Suzaku

Ad with a glimpse at some of the interior illustrations for Guilty Gear Begin:

The Chain Chronicle collab illustration of Sol is by Ishiwatari himself, FYI. The "cards" can be found in (moderately) high resolution in this 4gamer article: http://www.4gamer.net/games/223/G022384/20170613037/

Holy shit that audio production was a mess. Couldn't hear a single word they said. Any word on what the black screen they cut to was supposed to be?

I think BlazBlue is far more mainstream both in Japan and abroad, in part because, unlike GG, it was very much designed from the ground up to have a wider appeal. BB's characters, gameplay, story, and multimedia were very meticulously created to cater to a really diverse audience, whereas Guilty Gear has always sort of just been Ishiwatari going "this shit is fucking rad!" and throwing it out there. I'd say that BlazBlue's fanbase is generally bigger, but Guilty Gear's fans are way more dedicated. As far as the FGC goes, Xrd is really the next generation anime fighter, while BlazBlue is on its way out (at least in its current iteration).

To be perfectly honest, I feel ike Arc System Works has been shitting the bed with their localizations ever since Chronophantasma, when they moved localization in-house and started contracting Strangely Compelling instead of having Aksys Games do everything. I recognize that dubbing is expensive and that the sales figures may not justify the cost, but whereas it always felt like Aksys was going above and beyond with the localizations, it now feels like Arc System Works is only interested in doing the absolute bare minimum. Which is a real shame, considering we've been getting pretty consistently dubbed ASW games for nearly a decade now, going back to GG2. The dub wasn't perfect but it was mostly solid, and some of the characters were excellent. The most disappointing thing is that there's a shitload of dialogue in all the Guilty Gear games that isn't subtitled and so won't be translated. The number one reason to use the dub, IMO, was to be able to easily understand all the character banter during matches, not to mention the system voices. I really, sincerely hope that they consider releasing a dub as DLC once the scripts for the DLC story episodes are finalized.

Famitsu scores don't hold much weight these days but that's still really solid for a fighting game.

Hah, me too. They said they'd already received an email from a fan about that, so that must have been you. Schmelz Berg should also be Schmerz Berg.

Can't tell where Ariels' hat ends and her hair begins. Assuming a lot of that is hair, she'd make a suitable master for Angra. Actually, it would be really interesting if the Original and each of his five apostles (Ariels, Axus, Libraria, Baldias, and Chronus) had Forbidden Beasts bound to them. Baldias's Cerberus did give him the same moves as Zato-1 in Vastedge. And we know that the PWAB developed the six Forbidden Magic Spells that bind Forbidden Beasts to the user, and Ariels and the Conclave control the PWAB. Hmm... Six powerful magicians behind the organization that created the Six Forbidden Magic Spells? Probably just a coincidence.

It's technically a digital pre-purchase, not a pre-order. You immediately pay for it and are registered as an owner. When you pre-order a physical edition from a third party retailer, you don't pay for the game until it ships and you don't own it until you physically have it. Unfortunate, sure, but not unexpected. Setting up a system for retailers to distribute codes for the demo to pre-orderers isn't an easy process compared to just giving people who own it on PSN something digitally.

Yes, and the instrument she plays to activate the puppet is a Korean zither.

In case you missed it, I've got a more in-depth and accurate analaysis of Raven's specials in this post: His Exitement Gauge only fills when he's in his Koko ni Saretai stance, and does so even when he's not taking damage. Assuming the meter scales from 0 to 100, it kind of looks like Koko ni Saretai passively generates 10 meter every second you hold the stance. It fills up quite quickly when he gets hit, but right now I couldn't possibly give you any specifics on how the damage absorbed translates into the gauge. It does seems like tanking an Overdrive will just about instantly fill it. Damage he takes while in the stance will slowly pulse white on his life bar, and that chunk of life can be slowly regenerated after ending the stance. As near as I can tell, the Excitement Gauge never seems to drain, but I could be wrong. It's stated in all of the PR that the gauge increases his damage in addition to changing the properties of some of his moves, but right now I can only confirm that it changes the properties of Wachen Zweig (add ground bounce; no idea when the properties change) and his Gertreuer Overdrive, which seems to do a number of extra hits based on how full the gauge is (looks like 50 extra hits on full meter, so assuming it scales 0-100, probably an extra hit for every 2 meter?). Unfortunately in the exhibition footage it seemed like nobody was brave enough to really use it since they were still feeling out his playstyle.

