Goldlewis Dickinson was just revealedas the first new character coming toGuilty Gear: Strive, and boy does he have animposingpresence. Still, when you think of characters who embody the rock ‘n’ roll spirit ofGuilty Gear, a U.S. government official wearing cowboy chaps and horseshoes probably doesn’t spring to mind. But sinceStriveis poised to become the most popular and successful entry in the seriesby a wide margin, let’s introduce new and returning fans alike to more of the classic characters in the franchise who deserve the spotlight in DLC.
Just to get this out of the way: We’re not taking lore into consideration for these picks. If a character’s current lore status is that they’re, say, retired from fighting and running a bakery, we don’t care. And don’t even try to pull the “That character is dead” card. Death never stopped M. Bison (or Liu Kang, or Heihachi Mishima…), and it shouldn’t prevent long-time veterans from playing as their mains. We’re also not going to bother discussing characters who were heavily featured in the story mode–Happy Chaos, Asuka, and Jack-O’–because if Goldlewis is any indication, their spots on the roster are all but guaranteed already.
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Aside from the originalGuilty Gearfor the PSX, Venom has never been absent from the series until now, and the lack of his presence is sorely felt.GGbuilt its reputation on wildly unique and creative characters, both in terms of visual aesthetic and gameplay, and Venom is one of the most celebrated in both departments. The logo embroidered on his bangs alone will pique your interest, but once you see him in action—placing pool balls all over the screen and hitting them at multiple angles with his cue—you’ll quickly understand how he’s one of the most technical and stylish characters in fighting game history.
Custom pool ball formations and control over their speed and trajectory are core to Venom’s identity and non-negotiables for hisStriveincarnation. No character survived the transition to the latest game with all of their tools intact, though, so expect moves like Double Head Morbid, Mad Struggle, and Dubious Curve to either get re-tooled for new purposes or removed outright. He may not retain his ability to teleport above the balls he places, either, given how Chipp lost his teleport, too, so he could definitely use some cool new tools to make up for the losses.
Do you hate blocking? Of course you do; Ramlethal has probably been making your life in the corner miserable. How about a character who always gives you the option to counter-attack through your guard for no resource cost? This mechanic has always been implemented fairly—the counter-attacks can be punished under the right circumstances (and in herGuilty Gear Xrd: REV 2incarnation, she telegraphed her counters by performing a stance beforehand)—and it’s always what has set Baiken apart from the rest of the cast and created very interesting matchup dynamics.
Her tatami mat projectile is the other essential piece of her kit; she would feel incomplete without it inStrive. Regardless, you shouldn’t worry too much about her chances of making the cut.Baiken is one of the most popular GG characters in the West and Europe, if notthemost popular.
The Japanese audience, however, has very different tastes.Despite topping multiple official character popularity polls, Bridget was completely absent from theXrdgames. The time to give the people what they want is long overdue. Plus,Striveis the perfect opportunity to give him a fresh new look.
Everything about Bridget is unconventional, from his appearance as a female betraying his true nature as a male, to his transforming yo-yo and teddy bear as combat weapons. Much like Venom’s pool balls, Bridget’s ability to place the yo-yo in multiple different spots and slingshot himself around the screen allowed for an unprecedented level of mobility and player creativity. Also, in a series rife with moves named directly after famous rock and metal songs, Bridget always had one of the best: Kickstart My Heart. The more he stays the same inStrive, the better.
She’s always been one of the series’ most important characters, andGuilty Gear Xrd: Revelatorgave her a mostly faithful 3D treatment, but Dizzy should probably be high on the DLC priority list simply becauseStriveis currently lacking in characters who excel at long-range combat. Axl shouldn’t have to fill that role by himself. Keeping your opponent from closing the distance on you using a wide variety of projectiles is a game plan simple enough for anyone to understand.
Dizzy should also bring her second airdash, a perk that Millia currently gets to enjoy exclusively. In previous games, the extra air mobility coupled with the delayed attacks on her fish summons would give Dizzy access to a strong mix-up game as well, but toned-down characters is the name of the game inStrive, so Arc System Works will have to get creative with new abilities to make her fit.
IfStriveis your firstGGgame, and you’re wondering why long-time fans are yelling about how “the damage is way too high” (which is true), it’s because only Slayer used to possess the kind of damage output that would just make youexplode. One counter-hit Pilebunker or Dead on Time would often result in the end of the round. These moments were gleefully satisfying for Slayer players, but also hilariously entertaining for spectators.Strivewould probably consolidate the damage of Pilebunker into the move itself instead of just being a huge combo starter, but that spectator amusement aspect should stay intact.
Also, let’s talk music. Slayer’s themes have alwaysbroughtthejazz, and you should be excited by the idea that all of these characters will also come with one ofDaisuke Ishiwatari’s signature compositions. This soundtrack could use some more classiness.
Jam Kuradoberi
While Slayer was winning rounds with explosive damage from his punches, Jam was doing it with her kicks. (And that damned move that the community simply refers to as “puffball.” You know the one.) In rosters dominated by characters brandishing some sort of weapon, the pugilists always stand out more, and Giovanna shouldn’t get that spotlight all to herself.
Traditionally, Jam is also the only member of the cast who possesses a parry as a powerful defensive option in the hands of a skilled player, and it’s something theStrivemeta could desperately use right now. Faultless Defense and Instant Block just aren’t cutting it. Imagine if you could force the majority of Sol players you run up against to think twice about pressuring you the way they do now.
Testament terrorized the highest levels of competitive play forGuilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R, and no character should ever be that strong again, but a toned-down version of him absolutely deserves to be inStrive. Given the proper care and balance, his signature game plan of forcing the opponent to navigate (or bust through) a minefield of traps would be a welcome addition. Maybe all the traps should go away if he takes damage this time, though.
All of the characters from theXXgames deserve the modern Arc System Works 3D treatment eventually. We know you Zappa, Robo-Ky, Justice, Kliff, and A.B.A fans are out there waiting patiently. EvenXrdoriginals like Sin and Raven have strong supporters.Strive, however, has the unenviable task of stripping these characters down to be less overwhelming for newcomers, while still maintaining the essence of what makes those characters unique and beloved. Maybe you’re better off leaving the memories alone. But we’d love to be proven wrong.
No Elphelt, though. Never again.
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