Isuka for hours at a time.
Isuka features various modes of gameplay, customizable character options, and even old-school fighting aspects, so there’s much to do in this title. Each aspect of the game seems to have been approached with much detail and consideration. And with first-class combat, a bitchin’ soundtrack, and superbly executed graphics, Guily Gear Isuka is well worth the price. Review By: Dacvak - 1986 Reads
Guilty Gear Isuka Review Scores for PS2 :
| Gameplay |
| 9.0 |
| Graphics |
| 8.0 |
| Sound |
| 8.0 |
| Replay |
| 8.5 |
| Overall |
| 8.3 |
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