You could also just use it instead of blocking when you know an attack is coming that you can survive. You could for example tank an Overdrive, fill your gauge, and then go on the offensive or play keep away while your health regens.

The safe assumption is that they'll follow the paradigm set by XrdS. We already know that Kum Haehyun is a first print / preorder bonus like Elphelt was. Raven will probably be unlockable in-game with W$. Both will also probably be available to unlock as paid DLC. Dizzy should come as paid DLC about a month after launch.

Gonna go ahead and do a detailed overview using screenshots from that article and information from it and other sources. Kum Haehyun is girl riding around in a humanoid puppet that looks like an old tough man. She's a link-based character with easy-to-input specials with follow-ups focused on either holding and releasing the attack button or moving the stick in a certain direction. Her normals tend to have a short range but deal a lot of damage. Size is similar to Potemkin, movement options aren't very good, but she can dash, airdash, and can move while while crouching. This is her crouch. She's actually moving in this image, though it's hard to tell. This is her projectile, Chōdengan (Tune Relay Sphere). 236+S or HS. You can actually use the stick to move it left and right after launching it. HS version is red. This is Shi'inken (Saingeom, aka Four Tigers Sword). Standard input (623+K) is an anti-air kick (left). If you hold K she starts to spin and travel forward along the ground, hitting low multiple times, before leaping into the air with a spinning kick that hits multiple times. If you hold back on the stick after she starts spinning, you'll do a powered up version of the anti-air kick that you can gatling after. This is Hayabusa Otoshi (Falcon Drop). It's an axe kick. 214+K. Normally it's small and blue, but you can hold K to do a powered up version (pictured) that hits harder that you can gatling after. Can also be used in the air. This is her first Overdrive, Arahan Sanzenshō (Arhat's Three Thousand Palms). 236236+H. Has a short cinematic startup where all these extra energy palms start rotating around her mech's hands, then she does a big forward hand clasp. You can hold the button, which creates a big sphere centered on Haehyun that pulls the oppontent toward her if they're inside of it. This is her second Overdrive, Shinkung: Chōdengan (Divine Bow: Tune Relay Sphere). 236236+S. A bigger more powerful version of Chōdengan, which you can control with the stick. Unlike the normal version of Chōdengan, you can also move this one up and down. In her intro, she plays some notes on a zither which then transforms around her, becoming her humanoid puppet armor. After the the cockpit closes, the puppet crosses its arms. In her win pose, the camera zooms into her cockpit and she leans back in her seat, relieved, but accidentally pushes a self-destruct button with her elbow. Warning messages start flashing on all of her monitors with a countdown while she freaks out. When the timer hits 0 the screen flashes to white. In the cinematic for her IK, Zengen Teppai (Total Chord Elimination), the camera zooms into the cockpit and she conjures a magical zither with strings made of ki and starts to play a tune on them. The strings extend outside the puppet and wrap around the opponent, forcing them to their knees. She marches forward while delivering a lengthy speech, kneels in front of the opponent, then flicks them in the head with her finger, sending them bouncing across the ground and over the horizon. Raven is one of That Man's three lieutennants and an immortal whose body can regenerate from any injury. He has a unique Excitement Gauge that fills when he uses his ability Koko ni Saretai ("I Want It Here!"), increasing his damage and changing the property of his attacks. His normals are on the slow side, but generally have a lot of range and a very briefly lingering slash trail that maintains the attack's hitbox even after it looks like the attack is done, so they're good for zoning. I've seen them compared to Dhalism, but it's more like he dislocates the joints in his arms and lashes them around like whips. His dash looks like a teleport, but he won't pass through the enemy. This is his airdash. It works like a glide, angling downwards, and the steepness of the angle is determined by how high up he is when you input it. As you can see in the image, it deals damage on contact and can be used to start an air combo. This is Koko ni Saretai. 214 + K (can be held). He'll stay in this stance until you let go of K. He'll absorb all incoming damage and fill up his Excitement Gauge. When the gauge is full his animation changes to the one pictured. Damage won't knock him out of the stance and attacks will just push him around, but he can be grabbed. Any damage he takes in this stance will slowly regen when you cancel it. This is Grebechlich Licht (Fragile Light), 236+P or K during a jump, a downward-angled projectile. P or K determines the angle of the attack. He also has a horizontal ground projectile, Schmerz Berg (Painful Mountain), which is 236 + P. The needles used in both of these attacks will afflict the enemy with a short (1~ sec duration) slowdown. This is Scharf Kugel (Sharp Circle), 236+HS (air ok), a spinning saw-like projectile that travels forward a bit, slows down, then spins in place briefly, like Jedah's Dio Sega from Darkstalkers. The air version travels at a downward angle with a slight forward arc. This is Grausam Impuls (Gruesome Impulse), 236+S (air ok), a long range claw slash that knocks back and seems to be meant as a combo finisher. This is his command grab, Wachen Zweig (Guarding Branch), 63214 + S or HS. S is pictured, HS is an anti-air. He lashes out and snags the enemy, then slams them down into the ground. If his Excitement Gauge is full, it'll bounce them up into the air for combo potential. This is his first Overdrive, Getreuer (Loyalty). 214214+HS. Has a short range and a bit of a windup. If the first hit catches the enemy, he'll unleash an increasingly rapid flurry of slashes and then deliver a big kick with knockback. The number of hits seems to be based entirely on how full his Excitement Gauge is. It looks like it does 51 hits total with a full gauge, and 1 (just the kick) with it empty. This is his second overdrive, Verzweifelt (Despair). 632146+S (air ok). He summons a bunch of needles and then charges forward with them, Psycho Crusher-style. At the end of the move he does one of several different random poses, just like the GG2 version. Raven's new theme is currently titled "Tsuki no Shida" (月の虐), which means something like "The Moon's Dominance." It has vocals. In his intro, a crow is perched on a branch in front of a blood moon, preening its feathers. The camera zooms in until its eye (which has a gold coin instead of a pupil and iris) fills the screen, then zooms back out to reveal that the eye belongs to Raven, who is now floating in front of the moon in a "bird of prey" pose. He starts to spin around, then quickly flies off the screen, leaving behind fluttering black feathers. In his win pose, the blood moon is in the background and he's hunched over in the foreground. He slowly rises, then throws his head back and says his win quote, before leaping up and transforming into a four ravens that fly towards the moon. In the cinematic for his IK, Sehnsucht (Yearning), he slowly walks towards the enemy while his silhouette is enveloped by an aura of purple flames, leaving only his eyes and grin visible. He grabs them by the throat and lifts them into the air, then his eyes and smile turn red and energy starts to radiate from his left eye. The energy erupts around them, disintegrating them both completely. Nothing is left but a pile of smoking ash, which Raven's regenerating arm suddenly reaches out of.

