Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- Loketest Recap

Last weekend, location testing began for Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- at the Sega building in Akihabara. Testing ran between the 9th and the 12th, resulting in an overwhelming wealth of screenshots, videos, and gameplay information. In addition to what was already known about the system mechanics, the loketest revealed a few more things. I've broken some of the important system information down into sections for ease of consumption and included the impressions of the players who attended the loketest.

Read the full details after the jump![PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

In addition to these things, there have been several summaries and impressions posted. These may overlap with each other, but multiple people saying the same thing from first-hand experience only solidifies the credibility. ElvenShadow posted a large number of notes, which Shoryuken.com took the time to summarize:

General Impressions

• Game speed feels good! Pretty much just like XX series.
  
• RC works with whiffed normals and projectiles and does slow time but time slow is very brief and doesn’t really seem like it will disrupt match flow.
  
• Which moves can be YRCd (Yellow Roman Cancel) are move specific.
  
• It’s easy to know what moves can’t be YRCd because it will show a red “X” over your character when you try to YRC during a move that you can’t, even if you have no meter.
  
• Dust feels nice and smooth and I tried both kinds.
  
• Character select screen doesn’t look like it will fit many more characters but hopefully they will redesign it.
  
• The graphics are stunning. Fully animated 3D intros for characters. The game is visually wonderful.
  
• Supers are cinematic like SF4 but go much quicker and don’t really bother me or take long.
  
• Special camera angle on last round victory, not just with super kill
  
• FD feels the same. Tapping it will stop run momentum as always.
  
• Specials seems to carry momentum as always.
  
• Meter builds maybe the same? Faster? It’s hard to tell.
  
• Air teching feels about the same.
  
• There are currently 2 colors per chat and one extra that only comes if you pick same char and color as opponent.
  
• All moves feel like they have JUST a little more hit stop in general which makes it seem easier to confirm but makes combos feel a little slower. Movement is about the same speed I think.
  
• Extra hit stop on hit only. Block feels the same as old games.
  
• Stagger is still in the game.
  
• I could be wrong but pushback in general seems just a little farther
  
• Announcer sounds pretty cool. Much more gritty than XX. It says “You rock!” When you win a whole match.
  
• Taunting mid match gives your opponent meter
  
• Throws feel the same
  
• Dead angle felt the same.
  
• There’s a yellow “!” Sign when you get hit with an overhead.
  
• Edit: I think it’s for counter hit actually
  
• Dizzies don’t seem to last as long or else some dude is really fast at mashing.
  
• Tried to go into IK (Instant Kill) mode and nothing happened so either they changed IK conditions or its just not in this test version.
  
• Tension gain slows down a bit after RC
  
• When your health bar is below about 20% it flashes. I forgot to post this.
  
• I think the RISC bar works mostly the same as the old one (guard bar)
  
• Colors and button config type are selected via a menu at character select and not based on what button u press
  
  
  Character-specific Impressions
  
  Ky
  
  
  • Ky had some strange air lightning bolt stab.
    
  • Ky has a new lunge QCF D hop forward move. If it hits, your next J.D or stun edge will be enhanced, which is what that lightning strike that I mentioned earlier was
    
  • I have yet to see not was able to do DP follow ups for ky
    
  • Ky stage is like this pretty garden.
    
  • Ky’s lightning boost lunge move can OTG and works nicely after a sweep.
    
    
    Sol
    
    
    • Sol has a straight up dive kick move now.
      
    • Riot stomp is no longer a kick, it’s a flaming punch but it moves the same way.
      
    • When riot “stomp” hits there’s an explosion and it knocks them strait up for easy follow up combo.
      
    • To do follow up to riot “stomp” just hit any button on connected hit or block (all do same version)
      
    • Air dragon install activates fast. Sol looks way more Gearish (like a demon).
      
    • Sol dive kick has a small explosion fire hit that comes out if it whiffs and he lands on the ground. His dive kick is also really fast.
      
    • Don’t think Sol dive is overhead.
      
    • Sol dive kick can’t be tiger kneed. There is a min night restriction.
      
    • Fafnir goes really far but I didn’t see it hit yet
      
    • All of Sol’s moves can be YRC (YRC is whiff only) except VV and grand V. You can of course RC as normal on hit.
      
    • I dunno much about dragon install specifics but sol is really fast in it and he can shoot a giant beam.
      
    • He also gets a custom win animation if you win a match in DI.
      
