BlazBlue Centralfiction

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 4,107 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
BlazBlue Centralfiction Game Cover
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
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"BlazBlue Centralfiction" is a high-speed 2D fighting game with improved netplay and 35 unique characters. The game features beautiful visuals and deep expressive combat, as well as a breathtaking visual novel. Bonus content includes the Original Soundtrack and Memorial Book.

Play Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,107 reviews
story179 positive mentions
optimization5 negative mentions
  • story594 mentions

    The story of *BlazBlue: Centralfiction* serves as a complex and ambitious conclusion to the series, intertwining various character arcs and lore in a visually rich, visual novel-style format. While the narrative is praised for its depth and emotional moments, it is also criticized for being convoluted and difficult to follow, especially for newcomers who may struggle without prior knowledge of the series. Overall, fans appreciate the engaging storytelling and character development, but caution that the intricate plot may overwhelm those unfamiliar with the franchise.

    • “The narrative in Centralfiction is another highlight, serving as a fitting conclusion to the overarching story of the BlazBlue series.”
    • “The game features an extensive single-player mode, complete with an engaging story campaign that ties together various character arcs and lore.”
    • “The story is deep and engaging, with beautifully written characters, and a banging soundtrack.”
    • “The story has collapsed under its own weight by now, bogged down by so many proper nouns and inelegant exposition dumps.”
    • “The actual story narrative is way too complex for its own good but is thankfully carried by the character interactions and voice acting.”
    • “If you care about the story, you will have to buy Continuum Shift Extend and Chrono Phantasma Extend and play their story to even try to get what is happening, and even then, it is unnecessarily complex.”
  • gameplay429 mentions

    The gameplay in *BlazBlue: Centralfiction* is widely praised for its depth and complexity, featuring a diverse roster of characters, each with unique mechanics that encourage varied playstyles. While the game offers a steep learning curve, comprehensive tutorials and training modes help newcomers grasp its intricate systems, making it accessible yet challenging. Overall, players appreciate the fast-paced, fluid combat and the strategic depth introduced by new mechanics like "exceed accel" and "overdrive," solidifying its status as a standout title in the fighting game genre.

    • “Every character feels fun to play and has layers; the drive system allows for some fun and crazy gameplay moments.”
    • “Building upon the foundations set by previous titles, the combat system introduces new features like the 'exceed accel' and 'overdrive' mechanics, which allow for strategic depth and exciting gameplay variations.”
    • “The gameplay has so much depth to it, with each character having their own gimmick that makes them stand out on top of their playstyles and designs.”
    • “The bad: everything about the game is extremely convoluted and overly bloated with its gameplay mechanics thrown on top of unique character mechanics.”
    • “But such complexity comes at a cost: the game has a deep learning curve, and if you are new to fighting games, even if there is a tutorial included in the game, it will be hard to assimilate everything and appreciate every mechanic put in this game; instead, you might feel frustrated at how much stuff is going on in this game.”
    • “I still recommend it, because I got it on sale, but I wouldn't pay $40 for a visual novel fighting game with excessively complicated combat mechanics (if you play on technical mode, you literally feel like a switchboard operator at times).”
  • music238 mentions

    The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its diverse and energetic soundtrack, often highlighting its ability to enhance the gameplay experience. Composed by Daisuke Ishiwatari, the soundtrack features a mix of genres that resonate well with the game's fast-paced action and unique character themes. While a few users expressed mild criticism regarding certain tracks, the general consensus is that the music is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The soundtrack is just amazing.”
    • “An incredible fighting game with a huge amount of complex characters, a great visual style and some of the best music around.”
    • “The music is also insanely good, and compliments the game perfectly.”
    • “The soundtrack has a song called 'bang bang big bang'; that should be all you need to know.”
    • “Music was okay but it didn't really wow me or anything.”
    • “I don't like the character select music, but a lot of the other ones are fire though.”
  • graphics138 mentions

    The graphics of BlazBlue: Centralfiction are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style and fluid animations, which enhance the overall gameplay experience. While some players note that the visuals may appear dated compared to newer titles, the vibrant colors and intricate character designs still captivate many. Overall, the game is considered visually impressive for a 2D fighter, with a unique aesthetic that appeals to fans of anime-inspired graphics.