http://www.4gamer.net/games/317/G031723/20160229092/ 4Gamer.net recap of the event, lots of off-screen shots.

Don't know, but it has S and HS versions and the Excitement Gauge changes its properties... so maybe both?

Preliminary rundown of Raven's moves from reports / screens / the trailer and how they worked in GG2. Excitement Gauge: Unique gauge that fills as he takes damage and while using Koko ni Saretai. Increases his strength and changes the properties of some of his specials, such as adding more hits. Schmerz Berg: Hops backwards while throwing a needle horizontally that briefly slows the enemy on hit. In GG2 this was a horizontal projectile with knockback. Gebrechlich Licht: Throws a needle at a downward angle while jumping that briefly slows the enemy on hit, P or K determines angle. This was an angled air projectile in GG2. Grausam Impuls: A long-range slash with his claws. Scharf Kugel: Throws a projectile that travels a short distance then spins in place like a saw? Presumably seen in the new trailer. Koko ni Saretai: Hold the button to assume an open stance and let yourself take damage to fill the Excitement Gauge. He can't be knocked out of the stance, so it nullifies some attacks completely, and damage taken while in the stance starts to regen slowly over time after you exit it. Wachen Zweig: Command grab where he snags the opponent with his long arms and slams them into the ground. S version hits low, HS version is an air grab. If the excitement gauge is full it bounces them back up into the air for combo potential. Getreuer: A combination attack in which he repeatedly stabs the enemy. Ends with a big windup into a kick. Hits more times depending on how full the Excitement Gauge is. Verzweifelt: Summons several large needles that float around him, then charges forward at his opponent like a torpedo, ending with a flashy pose. In GG2 he would leap into the air and dive back down, then randomly perform one of 19 different poses. Sehnsucht: Turns into a silhouette surrounded by purple flaming energy and slowly walks forward, with his eyes and smile visible. He grabs his opponent by the throat and lifts them into air, then it shows his eyes turning red and energy starts to pour out of his right eye as energy erupts from him, disintegrating both himself and the enemy. When it's done, only a pile of ash remains, and Raven's regenerating arm reaches out from it. Kum Haehyun's playstyle seems to be a pretty straightforward link-based character with low mobility and high damage. There's not much to elaborate on beyond what's already known.

