Today’s Guilty Gear Strive Starter Guide goes back to basics

Dust Buster

So maybe you’ve been watching Arc System Works’ recent run of Guilty Gear Strive Starter Guides, you’ve picked out which character you fancy, and now you’re set to start collecting skulls, right? Well, before you start picking out background music for your highlight reel, you better be sure you have a grasp of the Guilty Gear mechanics. It ain’t Street Fighter, and Jp. HK into Cr. HK isn’t gonna wash in GG’s world.

And I should know, I’m terrible at this game.

Help is at hand for all of us. Today’s Starter Guide focuses specifically on the bread-and-butter of Guilty Gear Strive: its core mechanics. The video spotlights several offensive and defensive maneuvers that are a vital part of every Guilty Gear battle. These include Dust, Instant Block, Faultless Defense, and a complex but important GG trademark: the Roman Cancel system. It looks like a lot to take in, particularly for players who may be used to more simplistic defense strategies in titles such as Street Fighter V and Mortal Kombat 11.

Guilty Gear is an ultra-hype and thoroughly enjoyable fighting game, but one of the hardest titles to simply transition to from another fighter – given the above mechanics, GG’s pace, flow, and creative range of stances, guages, and specials. Add to this the fact that GG also uses numerical notation, and it can understandably feel like you’ve “missed the boat” on this franchise. But this isn’t the case. Like any video game, practice pays off, with these techniques eventually becoming second nature once given the appropriate commitment and consideration. Ultimately, your time and effort will be rewarded with one of the finest fighting experiences on the market, even if it all feels a little daunting right now.

The Guilty Gear Strive beta beings February 18 for all PS4 and PS5 players – regardless of PlayStation Plus status. Pre-order customers can get in on the action a day earlier on February 17. Guilty Gear Strive launches April 9 on PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam. As a refresher course, check out the previous Starter Guides for May & Axl Low, Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske, Chip Zanuff & Potemkin, Faust, Millia Rage, Zato-1, Ramlethal, Leo Whitefang, Nagoriyuki, and Giovanna.

And if you aren’t yet sold: This .gif from @AbyssOmrek

— Om-wreck (@AbyssOmrek)