    • “One of the standout features of Centralfiction is its breathtaking art style.”
    • “The hand-drawn animations are incredibly fluid, bringing each battle to life with stunning visuals that captivate players.”
    • “The beautifully crafted stages add to the immersive experience, with dynamic backgrounds that enhance the overall aesthetic.”
    • “The graphics look pretty dated too, making it harder to see these overhead pixels along with all of these visual effects flying around the screen.”
    • “It has a graphics bug that makes the game look horrible unless you mod it.”
    • “I'm not one to nitpick about visuals, but porting a sprite from one game to another is lazy beyond belief; they could at least put some decent anti-aliasing so that you don't see pixels on every character at a resolution that isn't even that high (1920x1080).”
  • humor47 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting the amusing character interactions, funny mechanics, and comedic elements woven throughout the gameplay and story. Characters like the "funny snake man" and "funny dragon demon guy" contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere, while the game's quirky dialogue and humorous scenarios keep players entertained. Despite some criticisms regarding the removal of voice acting, the overall comedic tone remains a significant draw for many players.

    • “They introduce mechanics with these fun little character interactions explaining simple concepts such as how fighting games even work, to how the funny little meters and gauges all work.”
    • “Combos are simple to pull off, characters feel accessible and fluid, the OST slaps harder than a gorilla, and the story is deep, rich, and full of hilarious little vignettes that make you want to play this over and over again.”
    • “You can enjoy countless modes, a very interesting story, and a lot of funny scenes in the game.”
  • character development37 mentions

    Character development in this game is marked by vibrant and detailed character designs that reflect unique personalities, though opinions on the designs can be mixed, with some players finding them hit or miss. Each character offers distinct gameplay mechanics and gimmicks, contributing to a diverse roster that encourages exploration and engagement. Overall, the combination of art style, character depth, and gameplay variety enhances the experience, prompting players to invest time in understanding and mastering their chosen fighters.

    • “The character designs are vibrant and meticulously detailed, showcasing the unique personalities of each fighter.”
    • “Every fighter has a unique resource to manage, and the character designs are varied and interesting.”
    • “It gave each character a lot of screen time, which led to significant character development and a wider variety of different characters to control and get to know.”
    • “Also not a fan of some of the character designs.”
    • “All of the character designs suck except for 4 or 5 but it's really fun and you can basically just play one character you like forever anyways.”
    • “Though I played a lot of fighting games, recent big names have pretty boring, cliché, or stereotypical character design and moves.”
  • optimization25 mentions

    The game's optimization has seen significant improvements since launch, addressing many initial performance issues such as pixelation, slowdowns, and graphical glitches. However, some users still report ongoing performance problems, particularly on lower-end PCs, and note that while recent updates have enhanced stability, the game remains demanding on system resources. Overall, while it is more optimized than previous titles in the series, it still struggles with performance for some players.

    • “Finally, my computer struggled running more 3D-based games like OW2 or MK11 without the help of optimization software, but this game ran smoothly.”
    • “This game in itself is a great port; it supports borderless windowed mode and is more optimized than the last three BlazBlue titles that were ported on Steam.”
    • “Since bug fixes and most of the problems have been resolved, I can now recommend this game as a lot of the optimization and visual issues have been fixed.”
    • “Badly optimized for lower-end PCs (and the improvement mod wouldn't work on my machine for some reason).”
    • “Game's performance was horrible at launch: pixelation problems, frequent slowdowns, glitches, graphical problems (see one of them here - this happened before the 1.03 patch), lack of some graphical options, etc. Now a lot of those problems are fixed but some of them still remain; like the weird slowdown on the character select screen.”
    • “The game is pointlessly performance-heavy, to the point where not only will graphics cards beefy enough to take on new AAA titles have trouble, but the people who were playing on potato PCs that could run the previous titles are absolutely shat on.”
  • emotional14 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong feelings, with many players reporting moments that made them cry and feel deeply connected to the characters. While the story has been praised for its complexity and emotional depth, some reviewers noted that it struggles to reach the heights of earlier installments, leaving certain plot points unresolved. Overall, the narrative is described as both heartwarming and heartbreaking, with a mix of humor and emotional weight that resonates with players.