      
      Millia
      
      
      • Millia has a backwards roll now too and also had some move that shot up from the ground sorta like testament dust but I dunno what it was. Either stand D or a special.
        
      • New forward HS. Air HS same as old one from XX only.
        
      • New super. Activate and the(sic). You can move freely and place roses around the screen to controls space. Time based I think.
        
      • The backwards roll and move I described are the same. It’s her new stand D.
        
      • Millia can pick up hair pin quickly by just pressing down over it.
        
      • Millias 3rd color is her original color scheme.
        
        
        Potemkin
        
        
        • Even with the costume change, Potemkin animates and fights like always so he still feels like Potemkin visually at least.
          
        • Potemkin has new shoulder tackle normal.
          
        • Potemkin has new move that looks like HoS explosion. After he charges his special meter. Bursts with fire around him.
          
        • Potemkin has some crazy air lunge/dive head first move, arc shape movement path, travels full screen… Medium speed. Looks hella unsafe on block.
          
        • Potemkin buster range seems a little shorter.
          
        • Regular Pot buster has no special animation. It’s the same. Heavenly is epic though!
          
        • Potemkin stage is full of mechs.
          
        • ICPM can be tiger kneed. It also can be YRCd so even if its not safe it’s a great way for Po to close distance and I can see it leading to scary setups.
          
        • Regular buster does good damage. More than 1/3 life on Venom.
          
        • Air D only goes straight down. Cannot adjust angle with stick.
          
        • I think you can YRC all of PO’s specials. I know the super armor one works. It still has P cancel too.
          
        • Potemkin has a new regular throw. He now just lifts you up with one arm and flopilly slams you down right on the ground in front of him like a rag doll.
          
          
          Venom
          
          
          • Venom has a new air normal where he twirls the pool stick.
            
          • Venom stage is like old GGX stage w chained beast.
            
          • Venom has that big black ball. That’s his new super. It seems to stay on screen a long time as in I saw him hit it at Ky, Ky blocked it. And it just bounced off and stopped near in front of him and remained in screen. Venom seems to be able to summon it towards him like other ball formations. That’s all I really know but it looks good.
            
          • Dubious curve is gone but that new move QV sorta works the same way as in you can combo into it and it summons a ball.
            
            
            May
            
            
            • Giant beach ball is summoned with a seal from the ground who hits it really high up and it slowly bounces forward controlling lots of space. Can combo of it.
              
            • May new move, summon hoop, dolphin waits under it. When May jumps through the dolphin pops out and may rides it horizontally.
              
            • May’s Ensenga looks like it has a huge hit box!
              
              
              Chipp
              
              
              • Chipp’s “find me!” Is way easier to see and only has small increments where he is fairly hard to see.
                
              • To wall cling, just jump near the wall and press forward and back really fast. From there you just press one of 4 buttons (no D) to get follow ups like teleport throw, 2 different striking attacks or projectile.
                
              • Air taunt is gone but maybe they made it a new move. I’m unsure.
                
              • Chipp burst animation, he gets fat like a giant balloon.
                
              • Chipp can do his special where he shoots forward through the opponent (alpha blade) in the air and if he ends by the wall he can wall cling after!
                
              • Wall cling one is variation of leaf throw.
                
              • A single Potemkin buster does 45% damage on Chipp with full life.
                
                

Graphics

• check elvenshadow's post or watch vids
  
• opening and winning screen is very SF4 alike
  
• 3D models looked weird in screenshots to me but I feel perfect when I see it moving around
  
• every super has nice cut-in (like ultra in SF4)
  
  
  Regular System
  
  • check official page, pretty much same as old GG http://ggxrd.com
    
  • apparently many things are just borrowed from #R, so these could still change a lot
    
  • offers 5 sets of button mappings by default
    
  • instant block is still there, no slashback
    
  • Tension meter goes up and down in the same way as before, same as negative penalty
    
  • you can do HJ double-jump install and FD air-throw install (exactly same as #R)
    
  • S+HS throw option select works
    
  • No instant kill in this version
    
    
    Dust
    
    • Dust + up has a cool rising animation, works just like old day dust
      
    • Dust + forward is like P4A's AoA, looks alike old day Impossible-Dust
      

    Roman Cancel

    [*]Roman cancel has different colors, Red, Yellow and Purple? They proly differ in the length of slow down time

    [*]Yellow one works like old FRC which happens when you cancel move beforehead

    [*]I never confirm purple one, so that one is quite mysterious

    [*]Red one is just regular RC (with slowdown ofcouse)

