Voice Module

Reviews

Previews

Features

Classic

Archive

Contact

Gallery


In Memory
Sean Pettibone

Review

Guilty Gear Judgment (Majesco for PSP)



By Michael Palisano

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


> Related Reviews
Darkstalkers Chronicles (PSP)
Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins (PSP)
Tekken Dark Resurrection (PSP)

< Back to Main Page