    • “Overall 4.5/5, I hate that it made me cry more than 5 times during the story.”
    • “This is the only fighting game series whose story made me cry, and this game managed to make me cry twice.”
    • “The story is awesome and also heartbreaking.”
  • stability11 mentions

    The game's stability has been a significant issue, particularly at launch, with users reporting numerous bugs, graphical glitches, and performance problems, including frame drops and slowdowns. While many of these issues have been addressed in subsequent patches, some glitches persist, and players still experience occasional performance hiccups. Overall, while the game has improved, it remains a mixed bag in terms of stability, especially on lower-end systems.

    • “One of the best fighting franchises ever, and it runs great on PC.”
    • “Switch the game to run on your GPU, and it runs great.”
    • “This game's fullscreen setting is extremely buggy.”
    • “Game's performance was horrible at launch: pixelation problems, frequent slowdowns, glitches, graphical problems (see one of them here - this happened before the 1.03 patch), lack of some graphical options, etc. Now a lot of those problems are fixed but some of them still remain; like the weird slowdown on the character select screen.”
    • “On a really strong PC, I have frame drops between rounds; other players have reported anything from massive frame drops to complete freezes.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players note that grinding in the game, particularly in modes like Abyss and grimoire, can feel repetitive and unrewarding after defeating the final boss. However, many appreciate the challenge and effort required, as overcoming the game's mechanical difficulties can lead to a satisfying sense of achievement. The community is active enough that finding matches doesn't heavily rely on external platforms like Discord, although dedicated players may still spend significant time grinding.

    • “Abyss mode is just grinding over and over again for people who are bored; once you pass the final boss, it feels as if you didn't really get any reward.”
    • “The player base is big enough that using Discord for finding matches isn't that important (unless you have all day to spend on this game grinding).”
    • “It's pretty hard mechanically, but putting in the effort and grinding it out gives a great feeling.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The game features a large cast of unique characters and fast-paced gameplay, with no microtransactions or DLC, allowing players to earn in-game currency to purchase artwork, music, character colors, and costumes. The absence of monetization pressures enhances the experience, supported by a robust modding community and multiple single-player options.

    • “There's also a shop where you can spend the in-game currency you earn (there's no microtransactions, don't worry) to purchase artwork, music, additional character colors, and a costume for Noel.”
    • “Large cast of unique characters, fast fun gameplay, almost no DLC or microtransactions, multiple singleplayer options, and a large modding community.”
    • “The in-game shop feels overly restrictive, as the items available for purchase are limited and don't offer much value for the currency earned.”
    • “While there are no microtransactions, the grind to earn in-game currency is frustrating and makes it hard to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend more time grinding.”
    • “The lack of meaningful rewards in the shop makes the whole monetization aspect feel like a missed opportunity for enhancing the gaming experience.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers virtually endless replayability, characteristic of 2D fighter games, thanks to its engaging gameplay, great soundtrack, and a well-balanced difficulty curve. Players appreciate the fun learning experience and the variety of flashy moves that enhance replay value.

    • “This game is a delight to play, fun to learn, and has virtually endless replay value because of the nature of 2D fighter games.”
    • “Great soundtrack, nice difficulty curve, flashy moves, and tons of replay value.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, particularly for Guilty Gear fans seeking a fresh gameplay experience. It offers a distinct ambiance that sets it apart from traditional entries in the series.

    • “Highly recommended for Guilty Gear fans who want to experience a different gameplay atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
    • “Every detail contributes to a unique atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
    • “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that I expected.”
    • “Despite the vibrant visuals, the overall atmosphere fails to engage or immerse me in the game world.”
    • “The game’s atmosphere is inconsistent, making it hard to feel connected to the story or characters.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

85% average critic score

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Play time

27hMedian play time
592hAverage play time
10-350hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 15 analyzed playthroughs

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