Consisting of two separate games in a single package, Guilty Gear Judgment
for the PSP offers players both a side-scrolling hack and slash adventure
and a port of the 2D classic fighter, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload on the same
disc. Sadly, it seems that the port is the vastly superior game here, as
the dreary side-scroller offers little in the way of challenge and
excitement. The package is a decent title for fans of old-school gaming
who want to play some classic fighting action, but those expecting more
than basic gameplay from Judgement’s adventure mode are in for a
disappointment.
Players looking a challenging or interesting 2D fighter from the creators
of the innovative Guilty Gear series are in for a surprise if they pick up
Guilty Gear Judgment for the PSP. While the idea of bringing a traditional
2D fighter into a more open-ended brawler seems to be a logical move, none
of the attempts to date have been successful, yet. From out play, it looks
like Guilty Gear Judgment falls right into the same old trap of trying to
mix fighting games into the standard, old Final Fight formula.
Unfortunately, the developers forgot to actually put something into GGJ
that hasn’t been seen before, resulting in gameplay that feels primitive
and shockingly dated by today’s standards. There are two basic modes of
play included: Story and
Arcade
mode, though the differences here are
almost minimal, basically story mode allows you to battle through multiple
stages.
Players can also select a Survival mode, where they face off
against tons of enemies in a single round elimination mode. This is
actually much less interesting than it sounds, and makes you feel really
ripped off. The game allows you to play as any of the main characters from
the Guilty Gear series as they battle through various levels against
hordes of enemies. The game allows you to use some of your moves in these
areas, but your attacks feel much more limited and constrained than
you’d expect. When your energy bar is full, you can perform some of the
special Burst and Overdrive attacks from the fighting game, but the moves
basically consist of punching and kicking which makes the gameplay go from
monotonous to tedious in a hurry. There are 18 levels in this adventure
mode, though getting to the end is more a testament to endurance of
tedious gameplay than skill in defeating the predictable enemy attacks.
You can also share the pain with a friend and play this title wireless in
co-op mode, though we wonder if there’s anyone who’d actually want to
torture someone else with this.
You
face dozens of the same types of enemies on each level, each with entirely
predictable attack patterns and moves that make them quite easy to defeat.
You’ll face the same enemy types again and again throughout the game,
and the occasional appearance of new or different enemies occurs so
infrequently as to make their emergence less pleasant than dreadful.
You’ll be seeing hundreds of these guys up ahead, so the novelty quickly
wears off. The action generally moves from left to right, making the
experience feel less engaging than it should. While some levels end with a
boss battle, many seem to just end with no real reason. This arbitrary,
simple approach makes the gameplay become repetitive in a hurry, allowing
for no real skill or challenge. You can earn bonus points and collect
health upgrades by running over items in these levels, but the basic
structure is entirely predictable, making Judgment an exercise in tedium
that quickly wears out its welcome. In addition, you can replay the game
with different characters, which sounds distinctly unappealing since you
face the same foes no matter which character you select. The visuals and
animations are the title’s sole saving grace, with the unique GG look
and feel evident throughout, and some nice cinematic cut scenes that
explore the characters’ backstories. It’s obvious that this isn’t
nearly enough to justify a standalone game, let alone top-billing in a
two-pack when the other title is much better. Playing through Guilty Gear
Judgment’s unimaginative levels makes you long to play the original
fighting game. Fortunately it’s included here to make amends.
Helping to mitigate this poorly executed bad idea to a large extent is the
port
of
Guilty Gear
X2 #Reload, which remains a solidly
entertaining and challenging fighting game. The number of moves, excellent
balance and sheer number of attacks makes this a superb 2D fighter closer
to the style and setting of SNK than Capcom. However, the game’s unique
attack and power-up systems definitely set it apart from the mold. GGX2 is
definitely a game that will appeal to the hardcore fighting game fans out
there, and while it’s appeal may seem limited, it’s a solid game. The
port uses the PSP’s screen effectively and the action seems to burst
from the screen in vibrant and impressive color. The character design and
animations are immediately appealing, and the game’s unique gothic,
heavy metal overtones really come into fore here.
It seems ironic, but
the characters are far more engaging and interesting in this environment
than they seem in the side-scroller. While the main game gets star
billing, we think players will probably end up spending more time playing
this than the main game. While the package as a whole benefits from this
inclusion, we still can’t recommend paying full price for Guilty Gear
Judgment, there really isn’t enough depth or challenge in the side-scroller
to justify the purchase. While the concept might have sounded cool on
paper, Guilty Gear Judgment’s execution falls far short of the mark.
This is yet another example of developers reaching too far outside a
franchise’s roots only to end up stumbling badly.
Grade: C