    [*]RC slowdown make opponent, VERY VERY SLOW, say for Ky's stundipper(RC), you can simply run for 2 sec and then do 5S to combo, Ky's VT(RC)>land>run VT works

    [*]RC makes opponent so slow, that if you just do Ky's 2D>chargeattack(RC), charge attack will actually go throw opponent before they wake up

    [*]You can RC pretty much everything, including backstep, regular dash and jump. Wake up backstep+RC looked very safe option to run away

    [*]You can do something like Potemkin buster (whiff) >RC>see opponent jump>do heavenly Pot. Buster

    [*]You can whiff RC pretty much anything except for few moves such as everybody's DP, aka you can't whiff VV and then RC it

    [*]when you RC, opponent can also counter RC you to make you slower

    Crash and Danger Time

    [*]didn't see it occur frequently

    [*]when crash happens, weaker move side will get certain disadvantage frames eg. Millia 5P crashes with Pot's JD, Millia will lose couple frames after

    [*]when HS move crashes with HS move (or some strong move), danger time with count down appears, and within the time, the one who gets first hit can get into a bigger combo?

    [*]danger time related occurs very rare, so not really sure at all

    Characters Impressions:

    everybody is based #R cuz they don't have time to make it all new, so whatever moves I didn't mention here, that means they are same as #Reload

    I am expecting huge changes from here so it doesn't really matter much

    Sol

    [*]riot stamp is 2hit move and make opponent bounds up and you can combo afterwards, YRC possible

    [*]new move air 214+K is Ragna's Berial edge and bounds up on hit, free punish on block so its not safe

    [*]Dragon install turns him into "Zetman" like appearance. (sth like in GG2)

    [*]new Dragon install move P.B.B is like SF4 Oni's airdash, very fast dashmove in the air, and if opponent within the range, it turns into airgrab automatically.

    [*]Tyrant Rave during Dragon install becomes a gigantic beam, does 30% damage even on chip dmg. 60% dmg on the raw hit, broken move sofar

    [*]I miss Dloop

    Ky

    [*]D is a new motion (Isuka's line change motion)

    [*]D and JD and new move Split Ciel sets a 'glinder' (sth like mirror) and it buffs projectile goes throw it

    [*]regular stunedge throw glinder turns into a very fast beam

    [*]charge attack throw glinder turns into huge sword setup does 6hit and very good for oki

    [*]sacrededge throw glinder turns into superfast beam hits entire screen

    [*]you can set up two glinders at the same time, but its hard to setup

    [*]SplitCiel is the new move that Ky does a slow attack and then sets the glinder, can be comboed from HS on crouch and you can goto charge attack oki after with glinder

    May

    [*]new 2HS move looks very alike Johnny's 2HS

    [*]Ensenga is Johnny alike but you can not move until you land, looks hard to use, unsure if its overhead

    [*]new move sets a ball in the screen, ball will bound over and over and May can jump on it

    [*]41236+P,K,S,H, dolphin set up move, now May can jump onto the dolphin and attack

    [*]Yamada-san does tons dmg + stun

    [*]VERY, VERY cute opening anime cut-scene. It's true cuz I really hated this character and even I thought it was cute.

    [*]

    Chipp

    [*]236236S super is like Hokuto Hyakuretsu-ken

    [*]another super Zanseirouga gets a very nice anime cut-scene as well

    [*]has a new wall-walk move (like taokaka), you can throw shuriken or do a command-grab from here. Command grab has two versions which one grabs opponent OTG, other grabs on the air

    [*]teleport changed a bit, both S and HS version goes up to air now (they proly gonna change it)

    [*]paper defense still, Ky's anti-air BnB took him half life-bar

    Millia

    [*]HS version of Tandem looks different and slightly slower

    [*]Roll(214K) into K,S,HS variation, K to roll again, S for lustshaker, HS for a new move that looks like her far S but will cause slide-down on hit, very fast

    [*]erotic animation on every cut scene, biggest buffs ever

    [*]6HS becomes a new motion which is a overhead (looks similar to old 6HS)

    [*]new super (Grooming Rose) is a buff super, that within certain amount of time, a rose with hitbox appear on whenever she is. You can just randomly airdash around or roll overand over to annoy opponent or for the oki.

