Guilty Gear Xrd's 2nd Location Test Announced

Arc System Works has announced the second location test for Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- to take place this weekend from the 2nd to the 4th at the following locations:

HyperMesse (Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture)

Sega Namba Avion (Osaka, Osaka Prefecture)

Club Sega Jinshan (Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture)

Sega Akihabara Bldg 1 (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo Prefecture)

Additionally, two more characters have been announced for the game, with specifics given on the Xrd website. Thankfully, forum member Suzaku has taken the time to translate them:

Faust

You don't need an insurance card~

A dark doctor who wanders all over the world, charitably helping people who are sick or in trouble. He was once known as a great doctor, but a certain medical error turned him into a serial killer. Regretting his behavior, he now seeks atonement through countless good deeds, but still hides his true face beneath a paper bag of guilt. Though he's often misunderstood due to his strange appearance and behavior, he's actually a sensible man. Knowing that the medical error he made in the past was actually orchestrated by someone, he has set off in pursuit of the truth.

Profile

Height: 282 cm

Blood type: Unknown

Weight: 55 kg

Birthplace: Unknown

Birthday: Unknown

Hobbies: Unknown

Likes: Unknown

Dislikes: Unknown

Affilitation: None

Notes: Rerere no Tsuki (Rerere Thrust), Hikimodoshi (Pull Back), Oissu! (Hello!), Koe ga Chīsai! (Speak Up!), Mōicchō Oissu! (Hello Again!), Mettagiri (Shower Hack), Nani ga Deru ka na? (What's Next?), Mae Kara Ikimasu Yo (In Your Face!), Ushiro Kara Ikimasu Yo (Watch Your Back!), Ue Kara Ikimasu Yo (Look Out Below!), Sōten Enshin Ranbu (Centrifugal Spearhead Rave), P-hasei (P-derivative), Hana Daro? Ore, Hana Daro? (See? I'm a Flower!), Haseiban (Derivative Edition), Zenpō Idō (Move Forward), Kōhō Idō (Move Backward), Kyokushō (Micro), ↑-hasei (↑-derivative), Kaijo (Cancel), Ai (Love), Shigekiteki Zetsumeiken (Gamble Attack), Na-na-na-nani ga Deru ka na? (W-W-W-What's Next?).

Slayer

Let me teach you what fighting is...

A vampiric gentleman with fighting skills that transcend those of mortals and immortals alike. He's dedicated to dandyism, and has therefore burdened himself with a fighting style that allows only his own body to be used as a weapon. His hobbies are reading haikus and people watching, and he takes interest in and favors remarkable human beings. He founded the Assassins' Guild long ago to ensure a steady supply of drinkable blood, but after meeting a woman named Sharon who would not die or become a vampire no matter how many times he drained her, he took her as his wife and used the opportunity to retire, ceding leadership to his colleague, Zato. After that he settled into a quiet and comfortable retirement free from mortal affairs, but upon sensing a disturbing vibe in the world, has decided to return to the battlefield once more. As an aside, though he frequently enters haiku contests under a secret pet name, he has never won a prize.

Profile

Height: 185 cm

Blood type: Unknown

Weight: 70 kg

Birthplace: Transylvania

Birthday: October 31

Hobbies: Writing haikus, combat, stalking prey

Likes: Sharon

Dislikes: Humans with no sense of romance

Affilitation: None (formerly Assassins' Guild)

Notes: Chiwosū Sora (Bloodsucking Cosmos), HS-hasei (HS-derivative), Eien no Tsubasa (Immortal Wings), Chokka-Gata (Direct-Hit).

In addition to the new characters, the playing manual for the new location test also reveals new system mechanics:

2nd Location Test Player Manual Changelog

Basic Controls

Typo correction: ":h:: Slash" → ":h:: Heavy Slash"

Blitz Shield

New defensive mechanic that replaces the Repel mechanic from the Clash system. It briefly creates a shield that will repel an incoming attack, creating a chance for a counterattack. Performed by pressing any two buttons that aren't while standing, crouching, or jumping. Does not work while defending. Consumes 25% of the Tension Gauge.

Roman Cancel

"*Consumes 50% of the Tension Gauge" → "*Consumes either 25% or 50% of the Tension Gauge"

Clash

The Clash system has been reworked:

• Normal Clash is now called Clash and simply negates both attacks.
  
• The Repel mechanic has been removed. See: Blitz Shield.
  
• Danger Time is now a random occurance that can rarely be triggered by a Clash.

While this is all speculation, the change of Roman Cancels from being strictly 50% tension to either 25% or 50% may indicate the return of False Roman Cancels. For those that were unaware, the "Repel" mechanic from the first loketest was something that happened when a weaker attack clashed with a stronger attack. The player who used the weaker attack would be "repelled" and left open to counterattack. This appears to have been removed completely and instead results in a normal clash, while in its place the blitz shield is introduced. Likewise, Danger Time was originally caused by clashing very powerful attacks. It now appears to only happen on rare occurrence during a clash.