I sketched out the rough lineart over the original because I wanted it to match up. I was going to scale up I-No since her pre-XX design had her looking short and slim, but by that time I was kinda losing interest in the piece and just wanted to finish it up. Probably should've scaled down Jack-O' a bit, too.

Just goofing around a bit last night.

Take three. These translations and move names are subject to change. Kum added. Profiles also added. Kum Haehyun CV: Hideaki Tezuka "So you desire a bout with the Kum clan patriarch, Haehyun." The descendant of an ethnic group that was nearly wiped out by Justice's attack. She can tune the Ki flowing through all living things, an exceptionally rare ability limited to a single bloodline. The current head of the Kum family of descendants, Kum Haehyun believes in doing everything to the best of her ability and has earned the trust of those around her. Additionally, because the Kum family has traditionally only permitted male successors to take leadership of the family, she spends most of her time piloting a humanoid cyborg named Kum Jeonryeok. The fact that it conceals a young woman doesn't appear to be common knowledge. Profile Height: 246 cm Blood type: A Weight: 199 kg Birthday: December 5 Hobbies: Trimming his beard, making accessories Likes: Honor and humanity, the chains fitted to his arms Dislikes: People who don't do their best Command Moves Command Move 1 ------------------- + Command Move 2 ------------------- + during a jump Special Moves Chōdengan ------------------------ + or Shi'inken ------------------------ + Shi'inken - Nagaoshi ------------- + hold Shi'inken - Ushiro Hasei --------- + hold , then or or Hayabusa Otoshi ------------------ + (can be held) Hayabusa Otoshi - Ushiro Hasei --- + hold , then + Kūchū Hayabusa Otoshi ------------ + during a jump Overdrives Arahan Sanzenshō ----------------- + (can be held) Shinkung: Chōdengan -------------- + Instant Kill Zengen Teppai -------------------- + Notes: Chōdengan (Tune Relay Sphere), Shi'inken (Saingeom, Four Tigers Sword), Nagaoshi (Long Hold), Ushiro Hasei (Reverse Follow-up), Hayabusa Otoshi (Falcon Drop), Kūchū (Aerial), Arahan Sanzenshō (Arhat's Three Thousand Palms), Shinkung (Divine Bow), Zengen Teppai (Total Chord Elimination) Raven CV: Hiroki Yasumoto "Insanity is expecting different results." One of That Man's lieutenants, swearing absolute loyalty to him. His body is immortal, as well as ageless. The redundancy of living day to day for several centuries has left him almost completely unable to feel stimuli, save one invigorating sensation: pain. Profile Height: 181 cm Birthplace: Medieval Germany (Holy Roman Empire) Blood type: A Birthday: March 28 Likes: People that make him want to kill them, people who discover or create new things Dislikes: Himself for not being able to love anything Command Moves Command Move 1 ------ + Command Move 2 ------ + during a jump Special Moves Schmerz Berg -------- + Gebrechlich Licht --- + or during a jump Grausam Impuls ------ + (air ok) Scharf Kugel -------- + (air ok) Koko ni Saretai ----- + (can be held) Wachen Zweig -------- + or Overdrives Getreuer ------------ + Verzweifelt --------- + (air ok) Instant Kill Sehnsucht ----------- + Notes: Schmerz Berg (Painful Mountain), Grebechlich Licht (Fragile Light), Grausam Impuls (Gruesome Impulse), Scharf Kugel (Sharp Sphere), Koko ni Saretai (I Want It Here!), Wachen Zweig (Guarding Branch), Getreuer (Loyalty), Verzweifelt (Despair), Sehnsucht (Yearning)

I just started translating it. I'll edit or post a reply when I get done.

Definitely Ariels. Maybe she'll be the newcomer in the first batch of new characters for the third iteration. Has some short glimpses of Raven and Kum's Instant Kills, also, at 00:54, 00:56. Didn't really spot anything else new in the quick flashes of footage.

Yes, Raven and Kum Haehyun.

We've already seen the new select screen:

Based on Ishiwatari's comments in the GG2MC, he didn't even know that storyline was written into #R, since he said he doesn't remember ever setting anything like that up. The XX#R story modes were written by Kaihou Norimitsu, so it's possible he just went off the rails a bit. Anyway, Kum Haehyun and Raven are going to be shown off at a meet & greet event at the Rakuten HQ on Feb 27: http://www.arcsystemworks.jp/portal/post-479/