    Venom

    [*]QV is pretty much same as old 412 move, but you can charge it

    [*]almost no charge-up time for stinger-aim, 46S>46S>46S all the way

    [*]almost no charge-up time for 28S/HS as well, they proly gonna change it alot

    [*]new super generates a sun-look ball which will bound whereever in the screen for 3times, and when it hits other ball it will make other ball stationary.

    [*]They gonna make him more gay this version

    Potemkin

    Pulsr, too, gave his impressions:

    Got to play it for a bit while I was in akihabara with Xie. Over all it

    Feels incredible. I felt pretty much at home except for RCing. That thing hella freezes time. As far as I can tell all the hit boxes work the same. I only played sol, chipp, and may.

    May felt the most different, whereas chip and sol felt a little different but not by much.

    Sol's 2d dodges the world and what not.

    Oh, Ky's greed sever does not hit into the floor ( lost to Sol 2d).

    Sols kit is pretty neat overall, I really like it. Dust loop is pretty doable.

    May felt incredibly slow. HS is still plus but push block seems bigger.

    Sol 2s is still god probably +2-3

    Chipp normals are pretty orgasmic as usual. The new 6p is great and can spam it pretty hard ( think Johnny 6p).

    Chipp J.s was changed to give him a weird hop thing. Hella warped the 2d 4 way mixup, but I think j.s and a properly timed HS teleport Will give you the same result as his old vortex.

    Chills teleports are great since they always go to the same positions: Front / behind / Above opponent.

    I'll have tons of time to check comments tomorrow since I'm off to Kyoto. Lemme know!

    Game is gorgeous!

    Oh, couldn't tell if there was button hold like bb- I think it exists.

    If you clash you go into a reeling animation and i strongly recommended Mashinf cause you stay stuck for quite awhile.

    Finally, both Dengeki Online and Siliconera posted Xrd impressions. Siliconera's posting can be viewed here, while Dengeki's impressions have been translated by Suzaku:

    ICPM causes Potemkin to launch himself across the screen in a wide, parabolic arc. It can apparantly be RCed to create various approach opportunities. Trishula creates a vertical pillar of fire. Anti-air, creates upper body invincibility.

    For the various cut-ins, although they use 3D models, they seem to be designed with fixed camera angles, so they always have the same appearance. It gives the impression that they were animated seperately in two dimensions, but you can tell it's 3D if you look closely.

    May's attacks are really cute. She comes into the stage riding a dolphin and a lot of her attacks involve animals. She was always a cute character, but this time the cuteness is more 'refined' and stands out more. Her version of Ensenga, is an immitation of Johnny's. She throws different objects, and (if I'm reading correctly) has a more vertical angle, so you might miss if the enemy is crouching. Her version is ditzy, compared to Johnny's manly version. You can also ride the dolphin by touching it after it lingers, allowing for some tricky possibilities.

    Likewise, Ky and Venom both have more strategic options. Ky can generate a crest with his Grinder Placement ability, which remains in the location where it was summoned. Then with Durandal Call, triggered by hitting the Grinder with a Stun Edge attack, it shoots out a lightning bolt (or beam?). Split Ciel also generates a Grinder.

    QV replaces Dubious Curve, summons a ball which hits the opponent multiple times. Bishop Run Out summons a huge black ball that doesn't disappear even after hitting the opponent.

    Writer did not get much time to check out Chipp and Sol. Chipp's Wall Cling seems interesting and his Kunai attack apparantly leaves the kunai laying on the ground. His Dragon Willow (Ryuu Ryuu) Overdrive apparrantly throws tons of Kunai all over the place. Sol's Dragon Install is much more flashy and Crash! (Kudakero) is a dive attack. Millia's got more rolling options, but he didn't get to play as her at all.

    General impressions: As the Guilty Gear series progressed, more complicated abilities (Force Break, Slashback, FRC) were introduced one after another. By rolling back those introductions and improving the basic Roman Cancel system, various new strategic options have still be introduced, and there are fewer complex systems for new players to memorize. It's like a "rebirth of Guilty Gear." Because this is set after Guilty Gear 2 and not a "gaiden," the writer hopes more new characters will be introduced.

  [*]5P does not hit opponent on crouch

  [*]replaced old 6K with new forward shoulder attack

  [*]he acts exactly same as old Potemkin even with the armor

  [*]heavenly potemkin buster has a super well-made animation, you need see this sometime

  [*]ICPM is a airdive move (not UB, just a regular attack) looks alike Kanji's B buster or dive

  [*]another new move is like Kanji's DP but with fire

  [*]he looks cool, no joke